LPS 'polyp' extension

[bleedingthought]

So, I'm starting to notice that some of my corals haven't been as open sometimes. I just realized that the green fungia that I bought, which was really puffy during the day and with long tentacles out, isn't doing that anymore. I've only had it for a week. I thought maybe it just wasn't doing as good, but at night it's still like that (puffy and 'tentacly'). I've always wondered why my orange fungia was so bare during the day (very short tentacles) and at night it was puffy and looked happier. I've seen some fungia that the tentacles are crazy long! :?

So, I'm wondering that since some of LPS are much more "open" at night, if I have fish that is nipping at them still. I figured it can't be anything else because it would still bother them, but the fish are sleeping while these corals seem to be at their peak! I have green chromis, a bicolor blenny, clowns, a striped pseudo, a sailfin tang, a firefish, and a mandarin in there. Not really sure if any of them would be responsible (and I haven't noticed it either).

Any thoughts?

 

[Len]

This is normal for most LPS ... at least for me. My fungias are not very inflated during the day, but they swell huge at night. I find that if I feed more during the day, they open up more (SPS and LPS alike). Corals might not extend during the day because they are getting enough nutrition through other mechanisms or because there simply isn't anything for them to catch during the day (which is probably why feeding fish often during the day coerces the corals to extend more during the day). I don't think any of your fish are responsible

 

[bleedingthought]

Thing is, the new fungia (green one) was really open in the tank for the whole first week. Also, like I said, I've seen fungia that stay really, really puffy and have really long tentacles all the time in some other people's tanks. Why's that?

 

[ChrisRD]

What Len said. I'm assuming you've checked basic water parameters and all is well?

Have you recently upped (or changed) your circulation or changed out your lamps? IME many LPS corals show less polyp extension under brighter lighting and/or stronger flow conditions.

 

[Len]

Try feeding the corals during the day. It should condition the coral to extend its polyps.

 

[bleedingthought]

I just walked in and saw my bicolor blenny hovering over the plate and he seemed to take a bite of it and then scurried away when he saw me. :?

Could he be the culprit? He'd be the hardest fish of the bunch to catch, probably... I could attempt that and banish him to the fuge.

What do you guys think?