Acans.... no matter what I do, ZERO success...

[CanuckReefer]

4th try of a healthy looking specimen in last 2 years, and they pretty much instantly melt. Duncan, Shrooms, Nem, Monti, Favia...EVERYTHING else just fine and growing gradually.

Params
Nitrate consistently 10-15
Phos .02 to undetectable
Cal 450
Alk 12- 12.5 ( ya high)
Salinity 1.025
Mag 1400

I do have two pygmy angels Coral Beauty and Eibli, but never see them picking at them, or anything else unless it's at tank dark? I locate them at tank bottom to start, and poof disintegration within days...

Is it the high Alk? Something else? Needless to say I think this is my last attempt. My tank is evidently the devil for Acans...
This one purchased Friday, and looks essentially like this within hours of dropping in. Is it dead? Certainly not happy.

 

[PeterC99]

Why is your Alk 12?

 

[Fernthereefer]

What other corals are you successfully keeping? Just to get a sense. Acans can usually adapt well to our aquarium conditions, except maybe too high PAR.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Why is your Alk 12?

I'm on Reef Crystals, very high in Alk ( also Mag) but not sure if this is a recent thing with their formula or not. Thinking of switching off to another salt possibly...

 

[Zoa_Fanatic]

4th try of a healthy looking specimen in last 2 years, and they pretty much instantly melt. Duncan, Shrooms, Nem, Monti, Favia...EVERYTHING else just fine and growing gradually.

Params
Nitrate consistently 10-15
Phos .02 to undetectable
Cal 450
Alk 12- 12.5 ( ya high)
Salinity 1.025
Mag 1400

I do have two pygmy angels Coral Beauty and Eibli, but never see them picking at them, or anything else unless it's at tank dark? I locate them at tank bottom to start, and poof disintegration within days...

Is it the high Alk? Something else? Needless to say I think this is my last attempt. My tank is evidently the devil for Acans...
This one purchased Friday, and looks essentially like this within hours of dropping in. Is it dead? Certainly not happy.

What’s your pH? That will cause LPS to get super mad if it’s different that prior tank

 

[EakTheFreak]

Do you by chance have peppermint shrimp? Unfortunately, back when I had a few before catching them I caught them eating healthy scans on video footage. Who knows if I may have gotten a knock off peppermint shrimp but just curious.

 

[CanuckReefer]

What other corals are you successfully keeping? Just to get a sense. Acans can usually adapt well to our aquarium conditions, except maybe too high PAR.

Thanks for response.....Duncan, has grown exponentially last two years, Monti ( slow grower but ok), Kenya Tree, Xenia are both doing well, several different Mushroom species growing well, Leather which has split to two heads but can sulk at times. Newer Favia adjusting well, Two Candy Canes doing well....

 

[CanuckReefer]

What’s your pH? That will cause LPS to get super mad if it’s different that prior tank

Was between 8-8.4 in old tank...haven't checked the new one with new sand since move... could be? Should check it....But the 3 other attempts in old setup were same just melted away sadly.

 

[jx.reef]

My money is on the dwarf angels. I’ve had acans survive in a 2 gallon holding tank with only a korallia for a few days without issues. Plus your other corals seem fine.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Do you by chance have peppermint shrimp? Unfortunately, back when I had a few before catching them I caught them eating healthy scans on video footage. Who knows if I may have gotten a knock off peppermint shrimp but just curious.

No peppermint. Coral banded yes. That's interesting!!!

 

[Fernthereefer]

Thanks for response.....Duncan, has grown exponentially last two years, Monti ( slow grower but ok), Kenya Tree, Xenia are both doing well, several different Mushroom species growing well, Leather which has split to two heads but can sulk at times. Newer Favia adjusting well, Two Candy Canes doing well....

I agree with the possible fish nipping. To avoid dynos, phosphate should be a little higher than 0. pH: aim for 8.0-8.4.

 

[EakTheFreak]

No peppermint. Coral banded yes. That's interesting!!!

Do you direct feed your Acans?

 

[CanuckReefer]

I agree with the possible fish nipping. To avoid dynos, phosphate should be a little higher than 0. pH: aim for 8.0-8.4.

My money is on the dwarf angels. I’ve had acans survive in a 2 gallon holding tank with only a korallia for a few days without issues. Plus your other corals seem fine.

Ya, I'm thinking one or both must have a taste for Acan when I'm not looking,
Phos is up every once in awhile, at .02 , but could stand a bit higher.

 

[CanuckReefer]

Do you direct feed your Acans?

I would if I had the chance lol....literally disintegrate in days...

 

[ApoIsland]

4th try of a healthy looking specimen in last 2 years, and they pretty much instantly melt. Duncan, Shrooms, Nem, Monti, Favia...EVERYTHING else just fine and growing gradually.

Params
Nitrate consistently 10-15
Phos .02 to undetectable
Cal 450
Alk 12- 12.5 ( ya high)
Salinity 1.025
Mag 1400

I do have two pygmy angels Coral Beauty and Eibli, but never see them picking at them, or anything else unless it's at tank dark? I locate them at tank bottom to start, and poof disintegration within days...

Is it the high Alk? Something else? Needless to say I think this is my last attempt. My tank is evidently the devil for Acans...
This one purchased Friday, and looks essentially like this within hours of dropping in. Is it dead? Certainly not happy.

If the losses are continually within days I would imagine something is eating them. You can easily test this by getting another one and leaving it in a bucket with an airstone, heater, and cheap led light. Should be able to survive weeks/months like that and the setup costs less than $50. If it melts within days in that bucket then you have a problem with your water. If it lives then obviously it's something in the tank killing them.

 

[jx.reef]

Looking at the picture more closely … sure looks like those acans were eaten. If it actually melted away within a few hours, the remains wouldn’t look so “clean”

 

[CanuckReefer]

If the losses are continually within days I would imagine something is eating them. You can easily test this by getting another one and leaving it in a bucket with an airstone, heater, and cheap led light. Should be able to survive weeks/months like that and the setup costs less than $50. If it melts within days in that bucket then you have a problem with your water. If it lives then obviously it's something in the tank killing them.

I quite like this idea! Excellent... going to try it.

 

[MONTANTK]

I had this same issue and once I raised my nutrients I had a lot of success. My nitrates are current 35ppm and Phosphate is .12

 

[CanuckReefer]

Looking at the picture more closely … sure looks like those acans were eaten. If it actually melted away within a few hours, the remains wouldn’t look so “clean”

Those blasted Angels lol! Theif's in the night....ugh. The roll of the dice may have come back to bite me after all these years.

 

[RiptideAquaculture]

Yeah, I'm willing to put money on the angles are picking.