Polyp extension!

[Bassmaster116]

I know i will get alot saying as long as they are growing to not chase polyp extension, but whats the secret?

As much as i love sps ive been struggling to get ANY pe...

 

[Bassmaster116]

Also have a 75g
2x mp10’s
2x jebao ow-10’s
2x 36” dual T5’s
1x zetlight zp3600 led

 

[homer1475]

Any angel fish in the tank? I get great growth and colors, but nearly 0 PE because of my flame back angel. He/she has never nipped from what I have seen, but I have been told it's the reason, and to not worry about PE.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

Got any pictures of what’s going on?

 

[resortez]

Could be a few factors. First would be to share water parameters. The type of sps. Life of the t5 bulbs & color spectrum. Placement. Filtration, tank history & animals. If your dosing & using any reactors like pellets, gfo, calcium, carbon, etc.

 

[Bassmaster116]

sorry i guess i never clicked reply for that part!

params
PO4: .05
NO3: 5-10
CA: 450
DKH: 10
Salinity 1.025
Temp: 78

75g
40b sump:
CW 75 ATS
FUGE with chaeto and kessil H80
BRS premium reactors with Rox
other reactor have NO3 Xport blocks
Have rocks in sump as well as 8x4 marine pure brick
Jabeo 55W UV
Simplicity 120 skimmer
2 Jabeo pumps
1 runs manifold
1 is just for DT

Stock list:
Pair of: Ora black clowns, and wyoming whites
1- Ora fire clown
1- lemon peel angel (does not nip, eats pellets)
1- small blue hippo
1- small powder blue tang
1- tiny yellow watchman goby
1- diamond goby
2-cleaner shrimp
2- peppermint shrimp
1- general starfish (reef safe, and just added has been on glass the whole time)
couple hermits
bumblebee snails
nerites ceriths and a couple others.

tank was 40b originally, transferred to 75g about a month ago.

 

[cFloor]

Ive got 9 angels in my sps tank and I NEVER see them nip. My frag tank is plumbed into my display and the frag tank has much better PE. Lemonpeels are notorious nippers. If everything else is on point Id put my money on the angel even if you don't see it happening.

 

[Bassmaster116]

The only thing is i didnt have PE before the lemon peel... im just frustrated ive got a couple millies and hairy acros.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

Moving the tank into the 75 could be causing the acros stress while the system rebounds. But I would say to not worry about it unless there is no polyps showing at all on certain species and or odd color changes are happening or necrosis is showing.
I believe just having an angel like that in a tank can cause the loss of showing polyps. Once the acro is picked on it will continue to retract until it’s not been messed with for a while. Even one nip a night while the fish swims by could cause it.

 

[bubbaque]

My money is also on the angel. Every time someone post a thread about lack of polyp extension they end up having an angel.

If you plan to keep angels you should keep them knowing you may possibly never have polyp extension.

 

[Bassmaster116]

Here are a couple pics i just took.

 

[Bassmaster116]

i understand that with the angel but ive had him for a month and before him still had no PE and nothing has changed beside tank size and adding the angel and both tangs. Could it be hermits too?

 

[chris k.]

What is your mag level i did not see it on your parameters list. I had my birds nest and digitata polyps recede about a month ago and found out my mag had bottomed out. I never checked mag my mistake . I have been steadily dosing now up to 1300 and my polyps are great. They started to extend about 2 or 3 days after i started dosing mag.

 

[Bassmaster116]

What is your mag level i did not see it on your parameters list. I had my birds nest and digitata polyps recede about a month ago and found out my mag had bottomed out. I never checked mag my mistake . I have been steadily dosing now up to 1300 and my polyps are great. They started to extend about 2 or 3 days after i started dosing mag.

I havent checked in about a month but actually my stylos’s which were doing great have been retracted maybe i should check actually it’s probably been like 2 months

 

[ReefPiracy]

too much flow will keep the polyp tighter. Or the coral is getting too much direct flow.

 

[Bassmaster116]

too much flow will keep the polyp tighter. Or the coral is getting too much direct flow.

i did have just the two mp10’s in running pretty low originally ive played with flow plenty now i have all 40 pretty low just to create alot of random flow nothing is really direct either

 

[Bassmaster116]

i was dosing red sea 2 part then switched to ESV A B and mag when i started doing less water changes then slowly took mag out as i read somewhere the part B had some mag in it but like i said i havent tested mag in a while

 

[cFloor]

Your corals look healthy minus the PE which would again make me think its the angel but if you said you didn't have any before adding it then maybe you've got a pest. Maybe try taking some out and dipping and see if anything comes off

 

[jda]

Nothing that you can do will help if you already have high quality lighting, competent flow and good, stable water parameters.

As you said in your fist post, don't worry about this.

If you want to see some polyps, you could do some dumb stuff like turn the flow off. They will come out for more gas exchange.

It seems like all acros have a wideband net for communication for a nipping fish. It is not take much and they all will close up as much as they can. 20 years ago I had a flame angel that I never once saw nip and they all came out even more when I got rid of it.

 

[Bassmaster116]

id rather not stress them just to see PE i just wish that some of the fuzzier ones would atleast display some PE. I have dipped and nothing which made me happy. The color is good and most are growing pretty well just not alot of PE which i guess ill just live with lol

oh well as long as everything is ok im cool with it.