Ruffled Palys...why?
 

My Palys are all ruffled looking instead of opening up fully. I have mostly Zoas, but there are 2 types of Palys, they are both ruffled. The first one (not IDed) I have had for almost a year; it looked big and plump for the first week, but it became ruffled a few days after being in my system. I added a frag of Nuclear Green Palys a month ago, and although they also were big and plump for the first week they are now ruffled as well. They always look like this. Any idea why? Both varieties are still spreading, and appear to be doing well, they just look funny. Zoas, Rics, and Euphyllias all look good/normal.

I have no idea what the parameters are in this tank :o but with everything else looking good, what would cause the Palys to look funny?

Here is a pic I found online of what all my Palys look like:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y87...e/DSC_0015.jpg

My Nuclear Greens did the same thing when my alk was low. Not 100% sure if that was the reason though.

Any chance your carbon is exhausted?

Mitch

Perhaps a neighboring coraL???

I could test the tank I suppose. The Zoa tank get water from the reef instead of fresh saltwater, so the values are good and the water is pristine and aged well. The unIDed Paly was ruffled in the reef though, and the alkalinity has always been in check. Alkalinity in the reef is 8-9 dKH.

I haven't used carbon in the Zoa tank, but I do use it in the reef, and the Palys were ruffled in the reef. I just boiled some fresh carbon for the Zoa tank. I will add it to the mini sump tomorrow after it is done soaking. It will just run passively in a bag. I should hook up a reactor for carbon and GFO...

Just Zoas and Palys nearby. The only other corals in the tank are 2 Ricordea florida, and a small colony of various Euphyllia (Hammers and Frogspawns) that aren't touching any of the Zoas or Palys.

I experienced something similar when I changed to a higher output bulb. My paly's have not opened fully since changing bulbs so I assume they do not like too much light.

Lighting is a Hagen Glo 2x24w T5HO with an UVL 454 and an AquaScience 15,000K. Both of the Palys are on the sand which is about 14" from the bulbs. I tried switching bulbs; at one point I had the UVL 454 with an UVL Super Actinic. Despite the shockingly blue look to my eyes (and decreased PAR), none of the corals had a reaction. :lol: The tank ran that way for 6 weeks. I also tried a 10,000K bulb (can't remember brand) with the UVL Super Actinic and the corals didn't react to that either.

FWIW, the LFS here has a large, wicked colony of Nuclear Greens about 24" away from 3x400w XM 20,000K halides w/ T5 supplementals as well.

Probably too much light. Try putting them a little farther from the light, or on the side of the tank or a bit in the shade and see.

The one unIDed Paly is in shade. The Nuclear Green was in the brightest part of the tank, but it fell down onto the sand a few weeks ago, and there it remains. :lol: I'm mad at it because it is ruffled. I can't really put them in less light. I could try diffusing the light for awhile with some screening, and see if there is a difference. I will try adding carbon for a week first, then try diffusing the light. That way, if I notice a change I will know what caused it. I would think that if it was due to lighting intensity that there would have been a change when I messed around with bulbs which should have had about a 35% difference in PAR.

Mine are about 10-12 inches from a 4 bulb t5. If anything mine do better with more light.