Serious question - how DO you grow LPS?

potatocouch · Apr 9, 2017

I'm sure am doing things wrong hence the thread.

How do you folks grow LPSs the likes of Torch, Frogspawn, Hammer etc?

All my parameters are checked, do I just need TIME of the essence i.e. Patience? In saying this, I've waited far too long (3 years) without any noticeable growth.

Don't get me wrong, they look inflated and happy but just not growing.

Params (kept in check with Kamoer dosing pump):
Ca 450
Alk 9
Mg 1500
Salinity 1.026
Temp 80
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20

All *params* checked using Salifert.

Broadcast feeds of reef roids, pellets & frozen brine shrimp for the fishes.

So they say hammer, torch, frogspawn can take bigger piece of shrimp, however never had I seen in my tank they ever hols to that piece of shrimp and eat it, never! Their mouth is relatively small hence food normally get ejected. By small shrimp, it's like 0.2 inch piece.

I can see food gets eaten by Elegance, Scolly and the likes of BTA, hence I think they can grow easier. I mean seeing is believing.

What am I doing wrong?

singleshot · Apr 9, 2017

Do they still have the same number of heads as they did when you got them?

potatocouch · Apr 9, 2017

singleshot said:
Do they still have the same number of heads as they did when you got them?

Yes, not less not more, it stays stagnant

AcroNem · Apr 9, 2017

I've always had the best growth when target feeding them two or three times per week, they like their food. They come from fairly turbid waters most of the time and can eat foods up to 6mm or so, but best to stick to manageable sizes. If you haven't had any growth in the last couple years (which is a little alarming) on the same colonies then they aren't getting enough food, either not enough light or not enough from what they're catching. Must be getting just enough to maintain the size they're at.

becks · Apr 9, 2017

What lighting do you have?

BrettMallette · Apr 9, 2017

I rarely see any visible feeding response from my hammer frogspawn or octospawn. Also took nearly 3 years for them to really take off and start splitting. My hammer went from only one head for close to 3 years to what is now 8 over the past 6 months. Also depends how big the heads were when ya got em some need to get fairly large before they can split while some are rather small heads but split tons

potatocouch · Apr 9, 2017

becks said:
What lighting do you have?

1 X Kessil A360WE on a 2 foot cube tank with schedule ramping up to max intensity of 40%, lighting periods of 9 hours. Colour ramp up to max of 60% if that matters.

The LPSs garden is located approximately 20 inches from the light.

mtraylor · Apr 9, 2017

That is really weird. You need pretty good water for lps. Not great....and descent lighting.

If you parms are in check, I would start looking at the light but you have a great light as well. How old are the test kits and is your tank fluctuating allot during the day. If not take parms every 6 hours and compare.

mtraylor · Apr 9, 2017

Oh yeah. How much does your temp swing throughout the day. Check it every 2 to 3 hours for a swing.

potatocouch · Apr 9, 2017

Thanks folks ... if no one else can think of anything from the circumstances above, then I probably nailed it down to stability.

Probably need to up my game and at the moment I'm paying particular attention to these 4 elements:

No3 via NoPox (Siporax and Live Rocks as media)
Alk via Red Sea Foundation B
Salinity
Temp

Jakepen · Apr 9, 2017

Try and get your nitrates down, 5-10. Check your phosphates, and crank that Kessil up. When I had two over my 30 gallon, I was running them at around 40%, and not seeing much growth or great color. Borrowed a par meter, and I was way low. Eventually worked them up to 90%, and saw a lot of improvement.

potatocouch · Apr 9, 2017

Jakepen said:
Try and get your nitrates down, 5-10. Check your phosphates, and crank that Kessil up. When I had two over my 30 gallon, I was running them at around 40%, and not seeing much growth or great color. Borrowed a par meter, and I was way low. Eventually worked them up to 90%, and saw a lot of improvement.

90% intensity?

Jakepen · Apr 9, 2017

Yeah. A friend told me that world wide corals has a small mixed reef cube in the front, with a 360 over. They crank it up to a 100% intensity, and dial in the color to their liking. As long as you have nutrients to keep your coral fed, and bring par up slowly majority of your coral should flourish.

Jakepen · Apr 9, 2017

The 360 doesn't actually crank out that much par, incredible spread however.

potatocouch · Apr 9, 2017

Thanks @Jakepen !

Can I get second opinion on this before I start cranking the intensity up (gradually) to 90%?

Anyone welcome to chime in.

If you have experienced with 2 foot cube and Kessil A360WE light would even be better!

#reefsquad @Mattyice008

PS: This Kessil A360WE has been the one and only lighting for the tank since it's establishment date, which approximately 4 years back.

I don't have PAR meter and don't intend to purchase one for this matter; am sure plenty folks out there have similar scenario: Kessil A360WE, 2 foot cube, LPS.

Daniel@R2R · Apr 10, 2017

#LPSexperts

Jisko · Apr 10, 2017

I will say lps do way better in "dirty" water... I actually had a problem with my hammer for a little while and so I decided to skip a water change.... he now opens up and shows his mouth during feeding... I over feed the tank now to keep high nutrients in the tank. I will say I skim very heavily and run carbon.

also for people saying you need decent lighting... I have a $30 Aquanet LED with a wall timer haha

potatocouch · Apr 10, 2017

Jisko said:
I will say lps do way better in "dirty" water... I actually had a problem with my hammer for a little while and so I decided to skip a water change.... he now opens up and shows his mouth during feeding... I over feed the tank now to keep high nutrients in the tank. I will say I skim very heavily and run carbon.

also for people saying you need decent lighting... I have a $30 Aquanet LED with a wall timer haha

So what you're saying is you feed heavily but skim heavily too? meaning you're still low on Nitrate but nutrients (food) is high in the water column?

What's your No3 level normally like?

Theo15 · Apr 10, 2017

Jisko said:
I will say lps do way better in "dirty" water... I actually had a problem with my hammer for a little while and so I decided to skip a water change.... he now opens up and shows his mouth during feeding... I over feed the tank now to keep high nutrients in the tank. I will say I skim very heavily and run carbon.

also for people saying you need decent lighting... I have a $30 Aquanet LED with a wall timer haha

I agree ,I think you tank may be to clean it needs more nutrients in the water, I've had this colony for about 6 months and it's splitting everywhere. I spot feed occasionally.

Jisko · Apr 10, 2017

potatocouch said:
So what you're saying is you feed heavily but skim heavily too? meaning you're still low on Nitrate but nutrients (food) is high in the water column?

What's your No3 level normally like?

I by far feed a lot more then anyone should with two fish haha

no idea... never bother to test it... my neon duncan has 5 heads growing off the side in 2 weeks of adding it to the tank and my frogspawn went from the size of a clementine to about the size of a soft ball maybe a lil bigger in 2 months :\

way I look at it... if my stuff is growing I'm a keep doing what I'm doing haha