star polyp curled tips

las4444 · 06-30-2008, 06:09 PM

I have had the green star colony for a week. It looked great until I started adding more light. I added to T-5's at 18k. I started running them for a couple of hours each day. The first full day I ran them it curled up tips but still look healthy. Being a reef I add iodine magnesium and trace elements. All the other corals are doing fine.

Should I kill the lights altogether, let it readjust and then bring on the new lights slower? Or, should I just cut back the amount I'm currently running them at?

Current Parmeter
PH 8.2
Nitrate <5
DKH 10
1.025 sg.
temp 79

Judge · 06-30-2008, 06:19 PM

Hi Las4444. Where do you have your stars in the tank? I have a nice group of them I have had for a couple of weeks now and they are really growing. I have T5's 12K but I have my stars placed on the sand. This is what mine seem to enjoy. they came from a place where they weren't getting as much light as they are now but the LFS had them up close to the top.

las4444 · 06-30-2008, 06:23 PM

They are in the sand at the bottom and have a week current. One little section has a bit more but are stilled curled. More current? It is 4" by 6" mat.
Oh, they stay out all the time. Is this normal or are they looking for more nutrients?

Judge · 06-30-2008, 06:52 PM

Mine curl up at night. I feed them frozen invert food food which they seem to enjoy just like my pulsating Xenia's. Mine are also in a medium flow. My daylights are on for about 9 hours and the blue actinic for about 8. Not sure this helps any hopefully someone else will wade in.

Nereaga · 06-30-2008, 08:02 PM

The ones I have, and I have green ones, are in high flow/high light. I think they can adjust to about anything really.

Seems like you are doing everything you should, acclimating the new lights. If the flow hasn't changed, then I doubt it's that.

Keep an eye on them. They might just be adjusting....

Brad

las4444 · 07-01-2008, 08:27 AM

Thanks. If they are stilled curled up when I get home I will throw in an extra power head to give them more current. They are in the week corner of the tank.

unclejed · 07-01-2008, 06:49 PM

If you went from your signature Coralife 260 watt to two (I think you mean) t5s I believe thet are shocked. You should only run 1 light for a week or so and then add the other.

las4444 · 07-02-2008, 07:51 AM

The coralife has two 10K lights and two actinic each at 65 watts. I added a second T5 fixture with two 18K lamps at 54 watts each. The 18K boost the light level but give me the same look as the coralife with two types of bulbs. That totals 368 watts. That puts me right a 5 watts per gallon. It is the new T5 fixture that I have been slowly staging more time each day. I hope this clarifies my outdated signature.

You did bring up a good point of removing one lamp for a week. I will do that.

unclejed · 07-02-2008, 11:26 AM

Yes it does. What you should know is the T5s have a much more intense spectrum. You did o.k. by adding them but still if the polyps are shrinking they don't like something. I now don't think it is the lights as I just replaced my coralife (same as yours) with a Nova extreme HO and my green stars have even reacted a bit more as far as growth. Now, you didn't say if your new T5s are LO, HO or VHO, but none the less I am now thinking it is water meaning something in the water. I now notice you have a Colt. My Cabbage coral was down current from my Colt and was "shedding" every three days. That is not normal. I finally talked to a LFS guy whom I trust and he said Colts will put out a chemical (as most corals can) so maybe move one or the other. I did, I moved the cabbage and that was it! I am happy now as well as the Cabbage! Look in that direction.

las4444 · 07-02-2008, 12:12 PM

The colt is center stage in my tank and has a 1200 gph power head directed at it. It loves the intense current. The star is on the same end as the power head and would be at the return side of the flow around the tank. If the light is not the issue, I could run some carbon for a few days and see if that helps.

When I checked it yesterday, it looked a tad better. I will just have to wait today and see.

I also added a small power head to increase the flow in the corner which is weak.

The light is a T5 HO

I gave 100 bucks for this large colony...I think sometimes it might just be better to get frags. However, I'm coming up on a year with the tank and experience and I do not get worried like I did in the beginning. Just take it slow day by day until I or someone helps find the answer.