How finicky are clove polyps?

[iceman14555]

I picked up some TSA lemon laser and Firework clove polyps, along with some zoas Friday. Everything was acclimated and the clove polyps seemed to be settling in the firework ones were the first to extend and looked great. The lemons looked alright but seemed irritated by flow, so I moved them slightly. They seemed better. Well it's been a day and now both colonies are closed tight, but the zoas and everything else I picked up seem very happy, there are even some new heads.

My question is, how finicky can clove polyps be and how long can they take to get used to a new tank?

My aquarium is over 4 years old and has a healthy population of just about everything you'd want in a reef tank.

Firework Clove Polyps in the center

Lemon laser polyps near center next to the snail

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

In my experience it can take them a little while to get adjusted, but after that they take off.

 

[iceman14555]

In my experience it can take them a little while to get adjusted, but after that they take off.

I've never kept clove polyps, are they anything like xenia? I had a giant colony of that in a previous tank that send to be impossible to kill

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

I've never kept clove polyps, are they anything like xenia? I had a giant colony of that in a previous tank that send to be impossible to kill

They pretty much are.

 

[iceman14555]

They pretty much are.

Well then they should be ready, just hope they perk up, although I know, as with much of this hobby, patience is usually key. Hopefully, they come out bigger than they went in.

 

[Northern Flicker]

I've found they are actually quite finicky. Mine close up a lot, they really dislike flow, and they seem to really dislike coral snow as well.

 

[iceman14555]

Well both frags of clove polyps ended up kinda melting. I'll have to start over with the cloves, but everything Else is doing great.

 

[kingranch2003]

Well both frags of clove polyps ended up kinda melting. I'll have to start over with the cloves, but everything Else is doing great.

Dang. Any ideas on what may have happened? I've really been interested in adding some cloves

 

[Dragen Fiend]

For me it was just the frag I got. My very first coral was some cloves. They died in the tank lol. At first I thought it was something on my end. Went to different LFS and within a couple of hours they are fully opened. In the exact same spot I put the first ones at.

Mine prefer low flow and medium light

 

[iceman14555]

Dang. Any ideas on what may have happened? I've really been interested in adding some cloves

No clue, they seemed happy and acclimating the first few hours, but then just closed up and died over several days. Called top shelf and they tried to help as best they could over the phone, but no dice. I might get more later, but I'm just going to let the tank settle a little

 

[PeterC99]

Give them time. Took me about a year before they really grew.

 

[Formulator]

No clue, they seemed happy and acclimating the first few hours, but then just closed up and died over several days. Called top shelf and they tried to help as best they could over the phone, but no dice. I might get more later, but I'm just going to let the tank settle a little

Clove polyps are extremely hardy. There must be an explanation. What are your water parameters?

 

[iceman14555]

Clove polyps are extremely hardy. There must be an explanation. What are your water parameters?

I thought they were, hardy that is. That's one reason I chose them, I don't have the time for stuff that requires enormous amounts of care and attention. Also, I'm going to warn you, I'm awful at keeping up with testing, I kind of leave my tank to it's own vices. In fact, my test kits are all expired right now. Except for my PH and salinity, cause they are electronic and I calibrate them.

With that said, my water is apparently good enough for zoas, flame scallops, feather dusters, anemones, and fish, but not these two frags of clove polyps. I also don't have any apparent algae issues and my copepod/amphipod population is abundant. I do imagine my Nitrates are probably higher than most thanks though, they always have been. Even when I first started the tank 4 years ago.

 

[Formulator]

I thought they were, hardy that is. That's one reason I chose them, I don't have the time for stuff that requires enormous amounts of care and attention. Also, I'm going to warn you, I'm awful at keeping up with testing, I kind of leave my tank to it's own vices. In fact, my test kits are all expired right now. Except for my PH and salinity, cause they are electronic and I calibrate them.

With that said, my water is apparently good enough for zoas, flame scallops, feather dusters, anemones, and fish, but not these two frags of clove polyps. I also don't have any apparent algae issues and my copepod/amphipod population is abundant. I do imagine my Nitrates are probably higher than most thanks though, they always have been. Even when I first started the tank 4 years ago.

Do you dose anything or just do water changes? I admire the low maintenance style and you seem to know what you want out of the tank, but without testing anything its going to be impossible to identify the culprit or fix the problem since you don’t know what to add or subtract. If you really want to keep the corals, I suggest you bite the bullet and at least test your basics (Alk, Ca, Mg) to rule out the easy stuff.

 

[NanoNana]

I got a really beat up frag that all but one polyp was broken in half in shipping. I put the one little polyp in my tank, it’s now 8. I got it 3 weeks ago. It’s been battered by flow, knocked over and laying on the sand by the conch several times. I’m pretty sure they’d grow in my front yard.

 

[iceman14555]

Do you dose anything or just do water changes? I admire the low maintenance style and you seem to know what you want out of the tank, but without testing anything its going to be impossible to identify the culprit or fix the problem since you don’t know what to add or subtract. If you really want to keep the corals, I suggest you bite the bullet and at least test your basics (Alk, Ca, Mg) to rule out the easy stuff.

Understandable, yes I was going to grab some new basic test kits, I usually keep some on hand, but like I said their experience right now. I appreciate you not crucifying me like some others have . I was dosing about 7ml of NoPox daily, but haven't in about 4-5 days to see if I see a positive or negative reaction. I also periodically throw in the recommended dose of Sea Lab 28 for my tank. I've not seen any negative effects from this, and actually it has seemed to keep my sump area cleaner. I also dose Reef Brite reef enhance and live rock enhance weekly, in an alternating pattern.

Occasionally, I fortify my pods with live phyto and live pods, either galaxy pods or recently the ones from reef genetics/Top Shelf Aquatics because algae barn is getting pricey.

I feed the fish and everything else LRS and Hikari marine angel fortified with Brightwell Vitamarine and SeaChem garlic guard. Sometimes I throw in a pinch of Hikari premium pellets or nutrisea probiotic pellets. I recently started using benereef, which seems to make everything happy. Finally, Red Sea AB+ coal food 4ml every other day.

 

[iceman14555]

I got a really beat up frag that all but one polyp was broken in half in shipping. I put the one little polyp in my tank, it’s now 8. I got it 3 weeks ago. It’s been battered by flow, knocked over and laying on the sand by the conch several times. I’m pretty sure they’d grow in my front yard.

I need some of your polyps are you dosing steroids or meth?

 

[NanoNana]

I need some of your polyps are you dosing steroids or meth?

Apparently I’m dose hair algae at the moment. rofl

 

[NanoNana]

Apparently I’m dose hair algae at the moment. rofl

I do feed reef energy and occasional accidental over doses of red and green phyto. I have a purple ribbon gorgonian that arrived in black water after missing a Friday delivery. I got it the following Tuesday because some ppl don’t put “LIVE STUFF in this box” lables on things. It’s brown but alive and gets quite angry if it doesn’t get phyto several times a week. I end up forgetting that I gave it in the morning, OD the tank, get a pod explosion and a bacterial bloom. It’s a vicious cycle but stuff grows. The Rasta Zoas (2 polyps) I got at the same time as the cloves have added 4 polyps.

 

[iceman14555]

I have to say Top Shelf Aquatics is just that, "Top Shelf" I called today about an order I've been waiting on and we got to talking about the clove polyps. No questions asked, they are shipping a couple more frags of both strains out tomorrow, after hearing what happened. If anyone was on the fence about trying them out, do it, they're great.