Help with Pavona (reposted from SPS)

hlcroghan

hlcroghan

Active Member
Thought maybe I might get more responses here
I purchased a flourescent green pavona about a month ago from my LFS. It was fully extended and fuzzy looking. I did some research and everything I read said that they were medium light and high flow corals. I have this coral mid level in my 29 gallon with T5HO lighting, bulbs are older, with a powerhead aimed pretty much right toward it. I am seeing extension in those places but its starting to show some of its skeleton t the tips. I am not sure what is going on with it because the LFS had it under PC lighting with medium flow and it was fine. I even asked and the owner thought it would do even better with a bit more light. I am feeding coral food 3x a week., once a week water changes, and everything else is thriving. My calcium levels are good. Everything is at 0 level, although my nitrates have been higher. I do water changes often because of that. As far as those are concerned, idk why. I do everything I should to get them down but they have always been that way......any advice on how to help get this coral to perk up again?
Thanks for any advice
Holly
 
1guydude

1guydude

Well-Known Member
take the direct flow off it! Not many coral can put up with a constant flow right at em....this is a LPS correct?
U can actually push the skin down to the skeleton and cause the skeleton to go through the skin! I know ive done it.....stupid candy canes....
recently i had to move some powerheads on a tank because my brain was showing signs of to much flow....the skeleton was becoming visible at night when it bunched up or extended its tentacles!
just gots to play around with it! U want ur flow to be turbulent and random....not so much a stream or jet!
just my .02
 
hlcroghan

hlcroghan

Active Member
No, a pavona is an SPS. They need strong flow. In fact the place that the coral is doing the best is where the flow hits it. It isn't like an inch from it or anything but it receives quite a bit. It was doing worse until I moved into better flow. The biggest difference about pavonas is that unlike most SPS they only require medium light. I actually think it might be getting too much but I don't know. My lighting isn't super strong or anything. I have two bubble tips (my original one split) that do very well. It can't need less light than them, can it??
 
tangs rule

tangs rule

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by hlcroghan http:///forum/thread/387237/help-with-pavona-reposted-from-sps#post_3405702
Thought maybe I might get more responses here
I purchased a flourescent green pavona about a month ago from my LFS. It was fully extended and fuzzy looking. I did some research and everything I read said that they were medium light and high flow corals. I have this coral mid level in my 29 gallon with T5HO lighting, bulbs are older, with a powerhead aimed pretty much right toward it. I am seeing extension in those places but its starting to show some of its skeleton t the tips. I am not sure what is going on with it because the LFS had it under PC lighting with medium flow and it was fine. I even asked and the owner thought it would do even better with a bit more light. I am feeding coral food 3x a week., once a week water changes, and everything else is thriving. My calcium levels are good. Everything is at 0 level, although my nitrates have been higher. I do water changes often because of that. As far as those are concerned, idk why. I do everything I should to get them down but they have always been that way......any advice on how to help get this coral to perk up again?
Thanks for any advice
Holly
(from your underlined quotes)
1. Older bulbs could be part of the problem - older bulbs loose output & red-shift with age.
2. Yes - but how long had it been there under that lighting/in those parameters?
3. Yes - it would likely do better under more light.
For either the Pavona explanulata, or P. maldivensis - I'd keep the Ca @ 450, dKH @ 10-12, and ensure your light is good enough for them - even supplement your existing lighting with a cheep single bulb 55wPC hood and see if it helps for a time.....Also constant direct flow may not be the best - the pavonas kinda prefer that "pulsing" or "intermittent" high flow that a wavemaker, sweeping powerhead, or higher $$ programmable powerhead can provide.
Post a pic anyway - I'd be curious the species you have
 
1guydude

1guydude

Well-Known Member
is a pavona kinda the bushy acro! If so ive got a couple of em! turbulent is more better than the direct flow imo! LOL
 
tangs rule

tangs rule

Active Member
There are almost a dozen Pavona species - and many of them tottally don't look like they'd be relatives at all ! ! ! They are somewhat related to acropora - but share MOST of the same water/light/flow parameters as acro.
ie - Pavona cactus:

Pavona decussata:

Pavona clavus:

And some more Pavona species [explanulata & varians] - which are plating/encrusting corals that looks nothing like the ones above !! !! - they look like more like montiporas - or an LPS
P. varians:

I've always thought when they discover a new sps coral and have absolutly no idea WTF family it really belongs to, it winds up in the pavona sp.. However MOST of the corals in this genus REQUIRE high to very high lighting, and strong/intermittent flow - as they come from shallow waters....The plating/encrusting types do come from deeper waters, making them "moderate" to high light.
It depends which species the OP has, and that'll determine if he has enough light/correct flow.
 
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