Clove polyp problem

[renogaw]

I got some clove polyps from reefforbrains back when he was starting the frag contest. the mother colony has been growing very nicely since then, and the frag has also.
now all of a sudden the cloves are looking poor--not opening all the way, and their skeleton is looking bad.
Here's my thoughts:
I have a ricordia up above the clove polyp colony, but it's been there the whole time.
I have a frogspawn below the frag, but it's been there a while.
my alkalinity was down WAY low (near 6.7, i'm seriously disappointed with reef crystals) and i've raised it back up to around 10 (slowly)
i've been out of phyto (brewing as we speak though) so i've not been able to add any for about a week. but i still get the algae on the glass that i scrape off every other day.
any thing i should look at other than what is posted?

 

[saltn00b]

my original colony from the same mother colony as yours is in two different places on my tank. the high up ones in a high flow area near some SPS are maybe 3/4 extended and seem to not appreciate the high flow. seen only minimal growth.
then the other half i have near the sand bed on a rock wall (not even directly lit) in lower flow and they are growing and spreading. however they dont have the skeletons / stalks like they came with. they are instead growing on a webbing like zoanthids creeping across the rock and just now about to battle with my eagle eyes on the same "wall"

 

[nycbob]

i hv mine under high light and flow. it is spreading like mad. will probably hv to trim it soon since it is starting to block light to my sps.

 

[earlybird]

Sorry to hijack reno.
Originally Posted by nycbob
i hv mine under high light and flow. it is spreading like mad. will probably hv to trim it soon since it is starting to block light to my sps.
Bob if you frag let me know I may be interested.

 

[renogaw]

it was always in high flow and medium light, and was growing nice. I guess the only other difference is maybe it hasn't grown as nice since i changed my tank? and yes, my skeleton looks more like a mat now that i think of it.

 

[renogaw]

anyone else?

 

[earlybird]

Can we get a picture?
So do you think that the skeleton has changed. How is it's encrusting mat changed. I kinda understand that it seems like a hard coral but grows like a zoa or gsp? Is that correct?
Side bar about -- salt. I've got a very high alk reading and my cal is at 400. I use it also. Is it this different from batch to batch? I'm almost done with my bucket and have only used oceanic and --. Just trying to decide if I should switch it up. I dunno.

 

[saltn00b]

here are my cloves in july in bottom of the tank, less flow. they have almost now crusty sheathing discernable.

october -