Button Polyp Wont CLOSE :(

[Generalx5]

Hey guys,


I have several frags of button polyps. I have two patches of small green nano polyps that are green/blue in color.

The problems I'm having are with a larger brown kind with green mouths, I do not know why, but about half of the polyps close properly when agitated, and the other half will respond by overextending its fingers downwards like going from a flat top to an umbrella shape. It does not close........

What is my problem? has anyone else experienced this? I have this setup in a 14 gallon bio cube with stock lighting and an additional 28 watt 50/50 from the left side..


I noticed this today while making a water change. Water parameters before the water change was 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate, 0.25 ammonia. Ive made the water change, 6 hours later still same result .

 

[thincat]

With that bit of ammonia, it looks like your cycle is not quite done yet. Button polyps close when bothered or when eating. The opposite or bending itself over happens when it is extruding waste. Sounds normal. the only worry is the ammonia. Keep tabs on it and if detected do a PWC. Do you have any fish in the DT? If so all the more to watch the ammonia. You should have some nitrate readings...

 

[Generalx5]

I previously had two clowns, a spotted puffer, and a damsel, algae blenny, and 2 hermit crabs, in the tank, I've relocated them and just wanting my corals to grow without and new bio loads. I wasnt sure if my nitrate readings are accurate, it was hard to tell since it had a blue/pink color that was in betweeen 0ppts to 12ppm. I think it would be more accurate to say its somewhere between 0-12 ppm.

Question about bending over to extrude waste.... Will it refuse to close if it was extruding waste? I notice that it does react, but it would go from a flat top normal looking polyp to an umbrella looking polyp.

Heres a picture for ref.

 

[Generalx5]

anyone know whats wrong?

 

[thincat]

I think it's normal. what is the temp. of the water?

 

[Generalx5]

My water temps have a range from 81- 83 depending on part of the day. at night it falls to around 80.5


I have moved a colony to my 10 gallon nano with the HID lights about 10 minutes ago. I will see if the results are better from that tank. It appears the polyps are stretching to get light and that may be making it difficult to close due to the streching of its side tubular walls. It has been maybe 15 minutes now in the other tank and all of them have re-opened.

So I just went over and probed it with a piece of nylon zip strap. They appear to be closing properly and are "matted" if you will, against the rock piece that their attached to.

In conclusion, I think it may be a lack of lighting form my old tank that are causing this.

Old tank is a biocube 14 gallon reef with no fish. 2 hermit crabs included. The polyps are stretching, but the shrooms have been growing too well. A biocube 14 gallon includes 10,000 kalvin 28 watt CFL and an actinic 28 watt CFL