About a month ago, I bought a frag, but it was so small that the owner couldn’t ID it. Now, I believe it is a toadstoll. Regardless, it will open for a few hours a day and then close, leaving these black dots. I don’t have the strongest light on the tank. Just a current USA orbit marine, plus it’s about 15” or so from the light, so it isn’t getting blasted I think. I don’t know what it is really.
Those black star like dots are not holes are they?
I don't think it's too much light unless it's the pro version of the orbit.
Ime flow has been a big factor with my road stools. They have liked a lot more than most would generally reccomend. With the ones I've had, they also liked a lot more light than generally reccomeded as well.
Ime flow has been a big factor with my road stools. They have liked a lot more than most would generally reccomend. With the ones I've had, they also liked a lot more light than generally reccomeded as well.
Yuki Rihwa
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Your light not strong enough to blast anything at that deep, you should move it up about 5~6 inches below water line and right under your LED you would see a different response from your frag.
Js.Aqua.Project
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I know your question is about lighting but I'm questioning your ID as it being a Toadstool...as from the photo it does not look like one to me, but rather more like some kind of stony coral. DO you have a picture of the polys extended?
When a coral isn't extending its polyps or behaving like it should there is an order that can help us be more successful in deducing the reason.
1 - Water Quality (Salinity, pH, NH3/4, NO2, NO3, PO4, Ca, Mg, KH)
2 - Lighting (Too High/Low)
3 - Flow - If the coral isn't getting its desired flow it will be less likely to extend its polyps
4 - Food - Corals have to use energy to extend their polyps, if they aren't getting fed they stop extending their polyps to conserve energy
I have found that if proceed through these in order you will find the culprit rather quickly.
When a coral isn't extending its polyps or behaving like it should there is an order that can help us be more successful in deducing the reason.
1 - Water Quality (Salinity, pH, NH3/4, NO2, NO3, PO4, Ca, Mg, KH)
2 - Lighting (Too High/Low)
3 - Flow - If the coral isn't getting its desired flow it will be less likely to extend its polyps
4 - Food - Corals have to use energy to extend their polyps, if they aren't getting fed they stop extending their polyps to conserve energy
I have found that if proceed through these in order you will find the culprit rather quickly.
Ashish Patel
2500 Club Member
I don't think its a toadstool.. I have a toadstool and when its closed you barely see any spots, just a leatherlike surface.
Their hardy and can adjust to almost any lighting aslong as not blasting it with too much flow.
Their hardy and can adjust to almost any lighting aslong as not blasting it with too much flow.
This is the only picture I could find while it is extended. All of my other corals are doing fine and extending all the way, so I don’t know if it is water chemistry related. Salinity is at about 1.023. Flow wise, it’s right before the powerhead, so it may not be getting any flow. I have another powerhead I would like to put on, but A part inside it needs to be superglued, I just don’t know where. To help with flow, I did move it higher, giving it more light and flow. It’s near a torch coral, so it could be getting stung. For food, next time I see it open, I can give it some frozen food.
As for IDing, i am still unsure what it is really if it isn’t a toadstoll. While we are on the subject, I got another coral that same day and I don’t know what it is.
As for IDing, i am still unsure what it is really if it isn’t a toadstoll. While we are on the subject, I got another coral that same day and I don’t know what it is.
Ashish Patel
2500 Club Member
Its hard to tell but I am almost certain its not a toadstool, though I can be wrong.. My guess is perhaps a kenya tree coral.
Ashish Patel
2500 Club Member
The last picture could be a type of GSP. Green star polyp. There is the regular version like yours and a longer version and two or three other versions with short tentacles and huge central dots.
Does yours have a beautiful purple mat when the polyps are not extended?
The long tentacle version mat is just kind of tan colored and ugly.
If you "trap" it up high it is more controlable. Otherwise it puts out a purple mat that oozes over everything and stings your other corals as it eventually engulfs them.
Our flame hawk fish thinks it's a clownfish.
Does yours have a beautiful purple mat when the polyps are not extended?
The long tentacle version mat is just kind of tan colored and ugly.
If you "trap" it up high it is more controlable. Otherwise it puts out a purple mat that oozes over everything and stings your other corals as it eventually engulfs them.
Our flame hawk fish thinks it's a clownfish.
Js.Aqua.Project
Reef Addict
Going with Green Star Polyps (GSP) for this one.This is the other one I was trying to ID. I have some Kenyan tree and it doesn’t look like the first one I posted.
Js.Aqua.Project
Reef Addict
In this photo the coral does look kinda-sorta-Toadstool-ish, but like the polyps open while still against the flesh.Still has those dots while open
How close is it to that torch? Maybe moving it to the sand bed for a few days will help it open up.
I moved it last night away from the torch some. It was about 8” away from the torch and the torch could reach about 2” away I would say. But now I moved it up to get more light and flow. It opened more now. Now it’s 10” above the torch and 4” above the top of my hammer, so it shouldn’t get stung.
Js.Aqua.Project
Reef Addict
If it is getting happier that is all that matters.
I would like to point out one more thing that you may not have thought of yet.
Euphyllia (Hammers, Torches, Frogspawn, etc) have sweeper tentacles significantly longer than the rest. They usually will put these out at night to help catch food as well as attack or fend off neighboring corals. So 4" away from your hammer may seem far away, until you see how long the sweeper tentacle on it may be.
I would like to point out one more thing that you may not have thought of yet.
Euphyllia (Hammers, Torches, Frogspawn, etc) have sweeper tentacles significantly longer than the rest. They usually will put these out at night to help catch food as well as attack or fend off neighboring corals. So 4" away from your hammer may seem far away, until you see how long the sweeper tentacle on it may be.
I know of sweeper tenticles in euphyllia, but I never know how long they actually are. As for it being happier, I am glad it is opening up more, but is it normal to look black or is that it burning?
Summer4infinity
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Salinity is at about 1.023.
My first thought is the low salinity. 1.023 is fine for FOWLR tanks, but not optimal for corals.
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