Milepora Small Polyp Extension

[Max93]

Hi,

I recently acquired two millepora (night fury and a green mili) and the night fury is not anywhere near as fuzzy as the first week I had it. The green mili looks the same, but I think polyps could be better.

I have other acros in my tank such as a red table and a tricolor that have fantastic polyp extension. My montiporas also have great polyp extension. My red dragon even has great extension and those are some tiny polyps.

I run a gyre at 50% (10-50% random mode, in a 25 gallon lagoon) so I know flow isn't an issue. Milis are in the highest flow spots, indirect flow of course.

I run a nanobox duo in the mixed reef setting. All corals are growing including the milis. Just the color and polyp extension kinda stinks on the milis.

Parameters:

API Test kits:

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 8.0

Salifert Test kits:

Alk: 8.3 (always 8.3 any time i test)
Magnesium: 1140
Calcium: 420
Sg: 1.026

I'm currently in a fallow period due to velvet but i dose oyster feast daily. Fallow period ends first week of January for a total of 75 days. I don't have an algae problem, so I assume my phosphates are in check, all corals are growing.

What do you think is going on, why aren't the milis fuzzy like the day I got them?

Thank you.

 

[biecacka]

What’s your p04?
i don’t know for sure but I think “0” in all those categories might have something to do with it. But I’ll let others chime in who are more knowledgeable

corey

 

[Max93]

What’s your p04?
i don’t know for sure but I think “0” in all those categories might have something to do with it. But I’ll let others chime in who are more knowledgeable

corey

Hi,

I don't have a test kit for phosphates at the moment, maybe I should pick one up today to check.

 

[Pdash]

Hi,

I recently acquired two millepora (night fury and a green mili) and the night fury is not anywhere near as fuzzy as the first week I had it. The green mili looks the same, but I think polyps could be better.

I have other acros in my tank such as a red table and a tricolor that have fantastic polyp extension. My montiporas also have great polyp extension. My red dragon even has great extension and those are some tiny polyps.

I run a gyre at 50% (10-50% random mode, in a 25 gallon lagoon) so I know flow isn't an issue. Milis are in the highest flow spots, indirect flow of course.

I run a nanobox duo in the mixed reef setting. All corals are growing including the milis. Just the color and polyp extension kinda stinks on the milis.

Parameters:

API Test kits:

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
pH: 8.0

Salifert Test kits:

Alk: 8.3 (always 8.3 any time i test)
Magnesium: 1140
Calcium: 420
Sg: 1.026

I'm currently in a fallow period due to velvet but i dose oyster feast daily. Fallow period ends first week of January for a total of 75 days. I don't have an algae problem, so I assume my phosphates are in check, all corals are growing.

What do you think is going on, why aren't the milis fuzzy like the day I got them?

Thank you.

Probably not enough food/nutrients given that you are fallow and have 0 nitrate.

 

[Max93]

Hi.

I added chemipure blue and started feeding much more. Coloration has improved amongst all corals, but polyp extension is the same. Growth is still good.

I am broadcast feeding oyster feast every day. Every half week I throw in some reef roids.
Every other day meaty food with oyster feast.

This is all with return pumps off and letting the food circulate in the tank with the gyre on. My nitrates still test at zero.

However, both milleporas are still showing subpar polyp extension.

 

[TopShelfAquatics]

Hi.

I added chemipure blue and started feeding much more. Coloration has improved amongst all corals, but polyp extension is the same. Growth is still good.

I am broadcast feeding oyster feast every day. Every half week I throw in some reef roids.
Every other day meaty food with oyster feast.

This is all with return pumps off and letting the food circulate in the tank with the gyre on. My nitrates still test at zero.

However, both milleporas are still showing subpar polyp extension.

How in the flow in the tank? I know our millis love getting blasted with flow!

 

[Max93]

How in the flow in the tank? I know our millis love getting blasted with flow!

I'm using a 1k icecap gyre. I run it at increasing flow 50%. Recently changed it to constant at 50% to see what happens. It's mounted vertically on the back right of the tank.

 

[Max93]

The flow was changed to random mode at 50%, the corals look happier but still no PE from the millepora. It keeps encrusting and the color appears to be brightening up. Here is a picture

 

[LARedstickreefer]

Try feeding more. You should be feeding enough that your nitrates aren’t zero.

 

[Max93]

Try feeding more. You should be feeding enough that your nitrates aren’t zero.

I have started dosing oyster feast daily, same amount every day. The acros are encrusting much faster it's like I can almost watch them grow. But the PE in the millepora just doesn't come out.

Do you recommend spot feeding?

 

[Max93]

I also use nanobox duo, 6.5" from the surface. I use the mixed reef setting which is a 12 hour cycle. I have increased the blues by 10% over a 3 week period.

 

[LARedstickreefer]

I have starting dosing oyster feast daily, same amount every day. The acros are encrusting much faster it's like I can almost watch them grow. But the PE in the millepora just doesn't come out.

Do you recommend spot feeding?

Try something like vitamin enriched mysis. You need to have some detectable nitrates that come from food. That helped me when my PE was poor. Also, bumping flow down. There’s a such thing as too much flow.

 

[Max93]

Try something like vitamin enriched mysis. You need to have some detectable nitrates that come from food. That helped me when my PE was poor. Also, bumping flow down. There’s a such thing as too much flow.

Let's talk about flow in more depth. I have my 1k gyre mounted on the back right, vertically. I have it set to random mode for 50%, but i just reduced it to 30% after seeing you write too much flow.

I feel like sometimes my flow can be too high, however, there is so much misleading information out there about "blasting" your acros with strong indirect flow. I am blasting them with strong indirect flow for sure, but even this can be too much right?

 

[Max93]

Just retested my nitrates, still zero. I've been feeding oyster feast daily, every other day i add reef frenzy, and today i fed reef roids. Sometimes i feed the tank 2 to 3 times a day. How are my nitrates still zero haha. I also have changed my water changes to 1x every week and a half vs. Every week.

 

[LARedstickreefer]

Just retested my nitrates, still zero. I've been feeding oyster feast daily, every other day i add reef frenzy, and today i fed reef roids. Sometimes i feed the tank 2 to 3 times a day. How are my nitrates still zero haha. I also have changed my water changes to 1x every week and a half vs. Every week.

I believe that those are high in phosphates. Try some frozen food, unrinsed, with something like Selcon for vitamins.

Give your tank a week or two with the reduced flow to see if you get some PE.

 

[Max93]

Thank you I'll try this and update in two weeks.

 

[Max93]

This seems to be having a positive impact already. Let's see what happens, I'm excited.

 

[Tahoe61]

You checked for RB, sorry if I missed that.

 

[biecacka]

Any fish that a prone to nip? I don’t have PE on anything in my tank, but I have 2 dwarf angels in the tank too.

corey

 

[Max93]

Hi,

I've checked for bugs and there is nothing. Currently no fish until January due to a fallow period from velvet.