Question on Cyphastrea health

[s0mthinG]

I bought my first encrusting LPS (Meteor Shower Cyph) probably close to a month ago now. Just want to know if it looks healthy to the knowledgeable people here!

Tank is 15g 4.5 mo old (used mostly dry rock to start but the center arch ~5lbs is from a 2yr established tank.
Am - 0ppm API
NO2 - 0ppm API
NO3 - 20ppm Salifert
Alk 9.0 Hanah (a bit high I know, but I'm pretty sure it's cause of the aiptasia x I used 2-3 days ago)
Calc - 415 Salifert (A bit low but I added 6g of RedSea ABC+ which is about half of what I need to get it to 450, will be retesting today and potentially adding the other 6g)
Mag - 1335 (Also low but the ABC+ should be raising that with the Calcium)

Light is an AI Prime HD running at 20-25W peak ~ 11" above water surface, coral ~6" under water surface

The Cyph was at the sandbed level in indirect light for 2-3 weeks and was moved to the spot there a few days ago. Kinda worried about the color around the polyps. Seems like it might be fading / lightening to me. I know meteors can become light blue with pink polyps in higher pars, just wanna make sure I'm not bleaching it.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Polyps look a little off as they should extend. You may have false readings in which API kits are notorious for. I’d take a water sample to a trusted LFS which does not use api kits and have them test the water for you and see what results they come up with .
Moderate light and water flow. No sandbed as sand can irritate them.
Temperature 77/79
Salinity 1.025
Ph 8.1-8.3
Alk 8-9
Mag 1300
Ca. 440
Nitrate < .4
Phosphate. < .04

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Doesn't look bleached. They tend to turn brown in super high light is what I've heard. Im trying my best to get my hands on a frag from a guy near me that's the light blue color yours is turning.

 

[s0mthinG]

Polyps look a little off as they should extend. You may have false readings in which API kits are notorious for. I’d take a water sample to a trusted LFS which does not use api kits and have them test the water for you and see what results they come up with .

If you were paying attention when I posted my params I listed only Salifert and Hanah tests for the ones that are of importance.
Only API tests used were Amonia and Nitrite for as long as the results are 0 it shouldn't matter.
Amonia and Nitrite have been 0 and as this is a moderately established tank (ie rock from 2yo system with many soft corals thriving + an anemone who has been in the system happily for 2 months

 

[s0mthinG]

Doesn't look bleached. They tend to turn brown in super high light is what I've heard. Im trying my best to get my hands on a frag from a guy near me that's the light blue color yours is turning.

Any idea why some of the center polyps are almost like they have holes in them?

 

[vetteguy53081]

If you were paying attention when I posted my params I listed only Salifert and Hanah tests for the ones that are of importance.
Only API tests used were Amonia and Nitrite for as long as the results are 0 it shouldn't matter.
Amonia and Nitrite have been 0 and as this is a moderately established tank (ie rock from 2yo system with many soft corals thriving + an anemone who has been in the system happily for 2 months

If you were paying attention, API kits give false readings and they are likely higher than zero and depending on nitrate readings, may have effect on your polyp extension. Your tank is still new enough to endure spikes of both ammonia and nitrate - Part of the nitrogen cycle which has adverse effect on both fish and coral. and IF they truly are Zero, you are starving them of nutrients so your statement of " they do not matter- They sure do " !
Additionally, elevated nitrate can spur the growth of zooxanthellae in corals, which can darken corals and may decrease the growth rate of a host coral. For these reasons, most reef aquarists strive to keep nitrate levels down. Some are very successful, and others are not.
With the new methods available, a growing number of aquarists have actually had problems from too little nitrate, so maintaining an appropriate level can be a bit of a balancing act.

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

Any idea why some of the center polyps are almost like they have holes in them?

I honestly have no idea. I can tell you that it doesn't look like a good sign. Looks like tissue recession to me but im not an SPS expert.

 

[s0mthinG]

IF they truly are Zero, you are starving them of nutrients so your statement of " they do not matter- They sure do " !

Nitrate is 15 tested with a Salifert kit.

I fail to see how having 0 Amonia (toxic btw) and 0 Nitrites (slightly less bit still toxic btw) are HEALTHY for the system?! It makes completely zero sense for you to be telling me but having zero ammonia and zero nitrite means I'm starving my tank of nutrients. I'm getting a slowly elevating nitrate until I do a water change. Obviously that means my system is processing ammonia into nitrate into nitrate. I will not disagree with you that my system has the potential for swings due to its age, however those are greatly mitigated by using very well established live rock.

