Acropora is bullying me

[UMALUM]

Those zoanthids looks too big and fluffy considering they are getting 250 PAR. At those PAR levels, they should shrink up, even after a year or more of acclimation.

This cliff gets banged with 400+

 

[SamMule]

Agreed. I have zoas in over 300 and they don't care. However, if they're getting hit with "acro" flow, they won't hardly open.

Start simple IMO. Move it and crank up the flow.

 

[Acros]

Your major elements and nutrients look good. I wouldn’t worry about pH either. Do you have any leathers? They are known to cause trouble with acros.

I have kept acros alive in lower 200 PAR, they didn’t grow all that crazy (tank was young at that time anyway), but none died.

Like so many people already suggested, it might not be getting enough flow. Might be worthwhile moving it to a higher flow area before buying new wavemakers.

Your rocks looks mature as well, with great coraline coverage. Makes me wonder if there are any pollutants/minor element imbalances that is causing all the issues.

Edit: On re-reading your comments, I don’t see any mention of acros dying. Are they just stagnant? If so that is to be expected. I have acros that did nothing for 1 full year and then started growing like crazy. Only a handful of them showed growth within months of introduction to the tank.

 

[Roatan Reef]

I struggled for a long time with my acros as well. It took me months to find my "recipe" . Judging by your numbers I don't see any reason why you couldn't succeed with acros, I think you just need to find the right mix for you.

For me I ended up removing most of my Lps and Leathers, cranking the flow and lighting higher, using kalkwasser, and carbon dosing along with heavy nutrients Eventually it started to take off for me and now I have 50 acros.

I think focusing on higher ph and higher nutrients with strong flow and lighting to start and go from there.

Mixed reef is tough.

Agreed, Mixed Reef is tough. I fought many battles, but ultimately decided to stick with mostly LPS, aside of my many anacropora and a bali green slimer....I'm focusing on custom hammers, Torches, zoas, cyphastrea, ricordea etc. When trying to make sps happy, you can upset your LPS and vice versa.

My SPS would be good, but LPS not so much, so o just decided go with LPS dominant and am much happier now.

One day maybe I'll have a stick tank with a few LPS, but that's in the future.

 

[jnels]

Your major elements and nutrients look good. I wouldn’t worry about pH either. Do you have any leathers? They are known to cause trouble with acros.

I have kept acros alive in lower 200 PAR, they didn’t grow all that crazy (tank was young at that time anyway), but none died.

Like so many people already suggested, it might not be getting enough flow. Might be worthwhile moving it to a higher flow area before buying new wavemakers.

Your rocks looks mature as well, with great coraline coverage. Makes me wonder if there are any pollutants/minor element imbalances that is causing all the issues.

Edit: On re-reading your comments, I don’t see any mention of acros dying. Are they just stagnant? If so that is to be expected. I have acros that did nothing for 1 full year and then started growing like crazy. Only a handful of them showed growth within months of introduction to the tank.

Yeah. I will have to consider more wave makers. That makes a lot of sense. I have had 2 die previously. These just show some signs that i thought were stress.

 

[apb03]

Agreed, Mixed Reef is tough. I fought many battles, but ultimately decided to stick with mostly LPS, aside of my many anacropora and a bali green slimer....I'm focusing on custom hammers, Torches, zoas, cyphastrea, ricordea etc. When trying to make sps happy, you can upset your LPS and vice versa.

My SPS would be good, but LPS not so much, so o just decided go with LPS dominant and am much happier now.

One day maybe I'll have a stick tank with a few LPS, but that's in the future.

The hobby definitely steers you toward a direction after a while doesn't it? I've killed quite a few LPS trying to make it all work. That said I did end up keeping a good amount of LPS in the end, but it required me to place them in cubby holes, low flow spots that can't get high flow and under overhangs.

So I would say I have a mixed reef but LPS is tucked away. The real issue was me. I wanted to see everything from a single vantage point. Acros, hammers, torches etc all from standing in front, and that's not going work for both LPS and SPS.

 

[CBonito]

Mixed reef is tough.

Uh huh!

Either the LPS/softies are going to suffer, or your acros are going to suffer...you decide. LOL

 

[vabben]

Maybe do an ICP. You could have low iodine, I've seen my Acros not happy when Iodine gets low.

 

[X-37B]

Your parameters are fine, imo.
Make sure you have a plan to keep them in range!

My recommendations:

Run carbon in a mixed reef.

Like others have said acros need their space. Move the one before it is stung amd possibly dies.

Good random flow is needed.
One powerhead on each side should do.

Reduce water changes to 10% once a month and monitor.

I understand why 8-9 alk is what many run. It is just more buffering capacity but ii is really not needed, imo. Running 8-9 is not a problem if thats your set parameters.

Average ocean alk is 6.5 regardless of what some will tell you. You would be surpised at some of the well known coral growers that tell you the ocean is 8-9 alk.

I have ran an alk of 7 for years so im not just blowing smoke and my tanks speak for themselves.

Feed the fish more to raise nutrients.

If you want pm me and we can discuss it.