Help my acans are dying

[jacrispy516]

I just bought an acan frag last weekend. It was from what appeared to be a healthy colony. The LFS cut two heads off for me to buy. I have no idea why it's dying. I have a 16-gallon full of healthy and growing coral. I initially had it on the sand bed in the middle, but just moved it onto this rock on the end to get it to less light. I haven't lost a single fish, snail, or coral in the 11 months I've had this tank so I am totally confused what's wrong

Parameters:

Salinity - 1.025
dKh - 9.9
Calcium - 450
Magnesium - 1380
Nitrate - > 5
Phosphate - nearly undetectable

Coral: (Echinophyllia, Torch, Hammer, GSP, Cabbage Leather, Porites, Birsdnest, Cyphastrea, Leptastrea, Branching Bubble, Zoanthus, Birdsnest, Caulastrea)

 

[Dburr1014]

I just bought an acan frag last weekend. It was from what appeared to be a healthy colony. The LFS cut two heads off for me to buy. I have no idea why it's dying. I have a 16-gallon full of healthy and growing coral. I initially had it on the sand bed in the middle, but just moved it onto this rock on the end to get it to less light. I haven't lost a single fish, snail, or coral in the 11 months I've had this tank so I am totally confused what's wrong

Parameters:

Salinity - 1.025
dKh - 9.9
Calcium - 450
Magnesium - 1380
Nitrate - > 5
Phosphate - nearly undetectable

Coral: (Echinophyllia, Torch, Hammer, GSP, Cabbage Leather, Porites, Birsdnest, Cyphastrea, Leptastrea, Branching Bubble, Zoanthus, Birdsnest, Caulastrea)

My first thoughts, don't but a fresh cut acan. They need healing first. Now it's in all new, probably not the same parameters, water, lights, ect.
Probably that.

 

[jacrispy516]

My first thoughts, don't but a fresh cut acan. They need healing first. Now it's in all new, probably not the same parameters, water, lights, ect.
Probably that.

Oh no, I never knew about that. Is there a chance of recovery or is it pretty much a goner?

 

[Jimbo662]

For acans you definitely need to raise your phosphates. Do you know what your par readings are?

 

[jacrispy516]

I test on my salifert and get pretty much zero. I'm sure it's not actually zero but is undetectable or being consumed by coral and algae at fast rates.

 

[hexcolor reef]

It’s the cut that was made. It needed to heal first as well as being put in a bucket with witch hazel and iodine to kill bacteria and aid in health after the cut.
Also it looks like it’s been cut way to close to the polyps. To add when it was cut did it have healthy skin/flesh growing? A full inspection needed to be done before LFS made the cut. They should’ve cut the healthier side but some will cut a bad side just to make a quick buck

 

[jacrispy516]

It’s the cut that was made. It needed to heal first as well as being put in a bucket with witch hazel and iodine to kill bacteria and aid in health after the cut.
Also it looks like it’s been cut way to close to the polyps. To add when it was cut did it have healthy skin/flesh growing? A full inspection needed to be done before LFS made the cut. They should’ve cut the healthier side but some will cut a bad side just to make a quick buck

Yea, the lady didn't do any of that. She just cut it and bagged it. It looked pretty healthy at the store. It didn't even look too bad when first added to the tank, but I did see exposed skeleton day 1. It was opening up the first night when added, but seriously recessed since

 

[hexcolor reef]

As long as the acan doesn’t ballon it might have a slim chance. Only thing you can do here is try to feed it amino acids. You can take it out and give it a dip in some witch hazel to stop tissue recession and possible bacteria.
Keep it in the lowest light lit area as possible

 

[jacrispy516]

As long as the acan doesn’t ballon it might have a slim chance. Only thing you can do here is try to feed it amino acids. You can take it out and give it a dip in some witch hazel to stop tissue recession and possible bacteria.
Keep it in the lowest light lit area as possible

Thanks for the advice I'm also going to call the store and tell them and see if they can cut a new one and let it heal for me. I do feed amino acids every other day from Red Sea AB+. I will have to buy witch hazel ASAP. Not sure if Coral Revive could help as well. Edit I'm rushing to the store now to get witch hazel hopefully that helps.

 

[hexcolor reef]

Thanks for the advice I'm also going to call the store and tell them and see if they can cut a new one and let it heal for me. I do feed amino acids every other day from Red Sea AB+. I will have to buy witch hazel ASAP. Not sure if Coral Revive could help as well.

At this point Coral Revive will just kill it. Even though I think witch hazel is in Coral revive. You want to dilute 15ml of Witch hazel in 2quarts of saltwater water. Let it sit for 15 minutes or so

 

[jacrispy516]

At this point Coral Revive will just kill it. Even though I think witch hazel is in Coral revive. You want to dilute 15ml of Witch hazel in 2quarts of saltwater water. Let it sit for 15 minutes or so

Great I was just about to ask ab about measurements. I just got T.N. Dickinson’s. Should I only dose once? Or ever few days/other day

 

[hexcolor reef]

Don’t dose your main display with it, remove the acan and put it in a 2quart of water in a separate bucket. Then add 15ml of witch hazel. After the dip put the acan back in the main display.

You only need to do it once and then see how it does after.

 

[jacrispy516]

Don’t dose your main display with it, remove the acan and put it in a 2quart of water in a separate bucket. Then add 15ml of witch hazel. After the dip put the acan back in the main display.

You only need to do it once and then see how it does after.

Sorry meant to say dip not dose haha. And gotcha really appreciate all the advice fingers crossed for a recovery.

 

[jacrispy516]

Don’t dose your main display with it, remove the acan and put it in a 2quart of water in a separate bucket. Then add 15ml of witch hazel. After the dip put the acan back in the main display.

You only need to do it once and then see how it does after.

Well it was a failed effort. The amphipods finished off the remaining dying tissue.

 

[hexcolor reef]

Well it was a failed effort. The amphipods finished off the remaining dying tissue.

Yea that will happen. Sucks things didn’t go the way you wanted after such a sweet acan frag. Build a good relationship with your LFS. Mine will allow what ever frag/coral I want to sit in there system until it heals and is safe to put in another tank.