help with Acans please

cryotek74 · Mar 5, 2017

My acans are slowly dying. I've had 8 acans in the tank for about 6 moths now. Last month they started to not fully puff up anymore and a small one completely died and 2 larger colonies are slowly disappearing. My parameters are:

8.4 Kh
2 NO3
0 PO4
8.18 PH
450 Ca
1260 Mg
76.8 F

I'm running 4 AI primes at 15K @ 60% intesity for 10 hrs. I've been fighting green hair algae for a while and put in a GFO and carbon reactor to knock down the PO4. the green hair algae has been cut in half but still have some in the tank. I've been direct feeding all the corals each week with Coral Frenzy. I have a hammer, torch, 2 neon green leathers, zoas and some other sps corals that are all doing great. Is it possible that the water is too clean for acans to be happy? THanks in advance for the help.

Pongo · Mar 5, 2017

I don't think I could give any useful advice about why the Acans are fading, my params are very similar and my Acans are OK so far.

What test are you using to measure PO4?
I was getting 0ppm using the Red Sea pro test, then I switched to the Hanna ULR phosphorous checker and my readings were 0.01 - 0.03ppm.

bios · Mar 5, 2017

Pics will help

ahiggins · Mar 5, 2017

Pics will help a lot. If you don't have reef roids, buy some. The smallest will last you forever!
It's saved quite a few dying acans for me.
Also, they do like a bit more nutrients in the water. I spot feed mysis twice a week.
I also run AI prime at 55% and they like midway (about 10 inch from light not water surface) around 100-120 par.

Liquid360 · Mar 5, 2017

I don't have specific scientific evidence to back this up, been it's been my experience that what keeps these LPS corals alive is your microfauna, not coral food. The secret is in various types of pods and zooplankton. Water chemistry is the easy part, but tending to the things you can't test for is hard. I've kept a few tanks and the only ones I've done well with over the long term were the ones where I spent good coin on the microfauna. Without it acans slowly die as others. It kinda sucks spending cash on invisible critters when there's beautiful coral to be had, but it makes all the difference in the world.

Ps. The micro will also help with algae problems.
I highly recommended these two sites.
http://www.aquaculturenurseryfarms.com
http://www.algaebarn.com

Liquid360 · Mar 5, 2017

pss they offer a product called Reef Soup. Start there!

Cary Meredith · Mar 5, 2017

Also what do you have for fish, I had some that were doing ok till my Bicolor Angel started nibbling on them. I saved a few by moving them to a frag tank, but before that was having similar results and I couldn't figure out why all of them at some point ended up down on the tank floor.

ahiggins · Mar 5, 2017

Heard angels are notorious for that

Cary Meredith said:
Also what do you have for fish, I had some that were doing ok till my Bicolor Angel started nibbling on them. I saved a few by moving them to a frag tank, but before that was having similar results and I couldn't figure out why all of them at some point ended up down on the tank floor.

cmcoker · Mar 5, 2017

Peppermint shrimp? Mine took out some acans....

cryotek74 · Mar 5, 2017

Yes got peppermint shrimp. Using red sea po4 testing.

cryotek74 · Mar 5, 2017

cmcoker · Mar 5, 2017

cryotek74 said:
Yes got peppermint shrimp. Using red sea po4 testing.

I'd keep a close eye on those shrimp, especially during and after feedings. They will steal food from the polyps for sure but my shrimp decided the polyp was tasty as well and would pick at them. I now have no peppermint shrimp..

cryotek74 · Mar 5, 2017

The purple acans are a month or two ago and now. Doesnt want to fill out anymore. Ive increased my feedings to twice a week.

Travis Stewart · Mar 5, 2017

What percentage are whites at peak?

cryotek74 · Mar 6, 2017

Travis Stewart said:
What percentage are whites at peak?

It shows 24%. I am controlling the lights at 15K light spectrum which put the whites at 25%.

cryotek74 · Mar 6, 2017

Cary Meredith said:
Also what do you have for fish, I had some that were doing ok till my Bicolor Angel started nibbling on them. I saved a few by moving them to a frag tank, but before that was having similar results and I couldn't figure out why all of them at some point ended up down on the tank floor.

No angels. Blue tang, Sailfin tang, royal gramma, diamond goby, 3 blue chromis, yellow tail damsel, clown fish, 1 spot foxface.

cryotek74 · Mar 6, 2017

ahiggins said:
Pics will help a lot. If you don't have reef roids, buy some. The smallest will last you forever!
It's saved quite a few dying acans for me.
Also, they do like a bit more nutrients in the water. I spot feed mysis twice a week.
I also run AI prime at 55% and they like midway (about 10 inch from light not water surface) around 100-120 par.

here's my setup. Maybe i should take the whites out for a while and see how everything reacts.