None of my other coral, including but not limited to a few torches, frog spawn, anemone, zoanthids, blasto, toadstools, ect., are showing any signs of poor health. In fact the torch that I put in about a month after I started the tank up has already started to split for the first time about 90% of the way.

I do not believe I have an issue with getting enough nitrate whatsoever As I have a roughly 15 gallon tank, with two 1" clowns, a shark nose goby, a hifin banded goby + pistol shrimp pair, along with several hermit crabs and snails to eat the )more aundant than I would like) algae.

Throw me a bone and play along with me here pretending that my API ammonia and nitrite kits are 100% accurate. What could be the issue given the parameters I gave you.

 

[s0mthinG]

I honestly have no idea. I can tell you that it doesn't look like a good sign. Looks like tissue recession to me but im not an SPS expert.

I could be the mouths of the polyps gaping and retracting. They are definitely sunken into the skeleton but are still brightly colored and I honestly haven't had much if any extension since I purchased this coral about a month ago. I've moved it back down to the sand bed in a shaded area behind a piece of rock. I'll leave it there for another few weeks and see how it does.

 

[s0mthinG]

Also Vetteguy, here are some photos showing all the other varieties of LPS + Softies doing very well with good polyp extension (minus the neon green toadstool as the direction of flow is pushing some of his polyps in a way he doesn't like, in combination with the lights starting to ramp down for the day so everyone is starting to get ready to sleep) As well as good coraline growth on the rocks.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Also Vetteguy, here are some photos showing all the other varieties of LPS + Softies doing very well with good polyp extension (minus the neon green toadstool as the direction of flow is pushing some of his polyps in a way he doesn't like, in combination with the lights starting to ramp down for the day so everyone is starting to get ready to sleep) As well as good coraline growth on the rocks.

Bring it up towards mid tank and see if polyps extends after a day or two. Can be as simple and inadequate light and water flow. Bringing it up in the tank will increase both. As for nitrates and its importance, here is a couple of shots of one of my tanks at .4 nitrate

 

[ScottR]

I have different types of cyphastrea in different parts of the tank, so different flow and lighting. The meteor shower seems best in low lighting. Although it does get high flow. Sometimes just moving a coral helps. This pic is at the bottom of my tank

 

[ScottR]

This pic is in much higher lighting and from the same coral. The polyps seem to extent outward more. I’m not sure why but they do.

So I say, just move it.

 

[s0mthinG]

Bring it up towards mid tank and see if polyps extends after a day or two. Can be as simple and inadequate light and water flow. Bringing it up in the tank will increase both. As for nitrates and its importance, here is a couple of shots of one of my tanks at .4 nitrate

Your tank is gorgeous! I definitely agree that nitrates being 15-25 is high for a reef and would ideally keep them around 10 maybe 5-15 as a range. I just am very inexperienced and working in a small water volume AIO so it's more challenging in my case. Might have to up my water change frequency from every other week to every week.

I don't believe stability is my issue as the Nem has been doing well for two plus months in a tank under 6 months old. (My experience in reefing from working at an LFS has me know it's best to wait between 6 months and a year before adding a nem, but in my case I felt like since I have the experience of the store, As well as the cycled rock I was willing to take the risk(

I should rent a par meter some more accurately figure out how much light my corals are getting but with the documentation from AI's website as well as my measurements, I am comfortable with a safe estimate of my pars.

 

[s0mthinG]

I have different types of cyphastrea in different parts of the tank, so different flow and lighting. The meteor shower seems best in low lighting. Although it does get high flow. Sometimes just moving a coral helps. This pic is at the bottom of my tank

I've attached a picture of my tank top down and from the side, and I'll try to describe my flow so you can help me find a position for it.

The return is in the back right looking top down. It's pretty weak ~100gph but provides most of the flow for that side of the tank as I keep mostly my Zoa Garden there.

On the left at the top is the overflow slots as well as ~3-4 in below that is my powerhead running at about 30% in a sine wave pulse. It is pointed slightly towardds the glass on the left side of the tank to diffuse the flow going to my euphilia in the font left of my tank.

Here is a video going around the tank so you can see flow.