Acropora- What Does It Really Take To Succeed?

[zukihara]

My 80g mixed reef gets wet next week and I want to eventually get some Acropora thriving in there.

My question is, other than sufficient lighting (I'm using XR15 Gen5 blue Radions), what does it really take? Dosing to keep parameters more consistent? Trace elements? Skimming? What is it that allows you guys to grow and color these things up in awe inspiring systems?

I don't want to spend a small fortune on Battlecorals then fail miserably. I need a mentor... volunteers send application via PM, please

 

[Mellotang]

SPS=Stability Promotes Success

 

[Variant]

Live rock can only help with near term stability, which will let you keep acros growing and thriving. For dry rock, you'll need a ton of patiences and I'm not talking weeks, I'm talking months of patience to wait for your close system biology to find its natural equilibrium. This equilibrium for some comes naturally with littler intervention while others require a ton of intervention like intentional bacterial supplementation, etc.

By the way, I'm not bashing dry rock and saying dry rock with sps can't work because it definitely can, but you definitely need the right expectations going into it with dry rock and I still believe that early/quick success with acros in a dry rock system is more an exception than the norm.

 

[zukihara]

Live rock can only help with near term stability, which will let you keep acros growing and thriving. For dry rock, you'll need a ton of patiences and I'm not talking weeks, I'm talking months of patience to wait for your close system biology to find its natural equilibrium. This equilibrium for some comes naturally with littler intervention while others require a ton of intervention like intentional bacterial supplementation, etc.

By the way, I'm not bashing dry rock and saying dry rock with sps can't work because it definitely can, but you definitely need the right expectations going into it with dry rock and I still believe that early/quick success with acros in a dry rock system is more an exception than the norm.

Hey, I appreciate the heck out of your response. I would love for you to elaborate. Myself, I am going with CaribSea life rock and some other bacteria, so what you are saying is very important.

I can introduce actual live rock, just like anyone else, and I would love to hear the rationale. Wider variety of bacteria, overall diverse ecosystem, etc.

Thank you.

 

[piranhaman00]

Just like every thread, stability.

 

[mfollen]

Microfauna stability. Bacteria. A tank with dry rock needs more caution with this. That’s the big thing before ongoing success from stability.

 

[zukihara]

Just like every thread, stability.

Stability with temp, calcium, magnesium, what? How do you get that stability, inkbird, dosing, what?

 

[mdb_talon]

Stability with temp, calcium, magnesium, what? How do you get that stability, inkbird, dosing, what?

Honestly that is a hard question to answer. Initially weekly water changes may be plenty to keep up with stability if you have a couple small frags and dont have coralline going crazy or something like that. Assuming the coral is growing and you add more at some point water changes wont be enough to keep up and you will have to start dosing(using 2 part, kalkwasser,etc). For many they need to dose magnesium. Some sucessful sps keepers dose trace elements, etc...others do fine just with calc/alk dosing only. That is probably variable based off salt mix you use and specific corals and growth in tank.

Unfortunately there is not an easy answer of setup tank and then dose 10ml of xyz per gallom. It is very dependent on your tank and its needs. Talking of stability though it means things like not dosing high amounts of kh every weekend. Can be sucessful with a kh of 8 or 12 for example....but you dont want to be swinging between 8 and 12.

 

[ReefBeta]

For it to grow: enough light, enough flow, stable chemistry, mature microbes.

Stable chemistry is mostly alkalinity and calcium. Temp is important, but easy to get right, make sure don't have heat (82+). Stable alkalinity comes from consistent dosing. To know if you achieve that, test it every day for a few weeks and make sure it various as little as possible, <0.2 dkh ideally.

