Button Polyps aren't opening.

My roommate has a 3 Gallon Eclipse nano tank with a small button polyp colony on it. For the last couple weeks, less and less of the polyps are opening, and now only about 5% of the total polyps will open. His Ammonia is 0, Nitrite is 0, Nitrate is 40, Salinity 1.023. I'm going to test his phosphate and calcium levels. The tank is established, but I fear the fact that he has only 6w of light isn't enough. Should I transfer it to my 12 Gallon Nano that has 50w of lighting?

 

yes 6 watts is not enough light and it would be good if you drop that nitrate level aswell in the tank if you plan on keeping them in there. are there anymore corals in there

 

6W is 6W..even over really small tanks I don't think that's enough lighting..I think that once you get below a certain gallonage (think i just made that word up) the watts/gallon "rule" no longer works..Could be something else though!

Ivan

 

yea you will always need a certain wattage to grow corals and 6 watts wont be enough no matter how big the tank

 

That's what I thought. He was adament about getting it, and now I'll gladly take it off his hands as a favor to him .

 

The coral or the light? lol

 

im pretty sure hes talking about the coral haha but itd be funny if he was talking about the light

 

LOL, I was talking about the coral. Definitely don't want the light or the tank.

 

6W of what kind of light? 6W of PC doesn't equal 6W of T5 which doesn't equal 6W of MH....

 

6w of T5.