SPS Polyp Extension

[Baldy]

I am quite new to SPS. the 2 frags i have now are surviving which is more than i can say for the other 3 SPS frags ive tried. My question is regarding polyp extension. i have noticed the last 2 days or so that the birdsnest and digi that i have arent quite extended as much as they were the first 2 weeks i had them. This could very well be my imagination and me staring at my tank to much and thinking i see things that arent there.

do SPS act like LPS and softies? do they retract sometimes like at night, or after a change in flow? ive noticed that when bumped by snails or something they retract as expected, but i was just wondering what others experience. are yours extended fully most of the time?

[axe_man16]

Mine are out most of the time. Although if i use my baster to clean things they retract, but right after they start coming out again and extend even further to grab the stuff i blow off

[daniella3d]

It's bad sign, it's a sign that they are not comfortable. Mine have very good polyp extension all day long, all night long. At night there is even more polyps out, those at the tip as fully out at night.

Post your water parameters. Also you might want to check your tank for copper. YOu can use polyfilter just to make sure you don't have anything nasty.

How strong is your flow? if it is too strong it might as well affect the extension.

But first you should post all your parameters, salinity mesured with a good refractometer, alkalinity, calcium, mag, nitrates, phosphates etc.

Also what type of light are you using and what acclimatation did you do for the light?

[Baldy]

im pretty sure it was just my imagination. looking at them now they look fully extended. as fully as theyve ever been in my tank anyways. 1.025sg, 0 nitrates, 0.03 phos, 8 alk, 430 calc, 1300 mg, 7.8-8.0 ph, 79C temp. i have a DIY LED light that i dim to 50% of my current setting and ramp back up over a week after adding the corals.