Thoughts on SPS polyp extension..

[daniella3d]

My sps have full polyp extension 24/7. The only time they retract is when I touch them or when I do water change and they are exposed to air.

I guess my tank must not be normal.

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

polyp extention during the day is not a normal thing. I only had extension at night with all my corals, but for some reason people seam to like it. my theory is that if there extending there looking for food as the polyps are there food catching tools, but who knows, I could be out to lunch also... but from reading I did years and years ago no extension during the day was normal as they are feeding off the light, at night when there is no light or at times when the light isn't enough they will extend to both catch food and increase the surface area exposed to light.

Steve

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

I guess my tank must not be normal.

No, it seems sort of normal to be out, depends on the tank. Lots of great tanks have full PE, and lots don't.

For me, adding K has produced a bit more PE, but nothing substantial. I do have perhaps 12 colonies that have full PE, but another 80 that don't. Not sure why.
I added some brine shrimp today to see if that provoked more response, nope. I feed mysis daily, no change. I've just modified my zeo dosing, I may have been adding too much, so perhaps the corals aren't hungry. I have nothing picking at them, so it's not predation.
Levels are all really good and stable. alk is a bit high for a zeo system, so perhaps that affects it, since the water change that seemed to set this off did raise my alk substantially. I'm trying to get it back down to 7dKh and see if that changes anything.
Again, not sure if PE during the day is a good thing or a bad thing, I do have typical PE at night, corals are colored great, and growing well, so I really don't have a problem, but they do look prettier when extended.

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

My sps have full polyp extension 24/7. The only time they retract is when I touch them or when I do water change and they are exposed to air.

I guess my tank must not be normal.

nope 12 years ago we rarley saw huge polyp extension during the day. for the last 22 years I have been diving hawaii, and other places same thing little or no polyp extension during the day lots at night. so to me that says that is normal.

a few papers I have read years ago linked extension to suspension feeding, others I have read link it to increasing surface area for light adsorption, so who realy knows......

I never worried about it much myself.. heath and color were what was important, never was extension during the day ever an indacator of health so I simply never worried about it. I had growth that was faster than norm, I had briliant colors and lots of extension at night when I did feed before bed. My brain used to be about 5-6" diamiter during the day, and a night would expand to ovewr 12" my acro's would look smooth during the day but almost like milli's during the night. millies well they always have good extension .... go figure that out

my actual theory was it is a defence mechanisim, the ocean calms down at night, so maybe the intence wave action during the day was to much for the corals so they pulled in, at night when it is more calm they extend to catch food...

another question would be that thoes of you that have good polyp extension during the day... whats kinda flow do you have and do you vary it at night?

Steve

[Aquattro]

Steve, I guess my question comes about by the fact that for the first 3 or 4 months, every piece I had displayed full PE during the day. Now, 905 do not, with no obvious reason, other than the one water change I did with different salt (which affected my alk). Ok, somewhat obvious perhaps, but until I get my alk back to where it was, unproven hypothesis
So the tank has matured, the zeo system has had a chance to develop (or over develop with my dosing schedule), lighting is more than sufficient, feeding has been constant, no fish additions at the before/after point, so it's a bit of a mystery. Not so much a concern, but more a puzzle that I'm curious about.

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Not so much a concern, but more a puzzle that I'm curious about.

ya it would be nice to have a fish researcher do a 5 year study on it and get a difinitive answer

you doing any dog stuff in the interior this year?

Steve

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

you doing any dog stuff in the interior this year?

Steve

not unless Cloverdale has moved closer to Kamloops

[daniella3d]

I deed, I don't have a lot of flow, nothing strong, maybe that's why I have great polyp extension any time.

A lot of people say that with SPS you need strong flow, but mine is very weak and I still have great growth, color and extension in my SPS. My alkalinity is always low, around 6.5.

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

another question would be that thoes of you that have good polyp extension during the day... whats kinda flow do you have and do you vary it at night?

Steve

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by daniella3d

My alkalinity is always low, around 6.5.

I'm guessing this has some influence on PE. The one difference from before/after for me is my alk is higher. I saw a tank today with huge PE, alk was at 6...

[lastlight]

My PE is always great day or night.

Alk is always around 7.5 - 8

[chris121277]

Just tagin along here