Green Star Polyp closed for 2 days

[mangelo]

I've had a green star polyp for over a month. It was the best coral I had. It was always very full. It was under a 260 watt PC lighting.

I decided to upgrade my lighting because the PC was just enough.

Here is what I got:

• 
  2 X 250 HQI Metal Halide
  2X 54 Watt T5 HO
  Moonlights
  2 Large bright clusters of Lunar lights (7 â€"œ 1 watt leds in each cluster)
  2-15k Metal Halide bulb included!
  2- 54 watt Super Actinic T5 HO bulbs include

What does HQI mean? Does 250 mean 250 watts or what???

Anyway, it seems that since I got this lighting the GSP just doesn't want to open. I moved it from up on a rock down to the bed just in case the light was bothering him. No change.

Help!

 

[kfisc]

They're very sensitive and that's a lot of intense light to introduce at once; they can also take a good couple of days to open up again once a colony has been spooked. They can deteriorate pretty fast, too, as when the matte loses its consistency and starts flaking off. Give it three or four days.

250, indeed, means 250 watts (or more) being pulled to run the light.

 

[Brewman12er]

yeah i messed with mine the first few days and it started to pull up off the matte but its growing back finaly. had me worried..

 

[Sk8r]

When starting any mh bulb, limit its burn time at first: I start with about 4 hours and work up to full period over about 4 days...they seem to want to 'settle in'.
When changing corals to mh intensity, you may want to lower them in the tank to prevent 'sunburn'. As they 'tan' (develop defenses) they can come back up in the tank levels.
GSP is sensitive to light changes and also to low alkalinity: when they close up for 'no reason" (yours have had reason) the 'reason' is either alk or ph, usually.

 

[FranktheTankTx]

Agree... let me say this. GSP has a will to live that is beyond most corals. There will be a day when you may very will wish you never owned the stuff.

If I ever own GSP, it will be on a tiny rubble rock far from any thing else but sand.

 

[Sk8r]

Lol. Absolutely never let gsp, ysp, button polyps, or mushrooms near rocks you are not willing to trade or sell. Mine is in the corner of my tank, is the home for my pearly jawfish, and has grown up the glass, with worms and pods and mysis burrowing under its tissue.

 

[mangelo]

Another question. This new lighting fixture only has 2 plugs. One controls the mh and the other controls the T5s and moonlighting. I have told a few different things, but was told by the vendor that sold me the light that when I have the mh on I should have the T5 off and vice versa. My timer has 2 types of outlets that when one is off the other is on and vice versa.

To summarize is this true: mh on during the day and then how long do I have the T5s on? is it ok to leave the T5s on the entire time the mh are off?

 

[singold]

Check your flow via powerhead usage. I had this happen to my GSP also, I adjusted flow & it opened back up. Obviously, take into consideration above mentioned, but mine was closed, and when adjusted water flow via tank, it opened back up. As many things in this hobby, can be a multitude of factors. I am learning everyday given fact only 6 mnths into hobby. Good luck & it's a great hobby!

 

[Sk8r]

Mmm. I run actinics 12 hours and mh 8. They are both on at the same time, or the color would be horrid yellow. You might need a second ballast to control actinics.

 

[mangelo]

I think I'm going to need a new timer that has more control. What do the actinics do anyway?

 

[vr697getta]

these are some tough corals my rbta was touching mine for 2 days in a row then moved a few days later they opened back up like nothing ever happened