Acro Help - Please

dwilliams87 · Sep 19, 2013

I am at a crossroads here where I am just about ready to say I can't keep an acro. I have read and read and I don't know what else to do. I have 2 different tanks, can't keep them in either tank. My 20g has a 10g sump and a CPR refugium w/ built in protein skimmer and total of 40lbs live rock, mp10, 3 fish no nippers. Total of about 26g of water. My 40g has a 29g sump/refugium with a PS rated for 75g, 70lbs live rock, mp10, 1 fish. I have a wp25 on the way to add to the 40. Both run GFO. The 20 has been running for 1 year 7 months. The 40 for 7 months. Both tanks have DIY led fixtures which i have set par using a par meter at about 380-400 at top of rocks and 150 at sandbed. I can keep every other kind of coral successfully. These are my parameters for both tanks.

Temp 79
pH 8.3
Alk 8.5
Ca 420
Mg 1350
Nitrates 5
po3 .03
Salinity 1.026 w/Ato's

Every acro starts out looking great for 2-3 weeks and then slowly starts turning white from the tip and slowly looses tissue down to the base. I dose BRS 2 part in both tanks to keep Alk steady. Don't need Ca yet as it does not drop. I dose 5ml in 20 and 10ml in 40. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Tahoe61 · Sep 19, 2013

You might want to maintain a higher alk value and observe for swings.
Are you acclimating the corals to your lighting for a few weeks?

dwilliams87 · Sep 19, 2013

I have tried acclimating them and I have tried putting them directly where I want them. Neither has worked well for me. I used to keep my Alk at 9-9.5 but someone suggested trying lower. Any changes I make, I try to make extremely slow. For instance if I was to raise my alk to 9.5, I would go no faster than .05 raise a day. Which is probably too safe, No?

GHill762 · Sep 19, 2013

My tank's an unexplainable acro graveyard too

The last two I added to the tank rtn'd all the way down to a couple polyps each, they're now coming back strong though so I have high hopes for them..

dwilliams87 · Sep 19, 2013

GHill762 said:
My tank's an unexplainable acro graveyard too

The last two I added to the tank rtn'd all the way down to a couple polyps each, they're now coming back strong though so I have high hopes for them..

The one I have in the 40 right now is a red planet and it is down to maybe a half inch of tissue with no polyps out. It was beautiful 2 weeks ago. It had got the green tint below the red before it started going south and had full PE. Its just so frustrating.

Tahoe61 · Sep 19, 2013

dwilliams87 said:
The one I have in the 40 right now is a red planet and it is down to maybe a half inch of tissue with no polyps out. It was beautiful 2 weeks ago. It had got the green tint below the red before it started going south and had full PE. Its just so frustrating.

Wow dang that is strange. Maybe thinking about removing the GFO from one system if you are not dealing with algae issues, raise the alk up on that system.
What about simple sps like Monitpora or BN? Are you using a refractometer to measure the SG? What salt mix are you using? Since you are having the identical problems with both tanks I would make one change at a time to one tank, eventually you should be able to figure the variable that needs addressing.

GHill762 · Sep 19, 2013

Tahoe61 said:
Wow dang that is strange. Maybe thinking about removing the GFO from one system if you are not dealing with algae issues, raise the alk up on that system.
What about simple sps like Monitpora or BN? Are you using a refractometer to measure the SG? What salt mix are you using? Since you are having the identical problems with both tanks I would make one change at a time to one tank, eventually you should be able to figure the variable that needs addressing.

Can't comment for the op but I've had no problem keeping other sps.. Have 5 or 6 different Monti's and 2 different birdsnests..

And like the op, I have full pe up until it rtn's

dwilliams87 · Sep 19, 2013

GHill762 said:
Can't comment for the op but I've had no problem keeping other sps.. Have 5 or 6 different Monti's and 2 different birdsnests..

And like the op, I have full pe up until it rtn's

Same here, no problem with birds nest and montis. Using refractometer calibrated with 35ppt solution and reef crystals. Tried Salinity by aqua vitro with no avail.

ritter6788 · Sep 19, 2013

Are you able to keep other sps?

