Micromussa started to recede and look sad during the day, but great at night. Why?

[testuser]

Similar to my zoa (which now seems perfectly fine), my micromussa is getting picky with the lighting 3+ months later. All of a sudden it starts to shrivel up and show skeleton during the day. I turned down my lights that are about 8" above the tank I believe down to 20% and it still threw a fit. I can't sacrifice lighting for the entire tank for its moodiness. But at night, it fully extends its tentacles and seems happy and fluffy. Here are my water parameters:

Nitrates: 5
Phosphates: 0.03
Alkalinity: 9
Calcium: 420
Magnesium: 1300
pH: 8.15
Salinity: 1.025

Thoughts? Is it picky because it's not aquacultured?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Similar to my zoa (which now seems perfectly fine), my micromussa is getting picky with the lighting 3+ months later. All of a sudden it starts to shrivel up and show skeleton during the day. I turned down my lights that are about 8" above the tank I believe down to 20% and it still threw a fit. I can't sacrifice lighting for the entire tank for its moodiness. But at night, it fully extends its tentacles and seems happy and fluffy. Here are my water parameters:

Nitrates: 5
Phosphates: 0.03
Alkalinity: 9
Calcium: 420
Magnesium: 1300
pH: 8.15
Salinity: 1.025

Thoughts? Is it picky because it's not aquacultured?

Maricultured does best in low light but move it to a shaded part of tank so other coral can get their needed spectrums
Assure it’s getting fed- mysis is my favorite food for these guys
If feeding reef roids, may be part of the reason for higher phosphate levels

 

[testuser]

Maricultured does best in low light but move it to a shaded part of tank so other coral can get their needed spectrums
Assure it’s getting fed- mysis is my favorite food for these guys
If feeding reef roids, may be part of the reason for higher phosphate levels

I generally feed it LPS pellets a couple of times a week. Is it common for lighting needs to shift this dramatically after several months?

As for a shaded area, that would only be on the sand bed underneath the rockscape. Would that suffice, and would that most likely be its new permanent home?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I generally feed it LPS pellets a couple of times a week. Is it common for lighting needs to shift this dramatically after several months?

As for a shaded area, that would only be on the sand bed underneath the rockscape. Would that suffice, and would that most likely be its new permanent home?

Beneath the rockscape may or may not work and you can try it and see how the coral responds. I find myself adjusting lighting periodically based on coral growth but the percentage is very little.

 

[testuser]

Beneath the rockscape may or may not work and you can try it and see how the coral responds. I find myself adjusting lighting periodically based on coral growth but the percentage is very little.

What other options could there be for lower light, given that it's mid tank on the rockscape of my 5g now? Also, I've attached a picture of how it looks in the morning before the lights turn on. So odd how dramatic it's taken this... Reducing from 50 to 20% light intensity did nothing for it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

What other options could there be for lower light, given that it's mid tank on the rockscape of my 5g now? Also, I've attached a picture of how it looks in the morning before the lights turn on. So odd how dramatic it's taken this... Reducing from 50 to 20% light intensity did nothing for it.

In this pic it looks perfect but with opening seeking food and pellets may not be enough. I feed mine mysis shrimp 2-3x per week. The challenge in a 5g tank is light will fill a tank that size and offer few shading options.
You could try running a folded strip of saran wrap over the area it is at to filter the light and allowing normal light for other coral and see how it dwells under the filtered area

 

[testuser]

In this pic it looks perfect but with opening seeking food and pellets may not be enough. I feed mine mysis shrimp 2-3x per week. The challenge in a 5g tank is light will fill a tank that size and offer few shading options.
You could try running a folded strip of saran wrap over the area it is at to filter the light and allowing normal light for other coral and see how it dwells under the filtered area

I was super excited about the new head growing underneath, too! I find micromussa to be the most responsive (quickness to react to food) and the most exciting in my tank for feeding or otherwise. I actually have some macro algae that's fairly large. I may try and put that over the micromussa slightly to help give it some shade. Hopefully that will help, and give me a chance before moving it elsewhere.

So you think that aquacultured micromussa might work better in its current position? I hope so since my intention was to place them on the rockscape.

Also, what are your thoughts on this alleged chalice (per AquaSD, but have since been told it's a favia)? Does it look alright to you? Glad to see it extending anyway.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I was super excited about the new head growing underneath, too! I find micromussa to be the most responsive (quickness to react to food) and the most exciting in my tank for feeding or otherwise. I actually have some macro algae that's fairly large. I may try and put that over the micromussa slightly to help give it some shade. Hopefully that will help, and give me a chance before moving it elsewhere.

So you think that aquacultured micromussa might work better in its current position? I hope so since my intention was to place them on the rockscape.

Also, what are your thoughts on this alleged chalice (per AquaSD, but have since been told it's a favia)? Does it look alright to you? Glad to see it extending anyway.

Coral looks like acan enchinata.
Aquacultured is more adapted to out tanks (light, water flow, etc)

 

[testuser]

Coral looks like acan enchinata.
Aquacultured is more adapted to out tanks (light, water flow, etc)

Would you say that this acan looks to be in relatively decent shape by the looks of it? And appreciate the advice, I'll give the micromussa some shade and hope for the best!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Would you say that this acan looks to be in relatively decent shape by the looks of it? And appreciate the advice, I'll give the micromussa some shade and hope for the best!

