SPS help, no polyp extension

Fishfinder · Sep 13, 2017

Hi guys. I'm adding a couple pieces to my tank and it's my first time with SPS. I added some frags about 1-2 weeks ago. They have had good color since I got them. I can not get polyps to extend. I haven't seen any encrusting yet but i haven't had them long. How can I get polyp extension??

My tank.... 200 gal with 250 gal total volume. I'm running reef breeder V2 on 60%. Getting 300 PAR where the SPS is. NO3 is 10, PO4 is .04-.06. Cal 440, ALK 8.4, mag 1380. All LPS is doing good.

Any ideas?

Sandroni · Sep 13, 2017

Oh boy I believe it is the nitrate! It seems pretty high for SPS since they like low nitrate water. That is why you see no problems really with LPS and nitrates unless it is above 10 ppm.

Fishfinder · Sep 13, 2017

I thought 10ppm nitrate was a good range to be?

SDReefer · Sep 13, 2017

2-5 ppm nitrate is a good area. I would definitely look for a way to cut down on nitrates.

happyhourhero · Sep 13, 2017

10 nitrate is fine IMO. Do you have good flow and do you have an angelfish?

Fishfinder · Sep 13, 2017

I could easily cut them down, i worked hard to build them up to 10 lol. My flow is 40-50x tank volume. No angelfish. The only fish I have are tangs

bif24701 · Sep 13, 2017

Fishfinder said:
Hi guys. I'm adding a couple pieces to my tank and it's my first time with SPS. I added some frags about 1-2 weeks ago. They have had good color since I got them. I can not get polyps to extend. I haven't seen any encrusting yet but i haven't had them long. How can I get polyp extension??

My tank.... 200 gal with 250 gal total volume. I'm running reef breeder V2 on 60%. Getting 300 PAR where the SPS is. NO3 is 10, PO4 is .04-.06. Cal 440, ALK 8.4, mag 1380. All LPS is doing good.

Any ideas?

Your number are just fine, nothing wrong there. If you wish to bring down NO3 then ~5ppm is a good number too but 10 is fine.

You have only had them a week or two? Give them time to adjust. Monitor your water, make sure you have good flow and light. Don't make any changes right now, wait and observe. Give them at least a month, some may never have great PE so that doesn't mean they are not doing well. Some corals can take months to acclimate fully, especially wild or mariculture corals. I wouldn't worry about PE at alll! These are just the first corals. Don't does anything crazy, add more food, or anything like that. Water changes, keep equipment clean/working, test water, check temps, random flow patterns. Keep the stability is more important than any PE.

bif24701 · Sep 13, 2017

Fishfinder said:
I thought 10ppm nitrate was a good range to be?

It is just fine, keep it now that you have it. Don't let it rise or fall. Just keep things the same all day, everyday from now till forever. I know that's impossible but just a concept. SPS really love and need stability, the rest they will adjust too. If you keep making changes every week to get a little more PE they will never adjust to your system and become stressed, then they RTN/STN.

Fishfinder · Sep 13, 2017

bif24701 said:
It is just fine, keep it now that you have it. Don't let it rise or fall. Just keep things the same all day, everyday from now till forever. I know that's impossible but just a concept. SPS really love and need stability, the rest they will adjust too. If you keep making changes every week to get a little more PE they will never adjust to your system and become stressed, then they RTN/STN.

Thanks for the help. They are still full of color and not dying. I'll stick with it

DSC reef · Sep 13, 2017

I agree, I would worry the slightest about 10ppm of nitrates. Give them time to adjust as stated already. Also worth noting, I have a range if SPS and some are hairy while others are not. As long as there colorful and growing then I could care less.

BoomCorals · Sep 13, 2017

Any sign of pests? Did you try dipping to check?

frank@wall · Sep 13, 2017

10ppm of nitrate is fine and po4 is ok (could be lower) but than your alk should be a bit higher imo. with the alk at 8.4 the nutrients should be lower

Fishfinder · Sep 13, 2017

No sign of pests, they got dipped when I got them and came from a very reputable person

Fishfinder · Sep 13, 2017

I could easily bring NO3 and PO4 down if that's needed. I had to lax on my cleaning routine to get it up. My LPS was getting mad from the clean water

Donovan Joannes · Sep 13, 2017

Just give it more time. As long as they are not dying, PE is just a bonus for a young frags like yours. You don't have bugs and fishes that bothered them anyway. Maybe they just adjusting themselves.

I also found out SPS loves matured tank. I don't know what exactly in the water that makes the differences, but in my tank any SPS (wild or tank raised) will show a good PE in an hour or so.

jda · Sep 13, 2017

I would not sweat two week old frags. Your tank might never have good PE - tanks with certain kinds of fish never will (angelfish, some tangs). Most likely, you will get some PE later.

In any case, if the color is good and they are encrusting, just enjoy them and don't sweat PE at all. IMO, PE is worried about for no reason almost as much as PH.

bif24701 · Sep 13, 2017

I've have a coral for the last 4 months hasn't shown the slightest PE until last week. Yet it's grown about a 1/3" has good color and now that it has adjusted looks even better. What did I change, water lol, that's it.