Polyp Extension

[zachxlutz]

Something I have noticed in my own systems. My display is pretty nutrient rich. The hanna phos blinks "200" and nitrate is over 50 for sure, and every thing in that tank has exceptional PE, better than anywhere else here for sure. There may be some kind of connection between "dirty" water and PE.

like wise, I have noticed significantly reduced PE when my nutrients have bottomed out. Zero phos mostly for what its worth . How's your nutrient load in that system?

Now this is what I like to hear. A system making beautiful coral with high nutrients. After struggling with low nutrients for so long, my tank really exploded with growth, color and polyp extension with the addition of nutrient dosing. I'm nowhere near those numbers but I'd have to say, I agree.

 

[mckinney0171]

I also have a flame angel and a coral beauty in my tank. I never saw the flame angel pick at a coral Until I literally sat there and watched him for 30 minutes without him knowing I was watching LOL. Within five minutes I saw the reason for my poor polyp extension. LOL. But I love Angels and don’t really care. The corals do fine.

Even though you never seen your angel nip it's a high probability that is the cause for decreased polyp extension. I remember sending Adam a message about this same question and he asked what fish I had. I had a small angel that I never seen nip either at the time but he suggested that it was probably the reason. So one day I sat down for an hour in front of the just watch the angel only, and sure enough he was pecking at the corals. I removed the angel and all the polyps came back out.

You said your corals are doing great and growing but lack the extension, definitely seems like there's a nipper.

 

[Brew12]

Would we have been thrown off the internet 5 years ago for discussing ways to maintain high nutrients in a reef tank?

 

[zachxlutz]

Would we have been thrown off the internet 5 years ago for discussing ways to maintain high nutrients in a reef tank?

burned at the stake!

 

[Brew12]

burned at the stake!

I'm embarrassed to say I purchased GFO prior to ever filling my first tank. I then proceeded to use, or misuse, it to kill my first Battlebox. :mad:
My desire to do everything "good reefers" did caused me so many problems when I first started. I wish I had found this much earlier. Now, I share it with everyone who complains about 0.05ppm PO4.
https://battlecorals.com/blogs/blog/185869191-phosphate-ramblings

 

[zachxlutz]

I'm embarrassed to say I purchased GFO prior to ever filling my first tank. I then proceeded to use, or misuse, it to kill my first Battlebox. :mad:
My desire to do everything "good reefers" did caused me so many problems when I first started. I wish I had found this much earlier. Now, I share it with everyone who complains about 0.05ppm PO4.
https://battlecorals.com/blogs/blog/185869191-phosphate-ramblings

Same. I planned my system with a carbon reactor and a GFO reactor plumbed in to the manifold from the get go. Ran it like crazy, changing out on a pretty regular schedule. Left my tank barren and full of dinos.

 

[stylaster]

I also have a potters angel and a hybrid lemon peel / half black angel. The hybrid does peck at my sps from time to time, but its never slowed down the coral growth. I do get polyp extension at night same as what you would see in the wild. Only acro's ive seen in wild with polyp extension during the day have been milleporas

 

[bigroost]

I see a lot of people calling out you angel, don't ignore some of the other fish. My yellow tang is the nippingest SOB i have ever seen. When I transferred tanks back in August I had great polyp extension until it got moved. Unfortunately for me its one of my 6 year olds favorite fish.

 

[Denisk]

It could be your foxface. I have had mine for 6 months and just yesterday, I saw him casually eating my Monti cap in front of me

Goodluck!

 

[Jeremy Luke]

I had a few sticks that I never saw PE from. I previously had a couple of circulation pumps. on my back wall pushing my sand such that my tank bottom is bare in places. I put a gyre on one end (at 90% also pushing sand) and set the back wall pumps to fire more intermittently. I am now seeing polyp extension from the sticks that seemingly had no polyps. I am also constantly trying to raise my nutrients. My Phos typically is measuring .02-.03 ppm.

 

[Battlecorals]

It could be your foxface. I have had mine for 6 months and just yesterday, I saw him casually eating my Monti cap in front of me

Goodluck!

this actually really surprises me. I can say that Ive had fox faces in every single tank i have for years, and never had an issue with one. was yours actually eating the tissue right off the coral?

 

[Denisk]

this actually really surprises me. I can say that Ive had fox faces in every single tank i have for years, and never had an issue with one. was yours actually eating the tissue right off the coral?

Trust me, I had to stop myself and think if I was seeing clearly. But he was just taking small bites out of it. It was just right in front of me but I was in such shock that I forgot to take a video. If I ever see it happen, I will get a video. Not a single other sps has been affected so he doesn’t bother me snacking on it. It made me wonder if he goes for my red cap because he loves when I feed red nori sheets.... who knows.

 

[madweazl]

The more "debris" I have suspended in the water column, the better my polyp extension. When I scrub the algae off the glass, again, bigger polyp extension. Do you use filter socks by chance? If so, you could try without for a period to see if it makes any difference.

Edit: I'm running a pair of MP40s at 85% max flow in a 75g so I certainly think you can (and should) increase flow substantially, as others have mentioned.

 

[Velcro]

 

[Brew12]

Well, its been a few days since I kicked up flow. Maybe some minor increases in poly extension but not much.

I do run filter socks but I also run my water a little dirty because of the fuge. Always little particles floating around.

Here is my Yellow Hammer (I think that is the name)

 

[Abhishek]

How's your nutrient levels along with high flow ? Here's my Sanjay's leprechaun's Beard from Adam after heavy tank feeding and high flow .
Today's levels for me are Nitrates around 30 ppm and PO4 around 0.28 ppm. I do feed Oyester feast everyday though with my fish food of LRS , mysis , APBreed Phyto

Regards,
Abhishek

 

[Brew12]

How's your nutrient levels along with high flow ? Here's my Sanjay's leprechaun's Beard from Adam after heavy tank feeding and high flow .
Today's levels for me are Nitrates around 30 ppm and PO4 around 0.28 ppm. I do feed Oyester feast everyday though with my fish food of LRS , mysis , APBreed Phyto

Regards,
Abhishek

My nutrients are too low.
My NO3 is at 1ppm and my PO4 is at .03. I have a little turf algae in my DT that is making it hard for me to get my nutrients up. I just added a long spine urchin that I'm hoping will chow down on it.
I do feed heavy with LRS, PE Mysis, PE Calanus, and nori daily. I add Coral Frenzy every other day.

 

[madweazl]

My nutrients are too low.
My NO3 is at 1ppm and my PO4 is at .03. I have a little turf algae in my DT that is making it hard for me to get my nutrients up. I just added a long spine urchin that I'm hoping will chow down on it.
I do feed heavy with LRS, PE Mysis, PE Calanus, and nori daily. I add Coral Frenzy every other day.

Too low for what?

 

[Brew12]

Too low for what?

I'm starting to see a little cyano in my sump which I consider a warning sign of low NO3. If I can keep my NO3 over 4ppm I never see any cyano.

 

[bubbaque]

My nutrients are too low.
My NO3 is at 1ppm and my PO4 is at .03. I have a little turf algae in my DT that is making it hard for me to get my nutrients up. I just added a long spine urchin that I'm hoping will chow down on it.
I do feed heavy with LRS, PE Mysis, PE Calanus, and nori daily. I add Coral Frenzy every other day.

You nutrient levels sound great to me.