why the long stalks

[Borchers]

So here is my question.

I have a 29 bio cube and its been running for a year now and this is what I am seeing. I haze a ton of zoas and palys now and all of there stalks are superlong. I mean on the same colony as close as a polyp away there stalks can be a inch different in length. My Mohawks for example. The center of the colony is about right at the base. The polyps further out have up to a 1 inch stalk. This is the same for all my zoas and palys.

150 watt MH 12 inches above top rocks in display. So 15 inches from moat colonies of z/p
0 ammonia
0 Nitrites
0 Nitrates
1600 mag
500 to 600 calcium
Alk. Unknown.
0 phosphate
78 to 80 degrees
20 k Elos bulb. DE. Mag driven.
Refugium
Mix of reef nutrition fed 2 x a week.
1/2 inch black sand bed.

1 coral beauty
1 sixline
1 perc clown.

Any input would be great.

 

[Reef Bass]

Pic?

Typically long stalks are caused by insuffient lighting as polyps extend trying to reach light.

 

[organism]

+1 to most likely not enough light, what's the wattage of your halide fixture and how old is the bulb?

 

[j.p. harrington]

sounds like bulbs getting old to me.

btw 500-600 calc? is that not a little high?

 

[macrodood]

i had 2 250w mh over a 90 gal zoa tank, i always knew when to change the bulbs as the zoas and palys would become about 2" long and stretch...

how old is the mh

 

[PR_Reefers]

+1 not much more too look for here


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[Borchers]

6 Months on the bulb and its a 150 watt MH fixture. I am thinking of lowering it. Its now 10 inches above the tank

I also have a lot of SPS that are looking amazing right now. I does Calcium recently before the testing that might account for the high calcium.

 

[RokleM]

Check your salinity. The very high calc, high mag, and lack of alk test could point to salinity being high, possibly in the 1.030-1.032 range. It won't necessarily cause the symptom you're seeing, but can cause various corals to act erratically.

 

[Jacwil]

edit: had a brain cramp

 

[philosophile]

Hmmm less lighting means longer stalks? I love the whole long stalk look...

 

[A. Grandis]

It's probably the light intensity.
Water movement has to do with that too!!

Grandis.

 

[PR_Reefers]

6 Months on the bulb and its a 150 watt MH fixture. I am thinking of lowering it. Its now 10 inches above the tank

I also have a lot of SPS that are looking amazing right now. I does Calcium recently before the testing that might account for the high calcium.

Ok I retract what I said before...lol... I think it is enough light! Do you have a pic? It would help to see what they look like!

 

[CarltonsReef]

Reaching for light but be careful if you move them or add more light, you don't want to shock them into bleaching.

 

[PR_Reefers]

I was thinking maybe you are just over concerned some polyps develonplonger stalks.. If coloring and all else seems normal i wouldn't worry about it!
Anywas pics would help


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[A. Grandis]

I was thinking maybe you are just over concerned some polyps develonplonger stalks.. If coloring and all else seems normal i wouldn't worry about it!
Anywas pics would help


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That's also true!
In nature we can find those long stalks too.

Grandis.