SPS out of water?

fattyratrat · 03/27/2008, 09:43 PM

When I feed my tank, i turn off all of the pumps, including the return from my fuge. This drains about an inch of water out of the display, and i feed for no more than once a week and for no longer than 30 minutes at a time. I have SPS frags(eventually colonies) sitting so close to the surface that they get out of water during feeding time.
Is this bad for them?
Some people may see this and think, wow what an idiot, corals cant leave water without getting stressed out.. but I am asking because i have read an article (I think in TFH) that was about how soft corals in certain reefs can be exposed for days at a time and be fine. I was wondering if anyone knows about this as it pertains to SPS...

thanks, any help would be greatly appreciated (hopefully not appreciated by my corals)

seapug · 03/27/2008, 09:46 PM

Occasional brief periods of exposure to air won't hurt most SPS corals.

Salamander · 03/27/2008, 09:57 PM

If you have an overflow (I assume you do) I'm wondering why your water level would drop like that unless you don't have well placed (or clogged) siphon breaks on your return.

But....IME many SPS can do OK out of water for a spell. You see those pics of wide expanses of Acos exposed at low tide. Grant it this is not a regular daily tide but an occasional occurrence that they can withstand.

I was fragging some sps and I think a poccilopora frag got lost. 4-5 hours later I found it all dry and lint covered while vacuuming the carpet. After 15 mins in back in the tank its polyps were out. It lived.

So long story short. Sure they can be out occasionally. Might not be the best all the time but they should survive. My advice would be to turn off hot halides etc that could cook 'em.

BLKTANG · 03/27/2008, 09:59 PM

To answer your question,your corals will be fine.Naturally on a reef they sit in the tropical sun exposed @ low tide.

fattyratrat · 03/27/2008, 10:09 PM

awesome.. thanks guys..

I have a syphon stop plug that is pretty much right at the water line in the tank, and it bubbles air into the pump tube for a few seconds before stopping the syphon. I guess i should make it bigger, or maybe make another?

thanks again.

seapug · 03/27/2008, 10:12 PM

I do my water changes by shutting off the return and pumping the water out of the sump. This causes the water level in the display to drop a couple inches and leaves the tips of some of my acros exposed. No harm as ever come from it.

Salamander · 03/27/2008, 10:31 PM

I don' think the water level should really drop below the bottom edge of the teeth on your overflow if the siphon break is working correctly. I don't think I'd go making them bigger yet. Mine got clogged with salt creep and the water would drop a little low and put more water into the sump than it should have. Almost had an overflow before I cleaned out the holes.

When working like it should, I could even drain my sump (after the return is shut off) and no extra water would flow out of the display.

camlov2 · 03/27/2008, 11:26 PM

I would guess that these frags are not permanently attached? Obviously as they grow you would most likely need to move them down so they don't reach the surface. If you have room you could also plan ahead and do that now, then the whole post would be a non-issue.

03/27/2008, 09:43 PM	#1
fattyratrat Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 278	SPS out of water? When I feed my tank, i turn off all of the pumps, including the return from my fuge. This drains about an inch of water out of the display, and i feed for no more than once a week and for no longer than 30 minutes at a time. I have SPS frags(eventually colonies) sitting so close to the surface that they get out of water during feeding time. Is this bad for them? Some people may see this and think, wow what an idiot, corals cant leave water without getting stressed out.. but I am asking because i have read an article (I think in TFH) that was about how soft corals in certain reefs can be exposed for days at a time and be fine. I was wondering if anyone knows about this as it pertains to SPS... thanks, any help would be greatly appreciated (hopefully not appreciated by my corals)

03/27/2008, 09:46 PM	#2
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	Occasional brief periods of exposure to air won't hurt most SPS corals. __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

03/27/2008, 09:57 PM	#3
Salamander Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Flagstaff, Arizona Posts: 2,103	If you have an overflow (I assume you do) I'm wondering why your water level would drop like that unless you don't have well placed (or clogged) siphon breaks on your return. But....IME many SPS can do OK out of water for a spell. You see those pics of wide expanses of Acos exposed at low tide. Grant it this is not a regular daily tide but an occasional occurrence that they can withstand. I was fragging some sps and I think a poccilopora frag got lost. 4-5 hours later I found it all dry and lint covered while vacuuming the carpet. After 15 mins in back in the tank its polyps were out. It lived. So long story short. Sure they can be out occasionally. Might not be the best all the time but they should survive. My advice would be to turn off hot halides etc that could cook 'em. __________________ I feel more like myself now than I did before. Current Tank Info: 120g mixed reef, 2 x 250W DE MH, 2 x 54w T5, MSX 200 SKimmer, 2 Koralia 4's, 40g fuge/sump, QT

03/27/2008, 09:59 PM	#4
BLKTANG Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Never,Never Land Posts: 7,061	To answer your question,your corals will be fine.Naturally on a reef they sit in the tropical sun exposed @ low tide. __________________ We the few have done so much,for so long,for so little.That we are now qualified to do anything with nothing. ____________________________________________________________________________ Current Tank Info: RR 90 Maganvore sump,250w Hamilton fixture,VorTec's ASM skimmer.

03/27/2008, 10:12 PM	#6
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	I do my water changes by shutting off the return and pumping the water out of the sump. This causes the water level in the display to drop a couple inches and leaves the tips of some of my acros exposed. No harm as ever come from it. __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

03/27/2008, 10:09 PM	#5
fattyratrat Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 278	awesome.. thanks guys.. I have a syphon stop plug that is pretty much right at the water line in the tank, and it bubbles air into the pump tube for a few seconds before stopping the syphon. I guess i should make it bigger, or maybe make another? thanks again.

03/27/2008, 10:31 PM	#7
Salamander Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Flagstaff, Arizona Posts: 2,103	I don' think the water level should really drop below the bottom edge of the teeth on your overflow if the siphon break is working correctly. I don't think I'd go making them bigger yet. Mine got clogged with salt creep and the water would drop a little low and put more water into the sump than it should have. Almost had an overflow before I cleaned out the holes. When working like it should, I could even drain my sump (after the return is shut off) and no extra water would flow out of the display. __________________ I feel more like myself now than I did before. Current Tank Info: 120g mixed reef, 2 x 250W DE MH, 2 x 54w T5, MSX 200 SKimmer, 2 Koralia 4's, 40g fuge/sump, QT

03/27/2008, 11:26 PM	#8
camlov2 Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Northern California Posts: 551	I would guess that these frags are not permanently attached? Obviously as they grow you would most likely need to move them down so they don't reach the surface. If you have room you could also plan ahead and do that now, then the whole post would be a non-issue. __________________ "can I pet him?" Brian Current Tank Info: none