Mature microbes basically means give enough time for them to get stable. Get over with hair algae, cyano and dino for most cases. Live rock might help, but dry rock will work just fine, only different process. I mostly use dry rock cause it's easier to get. Give it couple months to stable before blasting light to full intensity. But that doesn't mean keep it sterile for several months. Turn the light on low(50~100 par), gradually add low light corals, let the tank slowly mature, then slowly ramp up the light. This way the microbes that prefer lower light have chance to establish before needing to fight with high light loving ones, like dino.

Also mentor don't have to be PM. Follow people's build thread can learn a lot. You're welcome to read through mine.

 

[KrisReef]

Mojo, nothing else.

 

[Rmckoy]

When I first started I was told
“
Take $100 bills and burn them .
If you can burn 10 of them without crying you’re ready for sps

that being said .
Stability is the highest which comes as it matures

Stability , patience

 

[Mellotang]

When you start growing coraline consistently you’re ready

 

[zukihara]

For it to grow: enough light, enough flow, stable chemistry, mature microbes.

Stable chemistry is mostly alkalinity and calcium. Temp is important, but easy to get right, make sure don't have heat (82+). Stable alkalinity comes from consistent dosing. To know if you achieve that, test it every day for a few weeks and make sure it various as little as possible, <0.2 dkh ideally.

Mature microbes basically means give enough time for them to get stable. Get over with hair algae, cyano and dino for most cases. Live rock might help, but dry rock will work just fine, only different process. I mostly use dry rock cause it's easier to get. Give it couple months to stable before blasting light to full intensity. But that doesn't mean keep it sterile for several months. Turn the light on low(50~100 par), gradually add low light corals, let the tank slowly mature, then slowly ramp up the light. This way the microbes that prefer lower light have chance to establish before needing to fight with high light loving ones, like dino.

Also mentor don't have to be PM. Follow people's build thread can learn a lot. You're welcome to read through mine.

Again, I appreciate the response. I guess my question is mainly surrounding the equipment needed to potentially be successful at SPS when setting up a new tank. For example, I went ahead and purchased a GHL doser fully expecting to dose to keep some parameters consistent and I may go with Reef Moonshiners to supplement that.

So, equipment-wise, beyond a doser, temp controller and maybe a reactor, is there anything else I may need to keep these parameters consistent? In other words, I want to have the ability to keep things consistent right off the bar gear-wise even though it may be a while before I need to utilize it.

 

[zukihara]

Mojo, nothing else.

I have more mojo than Robert Johnson at the crossroads, but...

 

[zukihara]

When I first started I was told
“
Take $100 bills and burn them .
If you can burn 10 of them without crying you’re ready for sps

that being said .
Stability is the highest which comes as it matures

Stability , patience

I can burn ten of them, but heck if I want to I may still cry.

My main goal is to get setup equipment-wise to gain this stability long term, not shortcut the process.

 

[Mellotang]

Good RO unit
Auto top off
Salifert test kits
Carbon

stability....

you can either be consistently bad or
Consistently good, just be consistent

when you fluctuate you fail

 

[Mellotang]

Water movement is key

just duplicate the ocean in your little glass box

 

[zukihara]

Good RO unit
Auto top off
Salifert test kits
Carbon

stability....

you can either be consistently bad or
Consistently good, just be consistent

when you fluctuate you fail

See, I like this guy...

I have a good RO
A have an ATO
I have Hannah
I have carbon

****, I'm ready!

 

[zukihara]

Water movement is key

just duplicate the ocean in your little glass box

Yes, I am sorry. I did not mention flow, but yes I consider that outside the convo and completely necessary. Easy to add some flow if needed.

 

[Mellotang]

Lol

unfortunately you’re far from ready with an empty tank

it takes a long time to get the biological balance

not saying you can’t get lucky and keep
Some SPS but if you’re looking for
A rock solid stable reef that takes time

doesn’t matter what equipment you have if you’re tank isn’t biologically sound

mixed reef is slightly harder then a dedicated SPS or LPS or softie tank

every coral Likes things a little different

only bad things happen quick
In a reef

is this your first saltwater aquarium?