Lighting for a Pavona Maldivensis???

chuckdallas · 01/07/2011, 01:45 PM

I bought this really nice piece of orangish red Pavona about a week or two ago.

I started it at the bottom of my 120 gallon tank so it could acclimate. I have 22 inches from the top of the water to the sandbed in my 120 gallon DT. I have 1 month old 3 X ATI Aquablue Specials, 2 X Geismann Actinic Pluses and 1 X ATI Blue Plus bulbs HO T5 bulbs sitting 2 inches over the water. After 2-3 days of sitting at/near the sand, I moved it up to about 12 inches below the water. Thinking it was a nice SPS and needing tons of light, I moved it up to the top shelf, where the brown/blue acropora sits and the Maxima Clam. I have a Milwaukee Luxmeter, which tells me I'm getting 1200-1300 PAR right below the fixtures and I'm getting 1100 PAR at the base of the clam. The coral arrived VERY bumby. After 2-3 days of using all 6 bulbs for 6 hours and 1 to 2 hours of all blue on each side of the 6 hour period, my wife said the upper most column was not bumpy and washed out. We have some Meteor Shower Chalice and when I put the frag in the middle of the tank, it went smooth. Since moving it up near the clam, it has responded well, and is growing nicely. It's very bumpy and raised up now. Using this logic, I thought maybe I had used too much light too fast, so I moved it back down to the middle of the tank. According to a 3 year old thread here, 50% of the folks here say it needs as much light as the acropora and the other 50% says it needs to be in a dark spot like a cave. I can't find the right spot, and now I'm starting to get the white spots, as you see in the picture.

Where do I need to put this? If I move it up about 4-8 inches below the T5 fixture, how do I tell that it's too much light? Woudl that be because it loses color or goes flat?

I'm pretty sure the white spots are where it's starting to die, as I've been told by my fellow scuba divers and that it won't grow back there, but if that is true, is it because it needs MORE light or less?

I did another Google search and some other website like RC came up. The guy said he spot fed DT and got to see the polyps for about 5 minutes each night. Since I'm not a member of that website, I couldn't ask him what DT was. To me, it stands for Display Tank.

Please help.

chuckdallas · 01/07/2011, 08:57 PM

Can anyone help?

chilwil84 · 01/07/2011, 10:18 PM

are you getting polyp extension. i wouldnt say a cave but somewhere in the middle of your tank would be more appropriate. i wouldnt expect any major improvements for a couple weeks after all the moving since it is probably stressed out. the white spots will grow back with time just try not to let any algae grow over the spots and it should encrust back over it when it becomes happy.

GQuinn · 01/08/2011, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chilwil84

are you getting polyp extension. i wouldnt say a cave but somewhere in the middle of your tank would be more appropriate. i wouldnt expect any major improvements for a couple weeks after all the moving since it is probably stressed out. the white spots will grow back with time just try not to let any algae grow over the spots and it should encrust back over it when it becomes happy.

I agree with this, but would place it more towards the bottom. I have seen two of these in person in other tanks and both were located towards the bottom and both looked great.

Gary

fmelindy · 01/08/2011, 10:57 AM

I have one and I can tell you that any direct light bleaches it immediatley. I have to place mine in dull indirect light to even maintain it, much less make it happy.

Gary Majchrzak · 01/08/2011, 11:02 AM

orange phase Pavona maldivensis can do well in shaded or direct intense light.

MOST IMPORTANT is proper water parameters and locating this coral in really good water flow.

read this thread

Killershrimp · 01/08/2011, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckdallas

I bought this really nice piece of orangish red Pavona about a week or two ago.

I started it at the bottom of my 120 gallon tank so it could acclimate. I have 22 inches from the top of the water to the sandbed in my 120 gallon DT. I have 1 month old 3 X ATI Aquablue Specials, 2 X Geismann Actinic Pluses and 1 X ATI Blue Plus bulbs HO T5 bulbs sitting 2 inches over the water. After 2-3 days of sitting at/near the sand, I moved it up to about 12 inches below the water. Thinking it was a nice SPS and needing tons of light, I moved it up to the top shelf, where the brown/blue acropora sits and the Maxima Clam. I have a Milwaukee Luxmeter, which tells me I'm getting 1200-1300 PAR right below the fixtures and I'm getting 1100 PAR at the base of the clam. The coral arrived VERY bumby. After 2-3 days of using all 6 bulbs for 6 hours and 1 to 2 hours of all blue on each side of the 6 hour period, my wife said the upper most column was not bumpy and washed out. We have some Meteor Shower Chalice and when I put the frag in the middle of the tank, it went smooth. Since moving it up near the clam, it has responded well, and is growing nicely. It's very bumpy and raised up now. Using this logic, I thought maybe I had used too much light too fast, so I moved it back down to the middle of the tank. According to a 3 year old thread here, 50% of the folks here say it needs as much light as the acropora and the other 50% says it needs to be in a dark spot like a cave. I can't find the right spot, and now I'm starting to get the white spots, as you see in the picture.

Where do I need to put this? If I move it up about 4-8 inches below the T5 fixture, how do I tell that it's too much light? Woudl that be because it loses color or goes flat?

