Zoo's Stretching?

[The Saltwater Kid]

Okay, some of the zoo's in my wife's tank seem to be stretching or elongating their stalks so they are taller. I always thought this behavior meant they wanted more light but she has a 14g Biocube with 150w HQI lighting and some of the zoo's that are stretching are near the top of her tank so this leads me to believe that my theory of the reason for this behavior is flawed as it doesn't seem to me that they would need more light than what they have...any guesses' as to what's going on?

 

[Bn251]

I experienced the same with some of my palys it seems like some of them just grow that way. I have some that i put in the middle under my 250 MH and thought they needed more light as well but i put them right at the surface about 12-14" away from the bulb and still the same.

 

[DaddyReefer12]

I have the same peoblem some of mine do it as well , but when under t5s in a shallow tank 8 inches high they did not strech, now under 2 150 wat mh in a 55 gallon in the sand bed they strech , I thought it was for more light as well. Now u got me thinking.

 

[The Saltwater Kid]

I thought it was for more light as well. Now u got me thinking.

Yeah, this hobby can do that to you .

 

[suliaman007]

hmmmm.... Some palys like to "stretch", maybe its a paly with a longer stalk? Were your palys always like that? How old are the bulbs? Maybe the bulb isnt putting out enough light, if its older?

Try putting them in higher flow.

Good luck!

 

[The Saltwater Kid]

I think the flow is fine, it's a 14g Biocube and she has two Koralia Nano's at 240gph each plus her return pump is an MJ900 at 230gph so I really don't think that's it (plus most zoo's/palys don't require a lot of flow). The bulb is an indeterminate age, we bought her light used off RC and it came with 3 bulbs (all appear to be Phoenix 14K) but I have a Phoenix 14K bulb that is 4 months old (same wattage) and the one in her light fixture appears to be as bright as the one in mine so I'm guessing they're roughly the same age (of course if I had a PAR meter I could compare the readings to get a more accurate judgement but alas, I do not).

 

[Nuuze]

I find my zoo/paly tend to do that after they completely cover the rock or disk. Perhaps running out of room and stretching out as they get more dense?

 

[The Saltwater Kid]

Hmmm...these aren't very dense on the plug. Some were stretching under her PC lighting but I figured once acclimated to the MH lighting they'd stop doing it but that hasn't been the case so far.

 

[bekindtoyurbuds]

I'd say change the light, true some zoa's/palys do have a longer stock, but then again when you say you bought the light bulb used, and don't have a par meter. There is really no way to tell how much light your getting, or how long the bulbs were used before you got them. Judging by eye isn't the best way to tell if the lights are putting out the par that they should.

I would buy a new bulb and then go from there.

In my tank when I frag, I usually leave the frags at the top of the tank to grow, and then when they have reached the desired amount of polyps I move them to the lower part of the tank to help the frag to "fill out more" by allowing it to reach more for the light and give that rounded (stretching for light) look. If I leave them at the top they seem to be flatter than lower in the tank.

 

[ksanmamaril]

make sure there is no salt creep on the protective glass or the bulb itself. this may also affect PAR.

 

[Guygettnby]

normally zoas/palys will start to stretch when they are lacking something. that something is usualy most often light. but that is not the only reason they could be stretching out. if you move them closer to the light i can pretty much bet that over time they will slowly go back to normal.

 

[Fcamdog]

I'm seeing the same thing with one frag. My bulbs are new though, I just bought them. Tank is 20g, all parameters are right on. Originally they were on the sand bed but I noticed them "stretching" and moved them into the top 1/3 of the tank...and they streched more...hmmm???

I'll get some pics asap.

Fcamdog

 

[Pawky]

The only times I've experienced stretching are when the colony is extremly dense and when they aren't getting enough light.

 

[gabberjaw]

I have many zoas and some stretch and some don't what I have found are the darker colored ones reach out more. I have not had any luck with moving them around they just do what they do. Lights are new and preramiters of my tanks are right on. I have 5 tanks and they are all doing the same reaching or not. My tanks have several different lighting systems. But they are all happy just the way they are. My husband and I are crazy about corals and fish we are setting up one more because we have the room.

 

[manhorsedog]

some people will say light some will say flow. I personal think its some of both but with flow being more of a factor. I have had a 14g biocube with the same exact set up and it was not enough flow for tight mats. I suggest beating the **** out of them with flow (not literally but a lot) and you will see them start to get smaller.

take pics if you do