Should polyps be out during the day?

[anjhof]

I have recently started keeping some SPS's and was wondering, should the polyps be "out" all the time? My SPS's are growing, but I don't see their polyps out all the time. Is that a bad sign?

I have a slimmer whose polyps are out all the time, a green milli which is doing great, and some acros's which do not have their polyps out very often - they are growing, but should I be concerned?

 

[Toddrtrex]

I wouldn't be too concerned, as long as they are still growing. Have you checked at night? All but a few of mine show PE during the day, but they are have PE at night.

Also, what fish do you have in the tank? I am pretty sure that my flame (or lemonpeel) is part of the reason I don't have any PE during the day. But since they still are growing and have good color the angels get to stay.

 

[Horace]

You should see good PE on most stuff pretty much all the time. Mine all have good PE day and night for the most part

 

[anjhof]

I do have a flame angel. I have never seen him picking on anything, but maybe he does when I am not looking....

Thanks.

 

[Toddrtrex]

I never saw my angels picking on anything, but when I gave a frag to a fellow reefer, he notice PE the same day he put it in his angel free tank.

 

[anjhof]

I do have a flame angel. I have never seen him picking on anything, but maybe he does when I am not looking....

Thanks.

 

[twon8]

i have probably seen a hundred thread of people not having pe during the day and them also having a flame angel. i believe lemonpeel's are known as even worse nippers. my coral beauty picked at one particularly hairy stag( i wondered two until i watched for a while and caught him taking a big mouthful of mucous), but since i moved the coral to another tank the pe has resumed. all my other sps did and continue to have pe all the time.

 

[anjhof]

Now my question is, is it harmful to the corals if they cannot have PE all the time?
Also, do slimmers not taste very good and that is why it has PE all the time?

 

[Toddrtrex]

I personally don't think it is harmful. Mine that only show PE during the night time hours still have great growth. I will try and take some pictures of the ones that only show nighttime PE.

For your second question, I am not sure, but it is a good question. I have another one (not sure of the type) that always has PE. My slimmer is a bit less during the day, but I can still see them.

Oh, and here is picture I had handy of one frag that never has PE during the day, but is still growing great.

 

[HighestOlive]

I guess I will throw this in and you can take it as you will. About a year ago I was watching a program on the Okinawa Reef on the Discovery Channel. In it the mentioned that corals extend polyps at night time to filter feed. During the day time they are getting the majority of energy they require from the sun.

So here is what I think on this subject. I may be way off base but who knows. Corals that are getting enough light during the day time hours are going to tend to show less pople extention than those that are not getting the amount of light they require. No matter how we try a 1000watt bulb still doesn't come close to the amount of light that the sun gives off. Polyp extention is a direct result of the corals need of food/energy.

As mentioned before PE can also be effected by other factors, including other tank inhabitants bothering/picking at the polys.

Those are just my thougts.

 

[HighestOlive]

Here is just one more thought for you

Interesting artical that talks about PE

 

[ClownReef®]

IME..Polyps are half way out during the day and all out at night when the lights are off.. Ive seen many tanks where the corals show no polyps at all..so..I dont know..Mine are half way out during the day..LOL