I would cut out all dosing until it is needed. Alk and Calcium won't be consumed until the sps start growing. If you're dosing and it's not needed you can get precipitation and it can cause problems with sps while not affecting other corals. Keep up with your water changes and test often for alk. Once it starts to drop and your sps are growing you can start dosing slowly with a low dose and test often to figure out your range. Don't worry about dosing until you start getting some growth out of those sps. I would also pull the GFO offline and see if it helps.

Edit: missed your post above. Are your other sps growing?

p woodard · Sep 19, 2013

I use salinity salt and I run my alk at about 10 ca 500 and mg 1500 yes I know it is on the high side but it is working for me and you got the red planet from me I just thought I would past this on to you we will talk more about it more Sun at the meeting

bct15 · Sep 19, 2013

Don't raise your alk any, that is a good number for acros. Typically stn from the base down is from high alk + low nutrients or alk swings. How often do you dose alk?

dwilliams87 · Sep 19, 2013

ritter6788 said:
Are you able to keep other sps?

I would cut out all dosing until it is needed. Alk and Calcium won't be consumed until the sps start growing. If you're dosing and it's not needed you can get precipitation and it can cause problems with sps while not affecting other corals. Keep up with your water changes and test often for alk. Once it starts to drop and your sps are growing you can start dosing slowly with a low dose and test often to figure out your range. Don't worry about dosing until you start getting some growth out of those sps. I would also pull the GFO offline and see if it helps.

Edit: missed your post above. Are your other sps growing?

Yes, other SpS are growing. I do have a drop daily with my Alkalinity. That's why I'm dosing the BRs alk supplement. I drop about .1 a day.

dwilliams87 · Sep 19, 2013

bct15 said:
Don't raise your alk any, that is a good number for acros. Typically stn from the base down is from high alk + low nutrients or alk swings. How often do you dose alk?

I dose the alk at night right before I go to bed. Its only 10ml a night to keep that number stable though on the 40 and 5ml in the 20. So they biggest swing I get is .1. That's not much is it?

GHill762 · Sep 19, 2013

dwilliams87 said:
I dose the alk at night right before I go to bed. Its only 10ml a night to keep that number stable though on the 40 and 5ml in the 20. So they biggest swing I get is .1. That's not much is it?

Alk should be dosed in morning/day due to it's effect on ph, from my understanding

Tahoe61 · Sep 19, 2013

p woodard said:
I use salinity salt and I run my alk at about 10 ca 500 and mg 1500 yes I know it is on the high side but it is working for me and you got the red planet from me I just thought I would past this on to you we will talk more about it more Sun at the meeting

I run about the same, my RP grows like a weed.

Tahoe61 · Sep 19, 2013

GHill762 said:
Alk should be dosed in morning/day due to it's effect on ph, from my understanding

pH is going to be the lowest in the am and highest in the afternoon at the end of the photoperiod. By dosing in the afternoon you avoid larger swings. In the end though do what ever works the best for you.

GHill762 · Sep 19, 2013

Tahoe61 said:
pH is going to be the lowest in the am and highest in the afternoon at the end of the photoperiod. By dosing in the afternoon you avoid larger swings. In the end though do what ever works the best for you.

Idk where I got that.. Need to do some more homework I guess.

dwilliams87 · Sep 19, 2013

So, besides maybe removing the GFO, is there anything obvious I'm doing wrong.

p woodard · Sep 19, 2013

You may want to run bio pellets you seen my tank and I run them and I ran GFO and did not like having to change out the GFO

pickupman66 · Sep 19, 2013

Fish poop

Need more fish poop. Mine grow pretty darn good lately with my nitrates in the 20 range and phosphate below .05. If it gets above .10 my purple slimer burns tips. My alk was 8.06dKh last night. It usually is there or below. I can't grow digitata and my Monti cap growth is frightful. But other across I have are at times 1/2inch. Month.

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