My first question has to do with my existing tank (20 long with 150w MH)and its current inhabitants.
The tank is absolutely packed with corals... I can't add anything else shading a coral I already have. I have several colonies of zoanthids, some mushrooms, a xenia frag,several LPS, and I've recently been focusing more on SPS. I have 4 monti caps, 3 varieties of Montipora digitata, a large colony and 2 frags of what I was told is small polyp encrusting Goniopora, and a large frag/small colony of Acropora. I also have quite a bit of sponge growth under/in between my live rock pieces.
Anyway, my question is this... All my stony corals are doing well. Good color, good polyp extension, good growth. My zoanthids and palythoas, however, are not doing well. They are shrinking, losing their skirts, and eventually dieing, one polyp at a time. I haven't seen any snails, nudibranchs, or anything else on or near the polyps. What the heck is going on with them?
My second question will be much shorter...
I will soon be moving everything from my 20 long to my 72 bow front. On the 20 I am running a 150w MH, and there's about 16-18 inches between the light and the sand bed. On the 72 I am running 2x 150w MH, and there's about 16-18 inches between the lights and the top of the highest point on my rock work. About twice that distance between the lights and the sand bed...
I know corals must be acclimated slowly from lower light to higher light, but do I need to acclimate in the reverse? Do I need to start them high and move them down?
Thanks in advance.
The tank is absolutely packed with corals... I can't add anything else shading a coral I already have. I have several colonies of zoanthids, some mushrooms, a xenia frag,several LPS, and I've recently been focusing more on SPS. I have 4 monti caps, 3 varieties of Montipora digitata, a large colony and 2 frags of what I was told is small polyp encrusting Goniopora, and a large frag/small colony of Acropora. I also have quite a bit of sponge growth under/in between my live rock pieces.
Anyway, my question is this... All my stony corals are doing well. Good color, good polyp extension, good growth. My zoanthids and palythoas, however, are not doing well. They are shrinking, losing their skirts, and eventually dieing, one polyp at a time. I haven't seen any snails, nudibranchs, or anything else on or near the polyps. What the heck is going on with them?
My second question will be much shorter...
I will soon be moving everything from my 20 long to my 72 bow front. On the 20 I am running a 150w MH, and there's about 16-18 inches between the light and the sand bed. On the 72 I am running 2x 150w MH, and there's about 16-18 inches between the lights and the top of the highest point on my rock work. About twice that distance between the lights and the sand bed...
I know corals must be acclimated slowly from lower light to higher light, but do I need to acclimate in the reverse? Do I need to start them high and move them down?
Thanks in advance.
