Can my dying acro be saved?

[madweazl]

Perhaps you could find a LFS that has some test gets more suited to testing at very low levels (e.g. Salifert or Red Sea for nitrates and the Hanna ULR for phosphates) before attempting to raise them. I'm not a fan of fragging already stressed corals but that is an option. Moving the coral off the sand and into an area of higher flow might be a good idea as well.

 

[pga7602]

SLOWLY.... Bring up salinity to 1.025_1.026

 

[VB313]

You might want to try fragging that branch which hasn't STN'd yet. I find if a coral starts STN'ing like that, it will eventually all go. I've had luck fragging off the healthy part. Not always, it's about 50/50.

Never fragged before just snap off the good part glue it to new plug?

 

[VB313]

Yes, feed more.. and, just noticed you were using Purigen/Chemipure. I'd stop using both right now.

Really ??why what would you recommend

 

[29bonsaireef]

Really ??why what would you recommend

That right there is probably the root cause of your low nutrients. Chemicals can, and will drive N&P down to harmfully low numbers. I would bet that is your main issue. Best to let WC, Skimmer, or fuge take care of nutrients. Natural methods always work best.

 

[biophilia]

Your salinity is low enough that some coral species will have difficulty photosynthesizing enough to meet their basic metabolic needs. Definitely worth raising it over a day or two to something close to 35ppt (if you’re sure that whatever method you’re using to determine it is accurate)

 

[VB313]

Your salinity is low enough that some coral species will have difficulty photosynthesizing enough to meet their basic metabolic needs. Definitely worth raising it over a day or two to something close to 35ppt (if you’re sure that whatever method you’re using to determine it is accurate)

I buy my saltwater and RO from LFS since I currently live in a small apartment with no basement or access to the plumbing and at $0.50 per gallon for saltwater I can’t really beat it my LFS owner said he mixes to 1.025 I test with a refractometor calibrated to RO water..... so to raise my salinity should I slowly top off with salt instead of RO i usually have to top off the tank bout 1/4 ish gallon per week

 

[29bonsaireef]

Your salinity is low enough that some coral species will have difficulty photosynthesizing enough to meet their basic metabolic needs. Definitely worth raising it over a day or two to something close to 35ppt (if you’re sure that whatever method you’re using to determine it is accurate)

Shouldn't see death in a coral over a 2 week span. I've had tanks this low plenty of times in the past. It may, if anything slow up growth in SPS, but won't kill them. If I remember correct I had a system as low as .015 for a week straight while battling ICH. Don't recall any losses of coral during that time. I'd say anywhere between .023-.026 is acceptable for corals.

Really think you're pushing the nutrients out with chemicals here. If you want to see improvements cut back on the chems. Up your salinity if you wish to, it's by no means a bad idea. Just don't think that's what's causing issues for you.