Hydnophora growth patterns...

[Nathan4Wvu]

I took a frag of my original green hydno from my moms tank and put it in my new tank... The growth of it in the new tank is extremely fast only problem is it doesn't look as good. The branches are thinner and more pointy/ flat. Do you think it's not getting enough flow?


1st pic is the original colony in the upper left. 10 inches under 250 watt de 15k metal halides.

Second is from my tank after 3 months the color has faded alot. It is 10 inches under 130watt 15k led pendant.

I'm thinking about starting zeo products for color. My coral are lacking in color. I only have one little goby with 300 gallons of water volume so my water is pretty void of nutrients. I'm running bio pellets, Carbon, gfo, and a 30 gallons fuge with various macro algae.

 

[dan-in-gr]

It sounds like you are nutrient poor, if so stop bio-pellets. I did that for a while in a tank and water was to clean, added fish and voila colors became great. If it was me, I would add fish for waste material & nutrients and continue with bio-pellets. Check your levels, if out of whack add appropriate chemicals/additives for mag, cal and alk, you will find alk drops the most and has to be maintained.

 

[Piper27]

My hydnophora liked a really dirty tank, basically looked like a fluffy pillow.

 

[sTefaniA]

This is mine.

I'm sorry to say but yours doesnt look very healthy, and the original colony doesnt look very green either.

 

[Nathan4Wvu]

The original typically looks like yours. Mine is fluffy one day and flat the next. The mother colony is in a heavy bioload 75 gallon and a coral life 150 skimmer so needless to say the water is dirty. I have never lost a fish in a reef tank in my 7 years to anything but a snow storm. This tank however, I started to own a powder blue and a powder brown.... Got them and lost both to ick after a long battle. Lost a 6 line and never found him. My original fish was a little watchman golby and thats all that's left. I'm tired of flushing money down the toilet. However, I have never lost a coral in the tank.

Thinking about the coals that have the most vibrant color. My plates and hammers which I hand feed sea scallop look amazing. I may turn the bio pellet reactor off today.
Also, I have started feeding BRS reef chili at night this week. Anyone have any comments about it?

 

[sTefaniA]

The original typically looks like yours. Mine is fluffy one day and flat the next. The mother colony is in a heavy bioload 75 gallon and a coral life 150 skimmer so needless to say the water is dirty. I have never lost a fish in a reef tank in my 7 years to anything but a snow storm. This tank however, I started to own a powder blue and a powder brown.... Got them and lost both to ick after a long battle. Lost a 6 line and never found him. My original fish was a little watchman golby and thats all that's left. I'm tired of flushing money down the toilet. However, I have never lost a coral in the tank.

Thinking about the coals that have the most vibrant color. My plates and hammers which I hand feed sea scallop look amazing. I may turn the bio pellet reactor off today.
Also, I have started feeding BRS reef chili at night this week. Anyone have any comments about it?

I have mine in a very nutrient low sps tank, 2300w hqi and T5, I use a bbk supermarine 300 and a bbk mini 180. Lots of flow, 2x mp60 and 1x mp40, 3x tunze (dont know wich kind they are) 7500g feed pump. I dose vodka and I use a dastaco for calcium and kh.

I have seen this coral do worse in a heavy bioload tank.