Utter chaos fading

[reefified]

I bought a 2 polyp frag of utter chaos around Christmas. I put in my cube, up high on a magnet shelf rock. I have a 4 bulb t5 light. The frag has multiplied to 6polyps but faded significantly. All the other zoos at the same elevation are fine. Could the light intensity be the culprit? I placed it on the sand bed for now. How/what can I do to get him happy and colored back up? I thanks.

 

[Pallobi]

Up high is never a good place to start any polyps IMO... Could be the issue... Jmo...

 

[650-IS350]

try lowering them a little, less direct exposure to your lighting. Maybe getting too blasted by your lighting.

 

[19jeffro83]

My utters don't like a lot of light and prefer the bottom of the tank.

 

[reefified]

Thanks all. I will drop down and see how they respond over time.

 

[NyReefNoob]

also have u added anything else to the tank since then ? and ive found utters to be a tempermental paly, do great then melt off

 

[Pallobi]

also have u added anything else to the tank since then ? and ive found utters to be a tempermental paly, do great then melt off

This has also happened to me twice with UC's... More likely to have been my error, but was the case none the less...

 

[cbrennan4]

I find lower light with medium flow has worked best for me with this zoa. Plus resist the temptation to frag

 

[jbm421]

Does low magnesium affect zoas? My corals get brighter with higher mag levels.

 

[jacky]

Does low magnesium affect zoas? My corals get brighter with higher mag levels.

I noticed the same. I tried mag at 1100 - 1500+.

 

[reefified]

The mag question is a good one. I will have to test. Since the small volume, relative low bio load, and religious weekly water changes, I didn't suspect that one.

 

[Chriskid]

interesting, following along

 

[650-IS350]

I don't test much for mag, only when I test every other parameter and cant find anything else wrong.

 

[Chriskid]

The mag question is a good one. I will have to test. Since the small volume, relative low bio load, and religious weekly water changes, I didn't suspect that one.

did you test?

 

[Chriskid]

i find that in my dom/SPS tank that high alk(9or10) in a low nitrate environment, i call it the burn factor, that SPS give me way more time to react then palys.

SPS a week or more, Palys get a day or two tops then start to melt. my animals seem happiest at 7.5 alk.

not saying this is the prob, just my outlook with my system. maybe it can help.

also, mine are 10inches from waterline under a 20k 250w MH

 

[reefified]

Meverything looks good. Salinity 1.024, alk 8.5, ca 420 and mag 1420. Salifert and hanna tests. Temps at 78 and t5 lights run 12 hours. They are still pale obviously but open up and otherwise look good. Of 30+ types, these are the only ones having any problems. There are still 6 polyps. My super juice has everyone else multiplying polyps like crazy so hopefully they color up and sprout some babies with the move down to the sand bed. I will keep everyone posted with updates. Thanks all for your feedback and support.

 

[jbm421]

Mag seems to be really important in my mixed system. I try to find a happy medium because if I get it too high while it looks great in my tank it will loose a lot of color in a system with a much lower mag level.