Encouraging Acro Growth

macscale · Jan 19, 2015

Hey Everyone,

***THIS IS AN IMPLIED SITUATION - NOT ACTUALLY MY PROBLEM***

"So like many other reefers I find myself strugling to get Acros to grow.
Parameters are perfect, Polyp Extension is great and coloration is beautiful. But then you go to look at your tank and you have these tine 1.5" frags that aren't going anywhere!
It can be quite frustrating.

I'm wondering what you guys do to encourage your acros to grow.
Whether it be an AA supplement like AcroPower or feeding Phytoplankton or other foods.
Basically post:
Your Schedule
Product(s)
Pro's:
Con's
Pics (if applicable)
Extra Notes"

I hope this can become a resource for all the reefers out there struggling with Acro growth.

zesty · Jan 19, 2015

The answer, you're not going to like it, unless you like to cook bbq. Go slow, let it grow.

I would check you CA, Alk & Mg and make sure they are in the sweet spot or as sweet as you can get it.

Secondly, when the frags are smaller, it takes longer to get going. The more meat to the frag, the more it can intake and the faster it can grow.

That would be the simplest explanations I have. Also, what lighting are you using?

macscale · Jan 19, 2015

zesty said:
The answer, you're not going to like it, unless you like to cook bbq. Go slow, let it grow.

I would check you CA, Alk & Mg and make sure they are in the sweet spot or as sweet as you can get it.

Secondly, when the frags are smaller, it takes longer to get going. The more meat to the frag, the more it can intake and the faster it can grow.

That would be the simplest explanations I have. Also, what lighting are you using?

Oh sorry, I didn't mean my acro growth. I was just saying for people in general.
Myself as an example, my growth is fine.

zesty · Jan 19, 2015

ahhh, I misread the tone of your post! haha! my bad.

d2mini · Jan 19, 2015

macscale said:
Hey Everyone,

So like many other reefers I find myself strugling to get Acros to grow.

macscale said:
Oh sorry, I didn't mean my acro growth. I was just saying for people in general.
Myself as an example, my growth is fine.

I'm confused. :lol:

macscale · Jan 19, 2015

d2mini said:
I'm confused. :lol:

It's like an implied situation. I'm speaking as if I'm someone who needs to know this, so people can come back and read it for information later.
Sorry if that's confusing..

reefsponge · Jan 19, 2015

Fishguy597 · Jan 19, 2015

I just keep the water parameters steady. When you get 1.5" frags they can take a while to adust to your tank. As long as it's establishing a base it'll grow. It just takes time. Some corals will grow faster then others as well. After a coral has been in the tank for a while and has a base you can try snipping the tips and it's supposed to encourage growth. Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn't. I don't think there is really a secret other then time.

jackson6745 · Jan 19, 2015

-Avoid Perfect parameters

Seriously, have detectable nitrates and phosphates (not a fan of too high po4 level though). Only tanks I have seen with 0's and fast growth are tanks that feed heavily but have very efficient filtration methods, Usually larger systems

-Have fish and feed them often. Your corals benefit from the added nutrient.

-The Basics. Stability of temp, cal, alk, mg in proper levels. Adequate flow.

-Lighting which is majorly overlooked these days. I'm not getting into a debate, but there are clear lighting choices that have proven to yield better growth and colors over and over again. Personally, I have halide, t5, and led over my reef. Halide is primary, t5 secondary, LED is more for supplemental color and that wicked blue glow for dawn/dusk. If I had to choose, I am still torn between halide and T5HO for better growth.

-For an additive to promote fast growth I would highly recommend prodibio biodigest/bioptim, but this must be used in tanks with some nutrient or it will strip the system and probably bleach or kill your SPS.

Example of growth using what I have stated above

Jan 13th 2014

IMG_7521 by rich.colombo, on Flickr

Jan 10th 2015 (been fragged a few times)

IMG_0434 by rich.colombo, on Flickr

JFrar · Jan 19, 2015

im still with my first acro frag making sure i can hang before i go crazy with acros lol.... my acro has almost doubled in size since i first bought it about 8 months ago...its gone from a 2 branches and now has 3 with a forth forming but VERY slow growth... it seems to have a "growth spert" like once a month and it isnt much growth but it looks great !

JFrar · Jan 19, 2015

i have recently in the last 2-3 months started feeding much more...after buying testkits for everything and realizing my nitrates are always undetectable, i treat my fish a lot now lol

macscale · Jan 19, 2015

jackson6745 said:
-Avoid Perfect parameters Seriously, have detectable nitrates and phosphates (not a fan of too high po4 level though). Only tanks I have seen with 0's and fast growth are tanks that feed heavily but have very efficient filtration methods, Usually larger systems

-Have fish and feed them often. Your corals benefit from the added nutrient.

-The Basics. Stability of temp, cal, alk, mg in proper levels. Adequate flow.

-Lighting which is majorly overlooked these days. I'm not getting into a debate, but there are clear lighting choices that have proven to yield better growth and colors over and over again. Personally, I have halide, t5, and led over my reef. Halide is primary, t5 secondary, LED is more for supplemental color and that wicked blue glow for dawn/dusk. If I had to choose, I am still torn between halide and T5HO for better growth.

-For an additive to promote fast growth I would highly recommend prodibio biodigest/bioptim, but this must be used in tanks with some nutrient or it will strip the system and probably bleach or kill your SPS.

Example of growth using what I have stated above

Jan 13th 2014
IMG_7521 by rich.colombo, on Flickr

Jan 10th 2015 (been fragged a few times)
IMG_0434 by rich.colombo, on Flickr

Wow that's amazing!-
Also perfect example of what I wanted in this thread!
I can't agree more with perfect 0's being a problem. My ACROS have always hated it! Thanks!

