Increasing light, stems still growing

[Torvik9]

I recently got this red zoa (paly?) four months ago and it didn't have stems on the polyps. It's my first coral, and I have it in a JBJ 5 gallon with an AI prime - I mounted it 8" above the water line. Initially, I was worried the light would be too strong, so I started with pretty low settings - blues in the 30s. Over time, I've gradually increased the lighting to: blues around 80, whites at 10, and red/greens at 0, with a max photo period of 3 hours and a 2.5 hour ramp. I recently moved it to a higher spot in the tank, but I haven't seen an immediate difference.

My water params are all in range, except for nitrates, which are a bit high at 20-40, so I've been doing more frequent water changes. The coral sits under a koralia 240 and gets light to medium flow - it sways gently, like in a soft breeze.

Is my max photo period too short? I'm thinking of trying 4 hours with a 2 hour ramp. Any other ideas would be appreciated.

[angler_lee]

I think you're on the right track by gradually increasing the lighting and moving the coral to a higher location. Give it some more time to adjust to the new settings - it's possible it just needs a bit longer to get comfortable.

In my experience, when I've encountered the long neck issue with corals, it's often been due to them wanting more light. Take it slow and try to find that sweet spot without rushing the process - it's better to be patient and see how it responds.

[flintek]

Consider increasing your total lighting duration as well, if you're currently at 8 hours. Just make sure to limit changes to 1-2 small adjustments per week.

[ravelo]

I think your ramp period is way too long, 1.5 hours is even a bit much. The polyps aren't getting much light as it is, so I'd try shortening that ramp period gradually - that's probably why they're still stretching.

[Torvik9]

Thanks for the advice, I'll start by shortening the ramp time and see how that goes.

[oceanix_10]

Most of the time when zoas/palys stretch, it's due to low lighting or low flow. Flow's usually the easier issue to identify. If the polyps are fully open, it's often a sign that flow is too low. I'd recommend increasing flow first - you'd be surprised how much they actually need.

[Aurora7]

Agree on flow being a possible issue, if it's not the lighting.

[Torvik9]

I'll try to find a spot with better flow for my zoa, and in the meantime, I'll continue to gradually increase the light, see if that makes a difference.

[oceanix_10]

I'd focus on one thing at a time, try adjusting the flow first since that's what most people think is the issue with zoas/palys stretching. Do the flow thing, see what happens, then you can mess with the light if it doesn't work out.

[Aurora7]

Most of the time when zoas/palys stretch, it's due to low lighting or low flow. Flow's usually the easier issue to identify. If the polyps are fully open, it's often a sign that flow is too low. I'd recommend increasing flow first - you'd be surprised how much they actually need.

Thanks for the advice, I'll focus on one thing at a time.