Why won't Polyps and zoa's open

[JARRETT SHARK]

Well its been about 2 weeks since I did my tank tranfer from my 72gal to my 220gal. Everthing went perfect with no cycle! All levels are perfect.
Since I did this tranfer my polyps and zoa's won't open?

I did upgrade my lighting from 2-250w MH - 3-400w MH. and t5's to VHO's
All my other coral looks good since the tranfer. I thought maybe it was not use to the new lights but this past weekend at the swap I buought some zoa frags and they also will not open. I even put the zoas and polys under a rock so it will not get less light. Something is bothering them and I can't find out why so maybe somebody else see's something I dont?

I tried reduce my water movement one day and still the same results. Increased water movement and still the same.Did a 35gal water change the other day and the same. Put MH on for only 6hrs a day and still the same...........
Don't see any bugs and no fish a messing with them
My sps love the lights and my other coral are also bring out there color and look greater.
The only other coral that I tranfered that was not doing great was galexy.I just went thru old pics and thought the bigger tank made them smaller but guess not, they also look not right.

So before I go crazy do you see something wrong,
The first two pics are old tank and last pic
The third and fourth are the new tank with same coral except gallexy in witch does not look the same size also. Looks 1/2 the size it use to be.

If anyone wants to frag some of these and see if they open in there tank feel free to come by and take them.

My fish look like there are in haven and are eating like pitbulls.

Amonia= 0
Ph= 8.1
nitrate= 0
nitite=0
calcuim=430
alk/dkh= 8.5
mag=1375
salinty=1.025
phos=.01
I feel that I cant get Alk and ph up?
I am about to hook up my calcuim reactor but was affraid it might bring my alk and ph down the first week setting it up.

 

[anthony27]

It is the lighting give them time, when I went from my tank to the 40 breeder and then up the lighting they started to come around in 2 to 3 weeks put them in a low level lighting area

 

[D1J8Z]

could be getting used to the light,flow, and just the stress from being moved.

 

[KathyC]

+1 leave them alone, they will bounce back. Moving them now is not the best thing to do.

There is nothing wrong with your PH

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

I have two zoas I bought at the swap that are up a little high on the rock and don't know if I should put in the sand bed. I already glue them to the rock.
I don't belive in the" used to the light" thing because this never happened to me when I buy coral from people breaking down there tanks that been running for years.always come home and they look great the next day.

How long before a coral will die not being open?

 

[KathyC]

Remember most people don't run 400w MH's! lol That's a LOTTA light.

Move them to the bottom third of the tank, or even down to the sandbed, toward the sides of the tank where the lighting isn't so powerful.
They can be closed for a while before they open again with no lasting issues..certainly more than days

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

I moved to the bottom today, lets see what tomorrow brings
I also dont see them open even with the Actinic's on????

 

[James]

I don't belive in the" used to the light" thing because this never happened to me when I buy coral from people breaking down there tanks that been running for years.always come home and they look great the next day.

How long before a coral will die not being open?

When I upgraded my light in on my old tank from PCs to MH (in 2002 when I was dumb and didn't read RC as much as I should have), I killed most of my coral and my two fish. My inhabitants did not like the "upgrade" because I did not acclimate the animals properly. Zoanthids are animals, putting them under a new very strong light source did effect them. Consider yourself lucky the other corals seemed to adjust so well.

It could be much worse than Zoas taking longer than you wanted to open. I would keep them on the sandbed or even in some shadow of your LR for a bit and gradually move them into the full force lighting. Good luck,

James

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

thanks I will move in less light tomorrow and I guess they are in shock still
I did acclimate them well but light and more flow is the problem

 

[James]

How are the Zoas looking today Jarrett?

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

they look the same, I see one or two polyps open but thats it?
My zoas that I bought at swap open a little but then close
I think its just time will tell

 

[anthony27]

nothing has opened up still

 

[Chraddam]

Jarrett, the only thing I could say at this point is "LED". Ever since I got some(with the constant urging of another MR member) my tank has basically exploded, especially my zoas. I put the LEDs on at around 7 am, and 10 minutes later EVERYTHIG is awake and in full bloom. It really amazes me what a difference the LEDs make. I also cut down on the actinic and MH usage, which my wife loves( "Con Ed, blah blah blah) and the corals seem to like as well. If it is in your budget, I would highly recommend doing some research and getting some, new or used, they will definitely help in the long run.

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

Do you mean Moonlight Led?

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

400w are strong bulbs!!!!!!!!! I sure did not do my homework
well its been 4 weeks since the upgrade and now some zoas/polyps are starting to open slowly, I still have 2 toads that will not open?Melted lots of mushrooms, Lost some sps that was close to light. My frogspawn looks like when the lights are off.I did put a window screen over the tank to reduce light today. I also moved rock around so I have shade spots. I am afraid to buy new coral until this coral I have starts to grow.

how long do I keep the coral that wont open in the tank?
what does it look like when its dead?

 

[nyfynest22]

jarret spoke to someone from rc that owns reef specialty.com and he told me the most you want to go is 250mh 3x on a 220 he said you could get away with going with 1x 400mh in the middle also suggested that the bulb to the water should be about 12 inches to 14 inches.

 

[skimmerman100]

400w are strong bulbs!!!!!!!!! I sure did not do my homework
well its been 4 weeks since the upgrade and now some zoas/polyps are starting to open slowly, I still have 2 toads that will not open?Melted lots of mushrooms, Lost some sps that was close to light. My frogspawn looks like when the lights are off.I did put a window screen over the tank to reduce light today. I also moved rock around so I have shade spots. I am afraid to buy new coral until this coral I have starts to grow.

how long do I keep the coral that wont open in the tank?
what does it look like when its dead?

are u able to raise the light more away from the tank? if u can u should, i have my 250s a foot and 3 inches away from my tank, and i have a 75.
the corals will tell u when they are dead, they will melt away or break apart touch them and if it breaks apart its dead, leathers just rip in half and decay, mushrooms melt away as well as zoas, sps turn white and hard, lps just leave a skeleton behind, non photosynthetic corals will flop down and melt, how do i know? i lived thru this with learning. now i do research before attempting to keep something i dont know about