Euphyllia Care

[SnowflakeE]

Hi, I am a relatively inexperienced LPS keeper and was hoping to start a thread where people could share success they have had with hammer, torch and frogspawn corals. Please share parameters, dosing, feeding, lighting, placement and whatever else contributed to your success.

 

[Tweaked]

Stability! Even if your params are off, stability is key. Good flow, good light, good husbandry.

 

[cloak]

Check this out.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/10/corals

HTH.

 

[Gibsonnnn]

great read, thanks cloak

 

[nathan1986]

Stay away from wall variations of hammers and frogspawn.

 

[Docdiggy]

All mine seem to like any level of light but, I keep them down low to mid way. Low to moderate flow. I've also noticed they have been happier since I set up a carbon reactor.

 

[mcfa2403]

Stability in an environment seems to greatly help this genus. For growth keeping calcium between 400-450 and carbonate alkalinity 9-11 dkH (to keep these levels with any stability mag should be right around 1300) as they can grow stalks relatively fast. Dosing will depend on depletion rates but a quality balanced blend such as tropic marin 2 part or the seachem aquavitro line seem to do well.

My torches are the only ones that seem to feed all that well which I guess makes some sense as they tend to pack a little more of a punch as far as sting. I also feed phyto twice a week to the tank. I tend to rely more on photosynthesis to feed mine and I have found euphyllia to be highly adaptive to many different levels of light, though they seem to do best in moderate light levels.

To me placement of these corals is most dependent on flow. The indo torches seem to handle a little more violent flow better than most euphyllia, but for the most part moderate, indirect flow seems to be best. Mine seem to benefit greatly from powerheads with a wavemaker function (in my case mp40, but have seen them do equally well with tunze while jaebo seem to do well but flow control is more difficult).

Lastly these corals are aggressive and can reach a long ways to sting other corals so you will want to give them their space. Also, as suggested by Docdiggy, a carbon reactor is a good idea this will help with chemical warfare as well as just for water clarity.

Anyways, this is what my experience has been.

 

[Devi]

Hey if I posted a photo of my tank and listed my parms, could you folks tell me the best placment for my torch? I really want one, but I have a small tank and I want it to be pretty much filled in. Knowing the torch can possibly sting neighbors nearby has given me pause. Where I want it, and where it needs to be might be two different things?

 

[mcfa2403]

Post a picture and if you can include powerheads and returns in the shot and their relative GPH as well as including the light fixture in the shot with its specs listed. With that info should be able to give you a good starting point for placement. However, you may want to start your own thread in order to get more responses.

 

[Devi]

OK so I have roughly 480 constant GPH. This consists of two intake pumps in the back, one GFO reactor, and one 9004 Tunze skimmer. I also have one MP10 that is anywhere between 200-1,500 gallon per hour. I have it on reef flow. So it ramps up and down during the day. It's a 40 gallon JBJ all in one. So those two 200 gallon pumps suck water through those top vents, (I modified mine to suck more out of the left side vent) and it comes out the valves on the front. I don't have them aiming anywhere in the tank, rather I have them so they stir the water at the surface.

The MP10 is on the left side. I only got one but if you think I need two. I have two clowns and they are dumb as hell and can barely swim...LOL I have one Kessil 360 WE Tuna Blue. It starts at 15% ramps up to 75% holds for three hours then ramps back down to 15%. It is a 10 hour cycle. The top most part of that rock in the photo is 6 inches from the water line. The kessil is a little over 12 inches off the top of the water line. I included a photo with the cat to give you an idea. I circled where I want to put the Torch.

Let's see, new tank, only a few month old. Ammonia, nitrites, nitrates zero, no measurable PO4. Calcium is high, like 560 normally, Alk is also high, around 9, and Mag is 1500 or so. I use my own RO/DI water, I am not dosing anything. Small load ATM.

 

[VegasMike]

I have the best luck with Hammers and Frogspawn. I can't seem to keep torches with much success. I have Hammers in multiple places from the sandbed up to the top. I tend to watch them to see where they are happy. I have a cluster of different color Hammers about 8" from the water surface that are very happy with moderate flow. I had one that did not appear happy, so I moved it to the sandbed where it is now thriving. I replaced it with one I had in the middle of the tank that looked OK, but also not at its' best. It perked up when moved to the top.

