No Polyps on Tree Corals

[starrfish]

I have two tree corals (one from Greg that I got at this week's meeting and one from Pinkskunk that I got a few weeks ago). Neither one has polyps. They have bumps but no polyps. What would cause this? My water parameters are:

- Ammonia, nitrites, phosphates: 0
- Nitrates: run 20-40. I do weekly water changes, but I can't get the nitrates any lower than that.
- Calcium: 400
- PH: 8.4
- Alk: 3.5 meq/L

I did my first water change with NSW yesterday hoping that would stimulate some polyp extension, but nothing. All of my other softies, LPS (frogspawn, hammer, torch, candy cane) and even my pocillapora and digitata have polyps and look healthy.

Could it be too much flow, or not enough light? I have 260W of PC lighting. They are both sitting on the bottom of the tank in the sand. I have about 1700 GPH between my HOB filter, skimmer and powerheads.

Any suggestions would be most appreciated!

Thanks,
Daire

 

[NateHanson]

are they attached to some rock, or just sitting in the sand? I'd rubberband them to a rock if they aren't attached. Seems like everything is happier when it's mounted.

Nate

 

[KAS]

Daire,
I forget what size tank you have but I had a green tree coral about half way up the tank in a 75 gal under 220 w of PC and it did fine. I do remember though that it took AT LEAST 2 weeks before it would expand out of its shrunken state and extend some polyps. As for flow, I think it was in a medium to medium-low flow area.

Hope that helps,
-Karen

 

[starrfish]

Nate - the one from Pinkskunk is fully encrusted - it's actually a very large, fully devoped coral. The one from Greg is toothpicked to a rock, but not encrusted yet. But both are attached is one way or another to a rock.

Karen - thanks for the info. I have a 75 too. Maybe I'm just being impatient.

 

[Greg Hiller]

Daire,

If you read the description on my web site about the form of green tree coral that you received from me you will see that it usually does not show its polyps to any significant extent. It is normal for this coral.

http://www.greghiller.com/soft_corals.htm

 

[starrfish]

Greg - thanks for pointing that out. That makes me feel better. The color is really pretty, I was just worried because my other one doesn't have any polyps either. I'll check with Pinkskunk on that one. Here's a pic of the one I got from you. You can see a branch of the other one up to the right. And notice the tip of the Frogspawn to the left (this is now my FAVORITE coral in the tank - it's beautiful!).

 

[Pinkskunk]

Daire,
the corals you got from me is the same as this one right here, sometime more flyffy of course:

http://216.235.242.50/forums/showthread.php?t=3728

lower current they will open up nicely, but you DO NOT want that as they will get infections as debris will build up on them and rot on them.

Mine look like the pics almost all the time.

 

[starrfish]

Thanks Pinskunk - mine are more bumpy than fluffy. But if what you say is true about infections and debris, maybe that's ok. It's still standing up nicely and looks healthy. I guess I won't worry about. Thanks!

Daire

 

[dad300]

answered my question before I could ask it. sweet!!!

 

[dedfish]

I remember after getting mine from Greg it tooks a few days for it to show polyp extension. I don't know if my conditions are different, or my perception of extended is, but my screaming green from Greg has good extension. There is a close up picture on my website on page 7.

 

[starrfish]

I just wanted to update this thread because both of my tree corals have polyps now! I'm attaching pics of the one that Greg gave me - you can see there are ALOT of polyps. And it's already started to encrust onto the rock. It's all about patience....

 

[starrfish]

And a close up....

 

[KAS]

It's all about patience....

It really is... but that seems to be a lesson we have to learn over and over again... soooo hard....

Glad you coral is doing OK.
-Karen

 

[Greg Hiller]

Daire, Wow, nice. Too bad that coral grows so much slower than the 'ol standard' green tree coral.

 

[marco67]

>It really is... but that seems to be a lesson we have to learn over and over again

It just takes patience to learn about patience

 

[starrfish]

Greg - I don't care how slow it grows - it's absolutely beautiful - under day or actinic lights. I love it! And it's already encrusted on the rock. Thanks for an awesome frag (one of many that I've gotten from you!)

Daire