I think it looks good and feed it (try mysis)- you'll be surprised and assure phos and nitrate does not get high

 

[testuser]

I think it looks good and feed it (try mysis)- you'll be surprised and assure phos and nitrate does not get high

Sounds good. My problem honestly has been that it would always go to undetectable levels, no matter how much I feed. So I've been manually dosing every 3 days which seems to be a good cadence for not going too low and doesn't sprout other low nitrate/phos issues like cyano bacteria, or something to that effect.

 

[testuser]

I think it looks good and feed it (try mysis)- you'll be surprised and assure phos and nitrate does not get high

It's interesting, and maybe I need to give it a few days in this spot, but the macro algae shading the micromussa in its current position didn't yield any results. I still saw receding, exposing the skeleton. I then moved it to the sand bed (since it's on a decently-sized frag to raise it above the sand itself) and all day, it remained receded in the shade. Maybe it will take a lot more time, but it still opens up fully at night.

This is either some crazy light sensitivity (even though it's fully shaded now?) or something else that's bothering it. The flow should be minimal down there as well, but I'm unsure at this point as to why it likes the night so much more. Any additional thoughts as to why?

 

[vetteguy53081]

It's interesting, and maybe I need to give it a few days in this spot, but the macro algae shading the micromussa in its current position didn't yield any results. I still saw receding, exposing the skeleton. I then moved it to the sand bed (since it's on a decently-sized frag to raise it above the sand itself) and all day, it remained receded in the shade. Maybe it will take a lot more time, but it still opens up fully at night.

This is either some crazy light sensitivity (even though it's fully shaded now?) or something else that's bothering it. The flow should be minimal down there as well, but I'm unsure at this point as to why it likes the night so much more. Any additional thoughts as to why?

Sorry for absence as i was gone most of the day
It is odd . Micromussa do best in low light (about 50 PAR). What light are you using ?
For the skeleton showing, often its due to too much flow, high phosphate, low calcium and high temperature (double check)

 

[testuser]

Sorry for absence as i was gone most of the day
It is odd . Micromussa do best in low light (about 50 PAR). What light are you using ?
For the skeleton showing, often its due to too much flow, high phosphate, low calcium and high temperature (double check)

No worries at all! Appreciate the reply. I have been checking the temperature rigorously and it is 79.9F constantly now, which I think is alright. As for the light, I am using a NICREW 30W (the cylindrical version). Normally, my nitrates and phosphates deplete to undetectable every 3 days or so, regardless of feeding, but I can check sometime again tomorrow. Calcium also steadily lowers throughout the week between weekly water changes, but I gradually bring that up when needed (I'll double-check that as well, but last I checked it was fine).

Right now it's in the rock scape's shadow, so I would have imagined overextension during the day, but it was still receded. As of now, at night time, it's fully extended and looks happy again. So bizarre.

 

[vetteguy53081]

No worries at all! Appreciate the reply. I have been checking the temperature rigorously and it is 79.9F constantly now, which I think is alright. As for the light, I am using a NICREW 30W (the cylindrical version). Normally, my nitrates and phosphates deplete to undetectable every 3 days or so, regardless of feeding, but I can check sometime again tomorrow. Calcium also steadily lowers throughout the week between weekly water changes, but I gradually bring that up when needed (I'll double-check that as well, but last I checked it was fine).

Right now it's in the rock scape's shadow, so I would have imagined overextension during the day, but it was still receded. As of now, at night time, it's fully extended and looks happy again. So bizarre.

feed mysis shrimp at night especially when you see the feeders
CA- 400-425
temp 77-79
alk 8.5
salinity 1.025

Nicrew 3- watt isnt a high power light and you'd think this coral would be happy with the low wattage

 

[testuser]

feed mysis shrimp at night especially when you see the feeders
CA- 400-425
temp 77-79
alk 8.5
salinity 1.025

Nicrew 3- watt isnt a high power light and you'd think this coral would be happy with the low wattage

Good call with the night feeding! I'll get right on that. I only have LPS pellets at the moment, so I'll at least start with that and hunt down mysis shrimp as soon as I can. Also appreciate the parameters I'll be able to test sometime tomorrow to make sure that they fall within there. I'll pull the temperature down a bit, but it can be difficult to get it to be that close (my new temperature controller should certainly help with that though).

I bought that Nicrew light for that exact reason, right! I shot for the lower powered option for that reason, and it still got cranky at 20%, let alone completely covered by a rock, haha.

 

[rapurcell85]

I'm new as well, but can second using mysis shrimp for LPS. My Duncan and Lords all have a good response to it. I turn off all flow for 30 to 45 minutes and spot feed them a once or twice a week.

 

[testuser]

I think it looks good and feed it (try mysis)- you'll be surprised and assure phos and nitrate does not get high

Well, now in the shadow it's pretty shriveled up all day and even more so at night now. Everything water chemistry-wise per your numbers are in check except for the calcium, which I've been slowly bringing up by 10ppm per day as I've read anything higher would be too rapid. It looks like it was about 380, so it will take a while to bring up at that rate. Though everything else is relatively happy I think. The pH seems alright as well as far as I can tell, maybe about 8.15. Phosphates were actually undetectable, so I dosed a little bit of that as well.