SPS polyp extensions or lack of....

[stifler51]

im just getting into SPS coral. I got 3 ora corals cheap. 1 ponape birds nest, 1 purple stylophora and 1 purple nana acropora. They have been in the tank about 4-5 days. After about 1/2 a day i saw polyp extensions on all 3 frags and from there on out. After a day the stylo looked like a fuzzy bush, but today when i got home from work i notice that all the polyps are retracted. The acro and birds nest have polyp extension but not the stylo. I also noticed that since switching to LEDs my zoas and palys dont wanna open all the way. I tested my water and have 0/0/5. Calcium 440, Alk 8, PH 8.2, Salinity 1.025, Temp 78°, Phosphate 0, Mag 1320.

Current setup:

BC14
12 cree xpg LEDs on 1000ma Drivers
MP10 on RC, 4leds
inTank basket. Floss/Chaeto/CPE w/ nano glo light
Maxijet 900 return pump
15 lbs of rock and 10 lbs of sand

I just did a 20% wc.

heres a pic of the coral right now
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d22/stifler_51/IMAG0080-1.jpg

[stifler51]

looks as if there is no polyps on it.

[David Grigor]

The first guess is your light is shocking them, some leds you need to acclimate very carefully and cautiously. If your leds are dimmable you need to start out with less intenisty, if they are not dimmable likely need to raise them or put some type of screening to block some light.

[stifler51]

i can dim them. I currently running about 45%. I really wish i had a PAR meter.

[Reefer Sutherland]

Yea turn it down, that thing looks fried.

Even might want to cut dow the light cycle and slowly bump it back up. If you run 10 hrs now, maybe cut it down to 6 for a week, then move up and hour a week. That, and a combination of dimming your LEDs, they might come back.

[stifler51]

hmm ok. I hope it comes back. I am currently running 10 hrs a day. 10 hrs of blue 6 hrs of white.

[Reefer Sutherland]

Corals can go days without light so dont be worried about them not getting enough light.

[stifler51]

i dropped it down to 6 hrs of light, 4 hrs of whites and dimmed it to about 20%. Also lowered the frags in the tank.

[a1t2o]

What size tank is this in? Also with sps being placed in a new tank, they may receede a bit and take a while to adjust to your tank. Give it a few weeks and they should be looking better if they are going to survive. Lowering the light for a short time and water changes is a good start but its a really slow process with sps, so don't make any sudden changes or really big water changes until things look better.

[reef.saltwater]

Most sps need little high alk, I would slowly increase the alk by 1dkh and make it 9. since its a new coral sometime they don't open for days.

[CaptainGreg]

Most sps need little high alk, I would slowly increase the alk by 1dkh and make it 9. since its a new coral sometime they don't open for days.

2nd on that.

[CaptainGreg]

That remind me, I got to get a small magnet corner frag rack for aclimating coral. I think it is $15 on line or you can build it.:beerchug:

[stifler51]

Well i headed out duck hunting after work, came home and saw a few polyps out..... so maaaaaaybe theres hope after frying 95% of it :beerchug:

But on a brighter note, i got a bunch of new toys for the tank. Including a cheap MQ-200 par meter i found online.

[stifler51]

Just a little update on what it looks like now. Alot better then it did :beerchug:

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d22/stifler_51/IMAG0090-1.jpg