Any tips on keeping strawberry shortcake acros?

[AquamanE]

I bought the original SSC at MACNA 2009 from Unique Corals at same time as Jason Fox. It did nothing for 2 years. Then it just encrusted and blew up into a nice colony. Lost it when I moved homes. High flow, high light (MH)

 

[madweazl]

Mine have done well pretty much regardless. Our 75g has pretty good flow (two MP40s running NTM at 100% in anti-sync) and it was getting about 275 PAR in one location and slightly more in the other (290-300). Grew quickly but mine didnt lay down much of a base before vertical growth took off (2" diameter at most).

Terrible pic but this one just went to a knew home a few days ago (the 75g is coming down soon).

 

[pharazon]

A fast grower - mine went from a 1" frag to a small colony in 3-4 months. PAR = ~250, with enough flow to make the tentacles wave. PO4 as P =0.01. NO3 as N = < 1. The tank's pH mysteriously dropped to 7.9 until I got a CO2 scrubber on line. The photo doesn't do it justice.

What a beaut, Dana.

 

[adtravels]

I have one of the lighter green ones with pink coralites. its in 450+ PAR and looks a little washed out,so 250-300 may be a better range as the rest of my corals at he 250-300 PAR have much better colour. It has grown well though although I would not call it rapid growth.

 

[pharazon]

Mine have done well pretty much regardless. Our 75g has pretty good flow (two MP40s running NTM at 100% in anti-sync) and it was getting about 275 PAR in one location and slightly more in the other (290-300). Grew quickly but mine didnt lay down much of a base before vertical growth took off (2" diameter at most).

Terrible pic but this one just went to a knew home a few days ago (the 75g is coming down soon).

I think ours are related

 

[Reefer40b]

Always love a good shortcake, there are many varieties some are darker, some lighter and some offer different growth patterns, but either way they will be some form of green on pink/red coralites/tips. Frags pictured were cut from this colony yet they are developing more pink to them.. and they are sitting right next to this colony so lighting is pretty similar...

 

[Damian reef boi]

Always love a good shortcake, there are many varieties some are darker, some lighter and some offer different growth patterns, but either way they will be some form of green on pink/red coralites/tips. Frags pictured were cut from this colony yet they are developing more pink to them.. and they are sitting right next to this colony so lighting is pretty similar...

So pretty

 

[pharazon]

Always love a good shortcake, there are many varieties some are darker, some lighter and some offer different growth patterns, but either way they will be some form of green on pink/red coralites/tips. Frags pictured were cut from this colony yet they are developing more pink to them.. and they are sitting right next to this colony so lighting is pretty similar...

I find they are more green when they are growing quickly - the older corallites tend to be the reddest/pinkest. Just my own observations with mine.

How quickly does yours heal? Mine is the only Acro I’ve never fragged because as I mentioned previously it’s a bit more sensitive than the others.

 

[Reefer40b]

@pharazon
I have another shortcake that's different that is ultra finicky, had a huge colony, rtn'd on me, fragged about 10 frags in hopes to save it, only one survived, still got it today and will go brown when its the slightest unhappy and slow growing have only fragged it once since and still have that frag also.... But this one is rock solid, I would say it heals over at a normal rate compared to my other acros and is a healthy grower!

 

[Damian reef boi]

@pharazon
I have another shortcake that's different that is ultra finicky, had a huge colony, rtn'd on me, fragged about 10 frags in hopes to save it, only one survived, still got it today and will go brown when its the slightest unhappy and slow growing have only fragged it once since and still have that frag also.... But this one is rock solid, I would say it hears over at a normal rate compared to my other acros and is a healthy grower!

Nice!

 

[Damian reef boi]

how do you guys think it's going
I think it's a little brown but I am about to add t5s

 

[2Wheelsonly]

I agree 100%

I have kept all types of acros and these have been so finicky. They can get upset and brown out ASAP only to take months to years to come back.

I have a love hate with mine, it always lets me know if something is off but then takes so long to recover I second guess if I fixed the issue.

I dunno, mine has definitely been the most finicky acro I’ve ever kept. In 1.5 years I’ve had this piece STN on me twice. She always comes back pretty strong but definitely the first to let me know I need to pay more attention to chemistry.

That being said, SSC seems to be able to handle as much light as you can throw at it. When I’ve pushed my Radion too high and had other acro’s start to pale, SSC just gets richer in color. Just a little more sensitive to water quality in my experience.

Here’s 7/23/2018 to 2/4/2020. Worth the trouble if you ask me.

 

[2Wheelsonly]

Tons of light. Tons of flow. Short periods of high nutrients. I believe there’s a macna YouTube on it from a collector saying it shouldn’t be an aquarium inhabitant. Mine is my reef canary.

this thread makes me feel so much better as this is the only acro I have had trouble with consistently over the years. It more of a canary to me also.

 

[Acroguy]

Mine has grown from a 1/2” frag to this 4x4 inch colony in about 14 months.It is in about 400-500 PAR. 3 inches from the water surface and gets pretty good flow.Keep in mind it is a tabling acro if provided with the proper environment.

 

[bubbgee]

I

Mine has grown from a 1/2” frag to this 4x4 inch colony in about 14 months.It is in about 400-500 PAR. 3 inches from the water surface and gets pretty good flow.Keep in mind it is a tabling acro if provided with the proper environment.

Did yours come with that coloring? I like a more teal color than light green that I have. Yours is really pretty.

 

[Aquariumaddictuk]

I wish I new.
Mine has done very little while others thrive.
Coincidentally, I saw what I would say is the best SSC colony I've seen this far yesterday from a chap I bought a frag with locally.
Truly vivid, defined tips & huge size.
He showed me his testing logs & nitrates were in the 50+ realm & phosphate upto .36.
All his acro's were incredible except for a slightly muted blue stag.
I wouldn't advise this as a conventional route to success but this is a funny old game we are playing!

 

[Aquariumaddictuk]

I wish I new.
Mine has done very little while others thrive.
Coincidentally, I saw what I would say is the best SSC colony I've seen this far yesterday from a chap I bought a frag with locally.
Truly vivid, defined tips & huge size.
He showed me his testing logs & nitrates were in the 50+ realm & phosphate upto .36.
All his acro's were incredible except for a slightly muted blue stag.
I wouldn't advise this as a conventional route to success but this is a funny old game we are playing!

 

[Viking_Reefing]

Blast them with light! Strong light, strong flow and fairly low nutrients is what I’ve had success with. I believe this thing was sitting at around 800 par