SPS/Lost of Skin From Flow, How Long Without Flow

[peterh1975]

Hey All,
I have just realized that my SPS losted its skin from a maxi1200. The front portion of the skin is there, but the flow that comes around the back has affected the back of the SPS and now looks like a bareback. How long can SPS leave without flow, i have disconnected my powerhead till i can figure out what powerhead is eeffienct enough to handle flow with out it losing skin.

 

[Anonymous]

Peter I bet you can adjust the flow by working with its direction, rather than trying a new powerhead. I don't know of a way to determine the proper flow for a specific coral other than experience gained through trial & error, although you can get good suggestions by reading up on your specific type of coral and use that as a starting point.

What type of coral is it? Maybe someone has kept your species and can relate their experience.

 

[peterh1975]

Thnxs for the reply Brian. This has never happen before till i uplifted the SPS with eggcrates. The tank is only 12" high and the eggcrate is @ 5-6 " so that leaves me a clearance of half. I thoght about the powerhead being to strong till i notice the back was missing skin, and when i turn off the powerhead off last night the polyps look more happier, that explains why they is no skin and polyps only. I have made a overnight order with marinedepot for a redsea wavemaker and a maxi-400. Hopefully i can control the flow and not hurt anymore SPS.

I did not know SPS were that SENSATIVE!!!!!

 

[peterh1975]

Brian,
Forgot to mention they are Tables, Monti Caps, Monti Digtata, Stags, Loripes <----skin lost in 24 hrs from tips!! 8O

 

[Sue Truett]

Peter, when you asked about keeping tables a while back that was why I said you have to be careful what sps species you keep together. Some have got to have good current{not blowing the tissue off} and some don't need as intense current. Do you have LR in this tank?? Is there anyway you can place the corals on or in the rock work?? It doesn't sound like they are on anything but eggcrate and I think they would do much better in a natural reef environment. The species you have just listed all, have different requirements IMO, to be happy and thrive. I have found acropora loripes to be a *very* sensitive acropora to keep. Tables are always a very sensitive species to keep. Montipora digitata, capricornis and staghorn acropora are much better to acclimate to captive environments. These acropora do still need current but they can't take having any powerhead aimed right at them, as what you have experienced will happen. Can you bounce the current off the glass in this aquarium?? I like to do that and you can get nice current that way. HTH..

my 180 ecosystem sps/clam tank:
http://berlinmethod.com/suet/
my 120 ecosystem sps/clam tank:
http://suetruett.homestead.com/home.html
www.marshreef.org/members

 

[peterh1975]

Sue,
You are so right. I`ll better do more research before i buy any more SPS. The reason i bough tthe tables is becuase my LFS said if I was able to keep acros and they are doing well, you should not have any propblems keeping tables. I guess he was wrong since he does not know my this was a grow out tank, my formosa has lots its skin along with the table....are shall i say now a dead table. Now i am affraid to purchase anything and beginning to doubt myself. I purchase the new acrps becuase i was proud of keeping my frist acros and there were growing from a brown like color to blueish with new prongs. (BTW I re-aim the powrhead toward the glass)

 

[Sue Truett]

Peter, How long has this tank been set-up?? I am trying to remember if you have said. I think you will be able to keep sps, but you can't start at the top, so to speak. Everybody has to start somewhere. Try keeping montipora digitata and capricornis, pocillopora damicornis. These go good try an little bit harder or more challenging coral. The environment has got to be near perfect with water quality, current or circulation, lighting, nutrients, and then you have got to have an understanding of the acropora you're wanting to keep. To take a table and try right off just to see is not the way to go about it. Keeping a table has nothing to do with whether or not you have other acropora, due to their extreme needs. I think you might need to stop and see what you have and what is doing good. Stay there for a while and see how they do. It can take up to or over 6 months for wild sps corals to acclimate IME.

my 180 ecosystem sps/clam tank:
http://berlinmethod.com/suet/
my 120 ecosystem sps/clam tank:
http://suetruett.homestead.com/home.html
www.marshreef.org/members

 

[peterh1975]

Thanks Sue,
I`ll take note of that. Patiences shall over come the SPS. Take has been setup a little over 3-4 months only.

 

[Sue Truett]

Peter, I would recommend Eric Borneman's book Aquarium Corals as his book will take you from start to finish. He suggests keeping sps corals in tanks that are atleast 1 year old as the system needs to mature for the sps corals to thrive. The system becoming mature and or stable will only happen with time. Being that yours is only 3-4 months old is probably alot of the problem. These corals have got to be kept in the type of environment that they need or they will die. You can do it just slow down and go back and see what you need to do to your tank to get it where it needs to be and then go from there. Good lighting, good current or circulation, stable cal./alk. levels and nutrients.

my 180 ecosystem sps/clam tank:
http://berlinmethod.com/suet/
my 120 ecosystem sps/clam tank:
http://suetruett.homestead.com/home.html
www.marshreef.org/members