What Lighting/Flow Does Orange Digitata LIke?

[jonboyb]

Got a nice frag of this a few weeks ago. Put it down low in the tank and had full polyp extension very quickly. Been gradually moving it up top for the past couple of weeks and it didn't react well. Far less extension and fewer visable polyps. Now that it's lower again, all is well.

I thought orange digi loved intense light and high flow. Is that wrong? I have 150w MH and 64w Actinics on a 28 cube.

 

[skriz]

I blast my digi's with 400watts...at the top of the tank. They also get pounded by tunzes.

Your's might just need a little time to get used to the flow/light.

 

[etoh_is_good]

what are you water parameters?

 

[jonboyb]

<span style="font-family: Arial">SG - 1.025</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial">pH - 8.4</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial">Dkh - 9+</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial">Alk - 3-3.5 (hard to read my color card)</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial">Ammonia - 0</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial">Nitrite - 0</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial">Nitrate - 5</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial">CA - 430+</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial">Mag - 1400'ish</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial">Po - 0</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial">temp - 79</span>

<span style="font-family: Arial">Rock steady for 5+ months.</span>

 

[etoh_is_good]

good numbers.

how long did you wait before moving them lower?

 

[jonboyb]

I kept it down low for maybe 2 weeks after I got it. It stayed up higher for about a week. I noticed less/fewer polyp extension almost immediately but thought it might just need time. The bright white tips started to get a little "dingy" looking and I snatched it back down. Been lower for a week again and the polyps have rebounded. Still not bright white on the skeleton tips though like when I got it:sad:

 

[etoh_is_good]

i'm stumped.

 

[jonboyb]

Now that I think a little more, I did have it within a few inches of a mature pocillipora but kinda downstream of the pocillipora as far as flow goes. Maybe it didn't like the chemical vibes from the pocillipora (those are quite aggressive aren't they)

 

[jason sartain]

1+ We have a orange,purple,and green and we blast them also and they love it

Skriz;254973 wrote: I blast my digi's with 400watts...at the top of the tank. They also get pounded by tunzes.

Your's might just need a little time to get used to the flow/light.

 

[derek_s]

Well, if it is doing well near teh bottom, maybe just leave it? Then you can put a more light intensive coral higher up.

Otherwise I'd say just give it more time in the higher spot. It should adjust