MY FIRST CORAL! Update: Some polyps not opening

mcsassy

mcsassy

professional fool
Jan 28, 2008
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Since I have wave action in my tank now...Vortech pump. I got my first coral today!!! Excitement! :dance2:

It's a frogspawn...I got a pretty good deal on it...it's technically 3 heads (that's the price I got it for), but two of the heads are in the middle of budding, so it will be 5 soon if all goes well!

It's closed up right now since I just put it in the tank...will update tomorrow most likely if/when it opens up!

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This is what it looks like today after the lights came on. Opened up some!

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Now, my main question is about it's placement in referral to the flow. I took a couple pictures of where it is in regards to the Vortech...it's not directly in its line, but I read that they prefer low to medium flow...I don't know what that means exactly. Ace, you have a vortech, so you could probably help out and Amp, you are Mr. Flow, so I could use your advice too. Thanks!

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Turn the wet side of the vortech so that solid piece is in line with the frogspawn. This should block the flow a little to that one area. So turn it about 100 degrees counter clockwise. That is all you can do really as far as adjusting the vortech. The rest is done with the speed knob and different settings.
 
^ Gotcha. It's on reef crest right now and its at about 35% I would say. Do you think it is too close to the coral, or it's fine? I can move the coral somewhere else in the tank if they don't like a lot of flow. I just don't know since I have no experience, but I also don't want to stress it by moving it too much.
 
It just depends on how the flow looks on the corals. If the heads are getting blown to one direction strongly then that is no good, move the coral. If the heads are opening up and just flowing with the water movement it is fine. Look at the back side of the heads, the side that faces the vortech, if you can see the skeleton ridges clearly through the flesh on that side then you know it is too much flow. Like pressing your hand against the insides of a balloon, if your hand is inside the balloon, you don't really see it, that is the skeleton... when you press your hand against the side of the balloon or have something like a strong fan blow against the balloon you can clearly see your hand. The balloon is the frogspawn head. Best analogy I could come up with on the fly. ;)
 
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As long as it opens up fully it means it's happy. When I had mine under too much flow it only opened halfway, you can tell because the tentacles will be getting blown around violently. They(the tentacles) should have a gentle wave action going on.


Nevermind Ace beat me to it.
 
Looks good. Frogspawn (and any Euphyllia species) is a great starter coral. Lots of color, interest, and hardy.
 
Hmm...thanks for the answers, but I don't know what full extension looks like as it's new. I will try to take a video and post it here and then maybe you guys can determine if it's being hit too hard with flow. I mean the tentacles move back and forth and the flow is random...they seem to move at the same rate no matter how high or low I turn the dial. The only thing that seems to get affected when I turn the flow higher is the sand bed.

Ace, your balloon analogy makes no sense whatsoever. That might be due to the fact that I may be slightly intoxicated at the moment...just got back from dinner. :cheers:
 
Ok, thought in my haste I didn't say it well enough..

So.. take big balloon uninflated, stick your hand INSIDE the balloon then carefully blow up the balloon on your hand so it is like a big punching glove. The balloon=head of the frogspawn and your hand=skeleton. Now that the balloon is inflated and your hand is inside, if you just hold it still you can't really see your hand inside the balloon, but when you put that balloon next to a fan it will blow really hard one direction and you will then see your hand being pressed against the side of the balloon from the force of the fan... now.. think of that with the frogspawn/vortech. You don't want to see the ridges of the skeleton through the flesh at the base of the frogspawn. That means it is getting blown too hard.
 
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