how to tell if you have adequate or not enough Lighting/flow

Hi Gang, I just purchased my first frags over the weekend (mushroom, yellow and sunrise polyp). My question is, what are the signs of adequate/inadequate lighting & water flow. I figure if there was to much lighting the corals would bleach but not sure about anything else. the yellow polyp started to open up today so that is a good sign. The sunrise polyp opened up the first day it came home however it looked like some cleaner shrimp was picking around it and hasn't opened up since..(it looks like it starts to open but doesn't). I am more worried about the water flow then the lighting and I just want to make sure I am doing more good then harm.

 

Mushrooms like lower flow and zoas seem to prefer medium to high flow. Mushrooms generally like lower light and zoas low to moderate.

 

I understand that. I guess I wasnt clear with my question. What are signs that that there may be to much / not enough lighting/water flow? For example, if there is to much flow the coral may not "open" up. Or if there is to much light then the coral will "bleached".

 

If you don't have enough light the mushrooms will start to look like a "cup" lifting from the rock when instead they should naturally lay flat and wide open against the rock. If the mushrooms have too much flow they won't open up all the way and look kind of shriveled a little. If the mushrooms are opening wide and laying flat then they are happy.

If the polyps don't have enough light they will stretch out towards the light and look like they have a really long "neck". When it comes to these polyps you can't really have too high or too low flow in my opinion. I've had some in really high flow, like pretty much getting blasted by the powerhead and they were still happy (after they got use to it) and I've had some in really low flow. So, they will be fine in any flow once they get use to your tank.

 

What size tank, what kind of lights and how much flow do you have?

Michael Rice
Marine Engineers Aquarium Blog
Sent from Tapatalk so excuse my poor English

 

Thanks Holly for the advice! Mike I have a 125 gal rr DT. It has 2 Korilia's 1400s, 2 Koralia's 425, 1 MJ 1200, and my Aquarunner 2500 return pump.

 

Are these the sunrise polyps you mentioned?

Saltwater Aquarium Corals for Marine Reef Aquariums: Colony Polyp, Yellow

If so, if the lighting is insufficient they turn a more brown color. It's really hard to not have sufficient lighting for these in the typical system with newer lighting fixtures.

Mushrooms will extend to reach the light with too little light, again hard to not provide enough light for these as well. Too much light and they will detach to find areas of lower lighting.

The shrimp is probably just picking at the micro algae/sponges found on the newer pieces.

Once sun polyps get acclimated their population can explode. It's a coral that will sting neighboring corals so you may want to watch for expansion to area of more less aggressive soft corals.

 

Thanks Coraline! I have a frag that looks like that and this: Saltwater Aquarium Corals for Marine Reef Aquariums: Colony Polyp, Sunrise Supernova, Zoanthus sp.

I agree with you statement that they can sting and will keep an eye out for it..

Thanks again for the info everyone!

 

Oh those are very nice.