I'm pretty sure the white spots are where it's starting to die, as I've been told by my fellow scuba divers and that it won't grow back there, but if that is true, is it because it needs MORE light or less?

I did another Google search and some other website like RC came up. The guy said he spot fed DT and got to see the polyps for about 5 minutes each night. Since I'm not a member of that website, I couldn't ask him what DT was. To me, it stands for Display Tank.

Please help.

DT's is a brand of phytoplankton

Gary Majchrzak · 01/08/2011, 12:33 PM

phytoplankton is not a good choice to feed Pavona maldivensis-

feed something meatier, if anything at all.

chuckdallas · 01/08/2011, 08:26 PM

So everyone has a different opinion. Do the white spots mean too much light or not enough? Do I need more flow or less? Do I need to feed it more cyclopeeze and mysis or less?

I'm SO CONFUSED!!!!

fmelindy · 01/09/2011, 09:07 AM

Well..... while my opinion is certainly not exclusive, I actually have now in my tank right now and am not just reading threads about it. I can tell you that, at least with my pavona maldivensis, I developed the exact type of bleached spots you're talking about wherever the coral was exposed to direct high intensity light, even at the bottom of the tank, even under T5's. If I didn't keep the whole thing in a shaded, indirectly illuminated area, it would bleach immediately.

As for the controversy, maybe folks are talking about a different species? (or maybe I am?!?! lol) Yours looks exactly like mine, if that helps!

Constantine · 11/14/2018, 09:11 AM

I figured I'd post, since I ran across this looking for info, someone else will too.

I have a Pavona Maldivensis happily growing on my sandbed for two years now. Great color and polyp extension. It's in my 55gal about 20" down, light is 4" above water, and shining through foggy/salty glass tops that I'm sure reduce the PAR. Lights are just 4 t5 54watt.

May particular coral is happy with almost no PAR.

01/07/2011, 08:57 PM	#2
chuckdallas Tank Tinkerer Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida Posts: 937	Can anyone help? __________________ Lots of equipment left over from the 140 gallon tank teardown. Oct 21st was a sad day. Wife said I would have to get a new wife to get a new tank. I'm sure gonna miss the wife. Current Tank Info: No tank, no fish, no coral :(

01/08/2011, 11:02 AM	#6
Gary Majchrzak Team RC Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 41,560	ime orange phase Pavona maldivensis can do well in shaded or direct intense light. MOST IMPORTANT is proper water parameters and locating this coral in really good water flow. read this thread __________________ over 24 years experience with multiple types of marine aquarium systems see Upstate Reef Society Forum on RC and FB GOOGLE JUNIOR'S REEF Current Tank Info: 84x24x30 265g reef past TOTM honors

01/08/2011, 12:33 PM	#8
Gary Majchrzak Team RC Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Rochester, NY Posts: 41,560	phytoplankton is not a good choice to feed Pavona maldivensis- feed something meatier, if anything at all. __________________ over 24 years experience with multiple types of marine aquarium systems see Upstate Reef Society Forum on RC and FB GOOGLE JUNIOR'S REEF Current Tank Info: 84x24x30 265g reef past TOTM honors

01/08/2011, 08:26 PM	#9
chuckdallas Tank Tinkerer Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida Posts: 937	So everyone has a different opinion. Do the white spots mean too much light or not enough? Do I need more flow or less? Do I need to feed it more cyclopeeze and mysis or less? I'm SO CONFUSED!!!! __________________ Lots of equipment left over from the 140 gallon tank teardown. Oct 21st was a sad day. Wife said I would have to get a new wife to get a new tank. I'm sure gonna miss the wife. Current Tank Info: No tank, no fish, no coral :(

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01/07/2011, 10:18 PM	#3
chilwil84 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: down the shore Posts: 780	are you getting polyp extension. i wouldnt say a cave but somewhere in the middle of your tank would be more appropriate. i wouldnt expect any major improvements for a couple weeks after all the moving since it is probably stressed out. the white spots will grow back with time just try not to let any algae grow over the spots and it should encrust back over it when it becomes happy.

01/08/2011, 10:57 AM	#5
fmelindy Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: St. John's, NL, Canada Posts: 116	I have one and I can tell you that any direct light bleaches it immediatley. I have to place mine in dull indirect light to even maintain it, much less make it happy.

01/09/2011, 09:07 AM	#10
fmelindy Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: St. John's, NL, Canada Posts: 116	Well..... while my opinion is certainly not exclusive, I actually have now in my tank right now and am not just reading threads about it. I can tell you that, at least with my pavona maldivensis, I developed the exact type of bleached spots you're talking about wherever the coral was exposed to direct high intensity light, even at the bottom of the tank, even under T5's. If I didn't keep the whole thing in a shaded, indirectly illuminated area, it would bleach immediately. As for the controversy, maybe folks are talking about a different species? (or maybe I am?!?! lol) Yours looks exactly like mine, if that helps!

11/14/2018, 09:11 AM	#11
Constantine Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 128	I figured I'd post, since I ran across this looking for info, someone else will too. I have a Pavona Maldivensis happily growing on my sandbed for two years now. Great color and polyp extension. It's in my 55gal about 20" down, light is 4" above water, and shining through foggy/salty glass tops that I'm sure reduce the PAR. Lights are just 4 t5 54watt. May particular coral is happy with almost no PAR.