Fishguy597 · Jan 19, 2015

Jackson,
I have followed your tank for a while and you no doubt have a great tank. My question is if a tank is already cycled and it already has plenty of live rock is this really necessary? There should already be plenty of bacteria in the tank. Wouldn't the bacteria multiply on its own with plenty available nitrates? I know it's not carbon dosing but seems similar. The only differecently is adding a carbon source for the bacteria to multiply. Seems to me that after a while there won't be enough for the bacteria to eat and they would die off. Why not just carbon dose?

BTW I agree on having measurable nitrate and po4. I don't really test for po4 that often and last time I checked nitrates I was between 15-20. My coral has never looked better.

Diesel · Jan 19, 2015

So like many other reefers I find myself strugling to get Acros to grow.

I'm wondering what you guys do to encourage your acros to grow.

And the secret is...................................... TIME!

jackson6745 · Jan 19, 2015

Fishguy597 said:
Jackson,
I have followed your tank for a while and you no doubt have a great tank. My question is if a tank is already cycled and it already has plenty of live rock is this really necessary? There should already be plenty of bacteria in the tank. Wouldn't the bacteria multiply on its own with plenty available nitrates? I know it's not carbon dosing but seems similar. The only differecently is adding a carbon source for the bacteria to multiply. Seems to me that after a while there won't be enough for the bacteria to eat and they would die off. Why not just carbon dose?
BTW I agree on having measurable nitrate and po4. I don't really test for po4 that often and last time I checked nitrates I was between 15-20. My coral has never looked better.

Thanks!

The first question when you say "this" I assume you mean prodibio? I dose this to prevent my nitrate level from soaring. I planned on pushing things in this tank. I saw certain similarities in larger and aged systems that I wanted in my system. Certainly you can have a good bioload and a great bacterial population to deal with it, but I have 23 fish and feed heavily in a 115g tank. I pushed the bioload to the extreme, and I don't do an exorbitant amount of water changes to keep things under control. I also don't have a fuge. My system is heavily dependent on bottled bacteria and carbon sources to keep the water parameters from turning to mud. My primary carbon source is the Bioptim, there's vinegar in my kalk, and I dose sponge power (smells like vinegar).

The way I make sense of it is that I increase the bacterial population more than normal with the additives, and the heavy bioload keeps the need for bacteria to exist. One thing you notice right away when dosing prodibio is an increase in PE and color improvement (if you're not stripping the tank). I like having some nitrates but corals look way better combined with low po4 than high IME, Anyway, there is probably written proof to negate everything that I just said

but this has been my experience.

Another example of growth

Purple Monster Jan 23th 2014

jan23 PM by rich.colombo, on Flickr
Jan 10 2015

IMG_0427 by rich.colombo, on Flickr

Pearlberry Jan 27th 2014 (notice cyano) I was pushing bioload in a 2 month old tank at this point. Even bubble algae disappeared on its own around the 6 month mark.

jan 27th pearlberry by rich.colombo, on Flickr
Jan 10th

IMG_0426 by rich.colombo, on Flickr

EW_Fish · Jan 19, 2015

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/general-sps-discussion/70893-how-successfully-keep-sps-corals.html

Basically post:
Your Schedule
Product(s) Daily-Vodka,Brightwell AA,Brightwell trace elements CAL,ALK Twice a week-Lugols
Pro's:Great growth
Con'sRunning on low nutrients poor color. (I have the red sea colors program on the way) Giving it a shot
Pics (if applicable) Sorry tons of frags no huge ones yet.
Extra Notes

Like above posted keep things stable don't chase numbers the big things for my are ALK, CAL, TEMP Acros don't like change I went from weekly water changes to once a month and it seems to help more

Fishguy597 · Jan 19, 2015

Yes sorry I ment the biodigest. I was having a discussion with a guy at the lfs who I consider a pretty smart reefer. He was telling me that once a tank is started there is really no use for it. He was telling me you might as well use cheato, ats,or carbon dose if you want lower nitrates . He was also telling me if you once you have a mature tank the bacteria should take care of its self and that's more for helping cycle a tank ( mind you I'm going off of a my very poor memory so my "facts lol" are probably wrong )
I do use sponge power as well . I have noticed great polyp extension along with increased sponge population. Since using it my water is a bit clearer. I'm thinking that the sponges filter the water and help with the nitrates. Idk if my nitrates are any lower I haven't tested it in a month.
I know you are doing something right the proof is in the pics. Along with that sweet tenuous you have. I'm not trying to discredit anything you are saying. I'm just always looking to improve myself.

jackson6745 · Jan 19, 2015

Fishguy, I don't think you are trying to discredit my techniques, I'm not that sensitive

I appreciate sharing the experiences and I'm always trying to improve as well. The guy at your lfs might very well be right, but i am afraid to stop doing what I've been doing at this point. This is some of the fastest growth and definitely the best color that I ever had. One other thing… I am not of fan of growing macros to reduce nitrates, not for this tank. I grew cheato in my sump for 1 month and I noticed my colors fading. It's almost like the cheato pulled some nutrient out of the water or something. Nitrates were still 15ppm after the month, so it wasn't the reduction of nitrates.

Fishguy597 · Jan 19, 2015

I really need to learn to read. So you are basically dosing the biodigest because you are carbon dosing correct? I can see your train of thought on it now.

jackson6745 · Jan 19, 2015

Fishguy597 said:
I really need to learn to read. So you are basically dosing the biodigest because you are carbon dosing correct? I can see your train of thought on it now.

Yup. Prodibio recommends using both. I also think I can get away without doing the biodigest and only using the bioptim but I don't think adding live nitrifying bacteria can hurt…….. so I follow the recommendation.