Grape Coral - Aquacultured (Euphyllia cristata) Question

[rldcpa]

I just got this new Grape Coral LPS and it is less than an inch in diameter (I thought it would be bigger).

Anyway, it has not opened yet. I have it on the bottom and I am running a normal light schedule. I have adjusted the flow so it gets some flow but not too much too blow it over.

Water parameters are dead on. Fish are all fine.

Any suggestions on if it could be getting too much or not enough light and/or too little flow.

 

[TheGodParticle]

We need to know what type of lighting you have and what kind of flow in order to determine whether or not it needs more or less light and flow. Also the height of your tank would be helpful.

 

[rldcpa]

2 Tunze 6105's, 26"depth, 3 Maxspect Razor 160's 16k. Also about 600+ gph through sump.

 

[oscarslr]

Most my LPS like little to no flow. What type of flow is it getting

 

[rldcpa]

I don't have the Tunze blowing right on it as it would blow it away. So its more indirect. The water ruffles the meaty part of the LPS but lightly.

If it was a lighting issue (too much light) I would think it would still open at night.

It is really small, about the size of a dime in diameter.

Hopefully it opens soon.

 

[ClownNut]

those dont open up as big/long as other Euphyllia.sp, they might extend about 1/4"-3/8" that will be it.

 

[rldcpa]

The coral died within 5-6 days. So now I am wondering if my lights could have killed it. I have 3 Maxspect Razor 160's 16k and I am running the normal default time settings. Can lights kill coral that quickly or was it something else?

I have heard of bleaching coral, but could these LED's kill a coral in 5-6 days?

 

[laredo300c]

i use liveaquaria as my only online source for corals, and have never had a specimen die on me except for the two times i have ordered a divers den 4-5" inch grape coral. both have been DOA. very delicate shippers is what they told me. will not mess with this coral again.

 

[Goby_Clarence]

Just got mine from LFS. They stay surprisingly small. Hopefully it does well. Currently almost 30" below the 12 watt LED with 30 degree lenses and right on the edge of the 165 watt chinese LEDs. Its in my "euphyllia forrest" on the sandbed to acclimate but it may stay there. Flow is low, medium tops. The frogspawn, octospawn, and hammer are doing great. Theres a duncan next to it as well.

 

[Icefire]

Those are LPS (you might get better response in the LPS section)

but Hammer/Frogspawn/eu can take bright light if acclimated correctly.

Mines are under 2x120w razor (side by side) at 14" from light at 80%

 

[Goby_Clarence]

With your grape under that light how is the color/expansion/growth? I imagine its stunning.

 

[Dartolution]

Euphyllia cristata is a hard one.
As mentioned they do not ship well, as with most Euphyllia. The trick is shipping them in enough water volume and preventing them from getting damaged near their overlapping membranes on each polyp. Once this tissue becomes damaged, along with shipping stress via temperature swings/handling/ammonia buildup its very difficult to get them to come back around. Most end up dying from brown jelly.

The only thing I have every encountered that turns Euphyllia, both Wall (flabello-meandroid) and Branching varieties, around is Lugols solution/iodine based dips, with direct application, then medium flow, and basting the dying tissue off several times daily to eliminate further necrosis. After you get the necrosis under check, then its just time... allowing the species to settle and heal from stress.

As with lighting, put under low/low medium lighting at first no matter what because these corals are almost always stressed out.

Flow is important, medium flow, LOW velocity is a must when bringing them in, NOT direct high velocity flow.

 

[Goby_Clarence]

I've been lucky so far with no die-off, where are your parameters? I run a low-ultra low nutrient mixed reef. I've said elsewhere that I have mixed results. SPS are thriving, LPS are happy/thriving when I heavy feed, surviving when I cut feeding for a few days.

I have a few other LPS that have good color, great polyp extension, but aren't growing. Zoanthids are growing nicely.

NO3 <0.5, PO3 ~0, calcium, PH, et al. I measure when something doesn't look quite right. CAN'T WAIT for my APEX for X-mas.

Like many that have had tanks for a while, I watch tubeworm casing growth, SPS growth, coralline algae growth, filament algae growth, macroalgae growth, skimmate production, feeding schedules, maintenance (or not) schedules, and the summation of these factors equals!!!...the overall health of the system...

that being said...thoughts on why my euphyllias arent growing, zoas are growing, Acans are growing, and SPS are growing??????!

please dont say more water changes...I can't do many fewer...