Stylophora - any suggestions from real life?

[lightcs4]

I got a good deal on a green stylophora coral from my favorite LFS. It was $40 but got it for $30 :mrgreen:.

Anyhow, I understood them to need basically the same things as acros. It is my first SPS. The basic parameters in the tank are good (8.4, 0, 0, less then .5 nitrate), and salinity at 1.023 (I want to push it to 1.025 over the next few days). I haven't purchased anything for calcium testing yet as I didn't have any high calcium requirements. but the salt should be enough for just one SPS (right?). I am using Reef Crystals now, a switch from Coralife and do a 10% water change every weekend.

I'm excited about venturing into SPS and want to start out right. I do have some phytoplankton and tried to feed it, although I understand it shouldn't need it. It seems to be doing OK, but wanted to know if anyone has any experience with them and can offer suggestions.

Thanks!

By the way, here is a couple of pictures:

And yeah, they all look pretty much the same.

 

[Piggy]

I have one of them. Mine is green. Moderate to bright light. I have mine up near the top, I have t5's. Not really sure if it needs to be feed but i give marine snow. Be careful using plankton it can lead to algae problems. Congrats on the new addition.

 

[lightcs4]

Thanks Piggy. The polyps aren't extended this morning so I hope it's OK. I don't know what is normal but I did a water change yesterday as this weekend promises to be very busy. I have it about two-thirds of the way up the tank so it's about 12" - 15" from the top. The store has it close to the top under Nova Extremes, I have a 250 HQI. The polyps were well extended the first day and looked like fuzzy branches.

I purchased a small bottle of plankton for my first corals while they were in quarantine and haven't used it until now. It expires in October. I'll just let it get one it needs from the water and light. My biggest problem is I want to feed the corals something if they don't seem completely happy, which I know isn't right.

 

[yote]

Green stylos are the easiest ones to keep.And yours looks to be good and healthy.BUT,it might be a good idea to shade it some and slowly acclimate it to your halides.
I've bleached several corals from moving them from tanks lite with halides to T-5s and vice versa.
It'll also benefit from some zooplankton.SPS dont feed on the phyto,but they like the zooplankton that DOES feed on phyto.
Personally,I only use zoo to feed my corals,and they really like the brightwell aquatic zooplankton.

 

[lightcs4]

Thanks for the information. I'll pick up some zooplankton for it. It was looking better today, extending it's polyps, and seems to be settling into the tank (although my dunkins didn't open as much as usual - I think due to the extra water change this week and change in salt). Nice to know I have the easier ones ... I like easy!

I'm also getting some candy cane corals next week. A guy from the local reefing club has them. He was looking for $20 but just emailed me and said I could have them for free. I'm trying to scrape aside $20 anyway, just to be fair to the guy. It's shaping up to be a great week. The candy canes will make five types of corals in the tank. I'll be on a holding pattern after that as I don't want to keep adding to the tank. I keep telling myself to go nice and slow.

 

[yote]

All your corals will love Brightwell zooplankton.
After a couple of weeks,you'll notice feeder tenticles when you put the first drop in the water.

 

[lightcs4]

Yote, thank you!!!! I moved it down only three or four inches and it is now as fuzzy as when I brought it home. It has lost a lot of it's green color, but is finally extended the way it was in the store. I'm hoping it will be nice and green by the end of the weekend.

 

[dustin_P74]

it sounds happier where it is now so i think all its color will come back

 

[yote]

Yote, thank you!!!! I moved it down only three or four inches and it is now as fuzzy as when I brought it home. It has lost a lot of it's green color, but is finally extended the way it was in the store. I'm hoping it will be nice and green by the end of the weekend.

It'll be nice and colored up for ya.:Cheers:
You know theres no turning back now?Right?You started down the SPS path.

 

[lightcs4]

I like the idea of a *mixed* reef ... but the SPS is pretty cool. I'm already planning on a birds nest and at least one deep blue acro down the road (I'm not doing well at waiting though). I hope to keep it mainly SPS and LPS. I have a free candy cane coming on Monday from one of the local reefers that took pity on me. I'll have just the one zoanthid rock and one mushroom rock. The rest will be stonies.

 

[yote]

SPS and LPS mix pretty good.But softies tend to mess with the SPS.
As long as the LPS poylps dont touch the SPS,they will do fine.

 

[lightcs4]

Thanks for the tip. I don't plan on adding any more softies.

 

[JAG107]

Good luck if you get a Bird's Nest, mine bleached on me within a month, under x2 250w halides 15k. Had it about 12" below the fixture, and had low levels of trates and 0 phos, just didn't have any luck with it. Your stylophora is very nice, BTW.

 

[yote]

Birdsnest is kinda like xenia.It'll do great in one tank,only to bleach and die in another.
I never had any luck with it either.