Pink Stylo Lighting Requirments

[Stoli]

My Pink Stylo is doing quite well appx. 8" from the surface of the water. It's under a 250W 14K and 2x32W PC Actinics. Unfortunately, my powder blue Mille is encrusting very quickly and is now less than .5 millimeters from the base of the stylo. I'm pretty sure the mille will win the battle and since it is so encrusted, the stylo gets evicted. Will it do ok moved about 8" lower in the tank? The light is still pretty good but not quite as intense or direct.

[ReeferMac]

I have a couple of kinds of Stylo in my tank, and they all seem to like different conditions...

I have a pink (purplish tips) and yellow one (not sure if it's S. pistillata) I got from Keith that does very well 18" underneath my 400W HQI Radium, w/ indirect lighing from the 250W Iwasaki. There's a second piece of slightly different pink stylo I got from a guy in Ohio, that seems to do best 6" above that (yet still doesn't look as good as the piece I got from Keith). I also have a smaller clubbed version (also from Keith, also unsure of species), but attached to some of the closed loop plumbing... get's BLASTED by the other Radium - ~ 9-inches). The one up higher has a smaller 'club' shape to it, but i don't know if that's because it's a different species, or just the environment (strong flow there also).
I've found them all to like good, strong, random currents, regardless of lighting, so if you could find a spot w/ good turbulence down lower, I think the coral will acclimate. Might brown up a little on you though.

- Mac

[Stoli]

The loss of color is what I'm afraid of. I've had terrible luck with Stylo's in the past and I've finally got one that's doing really well. Gonna move it tomorrow morning and shoot some photos to see if I can track the progress.

[ReeferMac]

The only one I'm not getting good color on, is the greenish one floating around (another one I got from Keith, he had a nice tank, before it crashed ;) ). I got to see another piece of that coral recently at Dr. Tango's home, and it was really nice and green (my piece is pretty brown, just a little color at the tips). I think it has to do w/ the intensity of lighitng, as John's is mounted higher in the tank than where I've got it in mine. Likewise, I've noticed similar changes in coloration to some of the other stylo's I've moved around the tank. They certainly aren't a shy coral, when it comes to light, that's for sure.

- Mac

[Playfair]

Stoli, these boundry disputes are bound to happen when you have a reef long enough! Use those new hemos and snip away at the base of the mille to get back some of the realestate it's trespassing on. Every month or two isn't a big deal, and it will forgive you quickly ;)

[Stoli]

Dave:

That was exactly the answer I was hoping for but I didn't want to suggest it. I gather you don't think the mille will mind the trimming?