I know many have not had good experiences with the wall hammers/forgspawn. The branching are supposed to be easier. That said, six out of the seven I have are the wall variety and are doing great. The Aussie pieces tend to do better, IME.

 

[Devi]

I have a branching hammer down on the left there. Since he moved from the nano he has grown. I plan to have at least a bundle of all colors there. I was told not to keep torches next to hammers. I really want that torch up on top there. They are just so expensive and if it won't make it I'll be mega bummed.

 

[mcfa2403]

Your alkalinity is actually perfect in my opinion and magnesium at 1500 isn't too bad, but that calc is way too high in my opinion and I am not sure how you got it that high without dosing. Personally I would work on getting your parameters stabilized before adding any more LPS, not saying it cant be done but it would not be wise. As for your location, it looks as though it would get direct flow from that mp10 which could cause damage to the tissue. Just my 2 cents.

Best description I have heard for euphyllia flow level "it should look like a tree blowing in a tropical breeze"

 

[Tweaked]

Your alkalinity is actually perfect in my opinion and magnesium at 1500 isn't too bad, but that calc is way too high in my opinion and I am not sure how you got it that high without dosing. Personally I would work on getting your parameters stabilized before adding any more LPS, not saying it cant be done but it would not be wise. As for your location, it looks as though it would get direct flow from that mp10 which could cause damage to the tissue. Just my 2 cents.

Best description I have heard for euphyllia flow level "it should look like a tree blowing in a tropical breeze"

Let me guess, he's using Red Sea Coral Pro?

 

[Devi]

She, and I am using Kent. I think the reason it is so high is two low drain on the calcium at the moment. There really is only four corals in there. Once I get it all packed in there, then calcium will drop. With nothing in there, then it is going to stay high. I tested the mixing bucket water and it was higher. I called the company last month because I was concerned, he said it was normal. I was like, OK. I think I just need to get more livestock in there.

 

[mcfa2403]

Read up on the Kent salt and that is the amount they mix to, however while I do like Kent products I really do think those numbers could give you trouble in the long run. Being high in those parameters can cause equipment issues due to calcification.

This is an excellent read on reef parameters:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/
as is this:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/11/chemistry

My biggest issue with the Kent salt is really more in the lack of a substantial guaranteed analysis:
http://www.kentmarine.com/products/sea-salt.htm
Versus something like Seachem Salinity:
http://www.aquavitro.com/products/salinity.html

If you were dosing I wouldn't worry too much about this as your numbers would be controlled by dosing, however as you are not the concern is more that you may have substantial shifts from one batch to the next. Remembering that stability is key for these corals this becomes a problem (which is compounded by the fact that you probably are running 30 gallons and lower volume tends to equal more difficulty when it comes to parameters).

Overall I think your tank will be fine, but I would recommend regular testing of your tank in order to keep parameters steady and I would definitely acclimate slowly.

Side note: For LPS I like to have my powerhead placed where it has to blow through rocks in order disperse direct flow.

 

[Matthias7]

I would start the euphyllia on the sand then work it to that 1st rock you have on the sand. I started all 4 of mine on the sand months ago and only moved 1 to a rock. I use kessils as well. One of my favorite corals as it is easy to care for.

 

[Devi]

I can dose. But to what? Considering it's so high, do I dare? I have already mixed up and ready to go, BRS 2 part with Mag. Haven't used it yet. My first tank was my Fluval Spec V. I was using red sea salt. Dosing Kent 2 part for nanos. I was having a hard time keeping alk and calcium up in that tank. Although it was packed with corals towards the end there.

If I put it on that first rock will that make it impossible to put anything next to it?

 

[Devi]

Mcfa, I have a very detailed reef log. I currently test every three days, and the salt bucket when I get a new batch of salt in. So far salt batches have been consistent, between two 50 lbs lots. The only swings I have noticed in tank is PH, it fluctuates through out the day. It is at 7.8 but goes up to 8.0 then back down. Also ALK is from 9 to 10. Always either 9 or 10. Everything else has stayed consistent. I switched to Kent because I can buy local in case of emergency. I was having to order Red Sea.