My first SPS

[jerry11901]

Hallo everybody, here is picture of my first SPS. I purchased it at the LPS for low price because some of his tips are white (dead).So I took it as a learning SPS. So far I have it for two weeks, the white parts stared to cover with some dirty slime, besides that nothing is happening,the rest polips are looking good .Will this dead parts recover? What can I do to help it?
Jerry

 

[DaddyJax]

Umm...can you see polyps on it? I unfortunately dont see any polyps or color and have the worst fear for you? Can you get a closer pic?

 

[twon8]

you need to put it in a high flow area, what sort of lighting do you have? I believe it is a stylophora. Don't put it directly under bright lights, as that is probably what happened to it at the lfs.

 

[twon8]

i see polyps and colour, not much, but it is still alive; get it away from that mushroom.

 

[jerry11901]

I know this picture is not so good, but I took many of them and this one come out best. There are polyps, I am sure, it looks much better here in my tank, is much pinker under the PC light .Ok I am moving it…

 

[twon8]

What type of light do you have?

 

[jerry11901]

It is power compact from Coralife.

 

[jjackson]

how many watts what size tank? sps will do ok under pc but it is tough.

 

[jerry11901]

It comes down to 6.5W per gallon

 

[jjackson]

ok so what a 65W light over a 10 gallon... or 650W over a 100 gallon? WPG is highly overrated....

 

[salt-rookie]

Looks like a Pink Stylopora to me. I do see polyps. You need to get metal halide lighting and make SURE you have LOTS of flow! I don't even consider watts per gallon as valid. Imagine 200 X 5 watt nightlights.....think they would grow SPS? Do it right! Its a GAS!

 

[jjackson]

ok seriously if you are going to give advice at least give good advice... Metal halide is not required to keep this coral, yes it is optimum but not needed... this would be very happy under some VHO's.... even PC's but it will be difficult.

and it would be a stylophora!

 

[salt-rookie]

I was told by MANY very solid reefers NOT to keep SPS until I had MH lighting. I did not go into SPS until then. I have NEVER lost a colony or frag after the first 24 hours. You do it your way, I'll do it mine. If you don't like typos, don't read! I have kids your age...GROW UP!

Yes...there ARE people who say PC, VHO and t5 lighting are adequate for SPS. ADEQUATE is the OPERATIVE word. I always try to provide the VERY BEST for my corals and fish. They are life forms. I stand by my advice.

 

[whiteshark]

I'm a rookie SPSer, but I would say put it high in the tank in med- high flow and provide it optimal water quality and you will increase its chance of survival dramtically.(It would be nice to the the wattage of your bulbs and the size of the tank) Good Luck!

 

[jjackson]

First it isn't that I was trying to correct your spelling but it would be hard for him to research it with the incorrect name...

Also I use metal halide because I think it is best for growth and health but to say" You need to get metal halide lighting " is incorrect, it is not absolutely stylophora is a very hardy coral and will do fine under some of the less intense lighting... IE PC VHO T5.... there are very successful reef tanks that do not use Metal Halide... it is not an absolute open shut case for the lighting.

 

[The DOC]

Wow salty thats about a 9 on the ol' tension scale ol' buddy!...LOL

Correct it is a stylophora...purple probably....

MH is very very good lighting...but I keep sps under vho with the same success as my acros under MH...most look better under MH, but a few look better, and grow faster under only VHO....T-5's burn sps on me...

Pc's as general are TERRIBLE for sps...BUT some auctually do better under it as well...I have run many experiments here....never seen an acro do better under pc's...but rose digi looks better grows faster under pc's, as does xenia...and believe it or not stylophora and pocillipora both do excellant under 65 watt pcs..(half white half blue)...every bit as good as MH, and even better than VHO's....get way better PE under the pc's....

But Salty is right! MH overall (not in every instance) is the best lighting....

Now I must also add that I have seen some AWSOME tanks sps, that had only t-5's....they used different brand of bulbs than I have...blue pluses etc....german bulbs I think...boy them germans sure can make a superior bulb!...lol

But no sweat reefer you have enough light for this coral put it up kinda high....but rest assured if you want more sps, I would recommend MH, or VHO..preferably combo of both....

Doc

 

[Snausages01]

I'd say it does look to be a little on the bleached side, but it should be able to pull through. You do NOT need metal halides to keep SPS; believe it or not SPS can thrive under non MH lighting (look at some of the T5 TOTMs). While PCs are not the best choice for SPS, if you stick to lower light SPS like the stylo you have chosen you should be fine. It'd likely do best under direct lighting your tank and you don't need a super high flow spot for it either.

If you don't mind me asking, what did you pay for that piece?

 

[damienkee]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7634559#post7634559 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jjackson
ok seriously if you are going to give advice at least give good advice... Metal halide is not required to keep this coral, yes it is optimum but not needed... this would be very happy under some VHO's.... even PC's but it will be difficult.

and it would be a stylophora!

i agreed with u!
metal halide is good a light. but not neccessary or must! we still can c lots of reefer who only used T5s and very great result!
is all depends on u and ur tank!
like most master said, relocate it. slowly the color will regain.

cheers!

 

[Flyfisherman]

Branches of the coral are definitely dying and it appears to be bleaching from underneath. This coral is definitely about to be covered by whatever algae you have in the tank. I would frag a piece immediately and epoxy to a small rock. Then you can move it around and find a happy place and potentially still have the colony down the road. As far as the rest of the colony, I would break off all the dead pieces, or scrub them and stick the colony in high flow. Under PC lighting I would put it high in the tank, like 4 inches from the surface.

Those are wide branches so strong flow is a must and positioning it so light is able to penetrate the alive parts of the coral will maximize it's life. You could break the dead pieces off. You don't want dead algae covered branches blocking alive branches from the light.

You should also try fastening to a rock and never letting it move again. SPS don't like to chill out until they know they ain't moving anymore. Getting nudged by hermits and moving a tiny bit is enough to freak them into not chilling...

Reefers can absolutely keep many SPS alive under PC lighting but don't expect vibrant colors, more like brown with little growth. Then again you can dose like crazy and maybe get better growth.

 

[salt-rookie]

I'd be interested in knowing what you paid also. I rescued a coral that looked almost identical to this one about two months ago...It's doing VERY well. I'm feeding Phyto and Golden Pearls. Additionally, I'm burning 3 X 250 watt XM Metal Hallides with 2 X 110 watt URI Super Actinic VHO over the 180.