Extreme Polyp Extension Thread

[Josh]

I'm looking to maximize the polyp extension on my SPS and wanted to get some idea of what other people do to get such nice fuzzy acros.

Please post a photo here of your PE and then indicate the following:

Lighting, Photoperiod
Ca Supplementation Method
PH/Alk
Nitrites/Nitrates?

:snoop:

 

[NYreefNoob]

polyp

josh i dont truelly know what cause's it completely, cause some days i have awesome extension and others days not as much, best is usually the night after a water change
stan pink lemonaide
atl incredible hulk
lighting is 250w mh with 20k bulb 5 hrs 8hr's antic pc and 12 hrs moonlight
cal is 470-500 alk 9 mag 1350-1400 temp 77-79
since i started using oceanic salt i havent had to dose anything except mag once a week, been monitoring things to see how it goes and whats being comsumed at what rate, i dont get much of a drop surprisingly for as many sps and clams i have, i also run a uln system

 

[MatthewScars]

I always thought it was flow. In little flow I get a lot of extention. Im guessing due to the need for increased prey capturing abilities.

In higher flow my acros dont really extend that far. This holds true for my palys also.

 

[TOTAL AQUARIUMS]

Just to clarify, varying degrees of polyp extension can represent possible issues. There is a happy medium that I guess would be considered normal. Different corals have a different "normal extension". Over extension isn't a good sign and under extension isn't good either. You can please some of the corals some of the time but you can't please all the corals all of the time. Good chaotic flow and regular feedings of the properly sized foods has always worked for me. There are certain elements that can trigger an extension response though.

 

[TOTAL AQUARIUMS]

Mathew, one of the reasons for the limited extension in high flow is that stony corals have skeletons and if you look closely at each coralite you will see blade like structures called septa. These blades are more pronounced in the larger LPS such as bubble corals and scolys and such. The high flow causes their tissues to literally cut itself apart on their own skeleton. The minimal tissue extension helps to minimize the damage. In low flow they will overextend for several reasons. One of the major ones is that gas exchange in low flow is decreased as the amount of water they come in contact with is much lower than normal. The increased surface area helps them to mitigate this. This also applies to available elements in the water column during periods of low flow.

 

[Josh]

Over extension isn't a good sign and under extension isn't good either. You can please some of the corals some of the time but you can't please all the corals all of the time.

Understood, I am just trying to figure out why my milles do not extend like they should. I get them and they are really bushy and within a month all the hair is gone. Also I am looking for some eye candy!

I think right now I am considering lowering my photoperiod from 7 hours (2x 250w 14k). I may take off 30 minutes every 2 weeks until I am at 5 or 6 hours of MH.

 

[TOTAL AQUARIUMS]

I know Josh, was just putting that up there as sort of a PSA lol. Shorter photperiod could potentially trigger more extension for the same reason as lower flow, increasing the surface area to maximize photosynthesis. Spectrum could also play a roll in the same way I guess. I think Tobin or someone was messing around with changing the halides on their tank every few months to a different spectrum, maybe they could chime in with their observations. I'd imagine the higher the kelvin the more polyp extension, I don't know how visible it would be though. I think the shorter photo period would have a more drastic response.

 

[NYreefNoob]

i was one rotating bulbs also 10k 14k 20k lol didnt last long cause i lve the look of the 20k and getting good growth. josh i have some milli's with awesome pe and others that arent. id same the one with best is my rosco blue milli and it is to the side at top of tank and a hydro flow on my return hits it as it goes around $20 for 2 been using for 3 yr's and corals love them for the random wave it makes and breaks up my ph's flow

 

[TOTAL AQUARIUMS]

Rick, did you notice any difference in the corals response to the different spectrum bulbs besides the growth? Tell me you documented the different setups with a camera..... lol

 

[NYreefNoob]

lol no i didnt document as planned,the 10k lasted a week and couldnt take the look then back to 14k for a week, and back to 20k is a helio bulb and really not that blue, my camera sucks, well ill say i suck with the camra cause i havent figured out white balance ect to get pic to come out the way they look. Josh i wouldnt worry about slowly lessing the photo period, i had just chopped 2 hrs off the period and left antic and moon the same. wish i was more anal in writing stuff down as far as dosing and ect

 

[jackson6745]

I started a thread about feeding oyster eggs and the responses had me curious to try it out. After only a few times feeding oyster eggs (reef nutrition brand) I noticed a huge increase in PE FWIW.

PP 6 hrs 250w 20k Helios
Dosing B-ionic cal alk and mag daily
nitrates around 5ppm
Alk 10-11DKH

 

[Josh]

Rich, you put the oyster eggs in during the day?

 

[pnoyreefer]

6-7 hrs MH,12 hrs T5
Alk -8
PH - 8.0 Night 8.2 Day
Using LMIII ( 180g) Using Deltec CA (90g)

Some photos you can find on my 90g tank thread.. Im doing Brightwell products since Last yr August . I feed Marine Snow ( twice a week) , Pohl Vitalizer 1ml ( daily) , Pearl egss ( twice a day) , Feed 3x dalily ( mixture of MYSIS,RODS,BRINE,PELLETS,FLAKE)

Sample pics...

 

[RoyalAqua]

Well said.

Mathew, one of the reasons for the limited extension in high flow is that stony corals have skeletons and if you look closely at each coralite you will see blade like structures called septa. These blades are more pronounced in the larger LPS such as bubble corals and scolys and such. The high flow causes their tissues to literally cut itself apart on their own skeleton. The minimal tissue extension helps to minimize the damage. In low flow they will overextend for several reasons. One of the major ones is that gas exchange in low flow is decreased as the amount of water they come in contact with is much lower than normal. The increased surface area helps them to mitigate this. This also applies to available elements in the water column during periods of low flow.

 

[House of Laughter]

I always love the tyree undata polyp extension -

Some will debate the second picture

House