Safe To Try Adding Acros After Past Disaster?

[GoatmealJones]

I have a fairly young (5 mo) old 50 gallon mixed reef. About 2 months into the reef, I bought some acro frags and they were doing fine, perhaps even thriving as a few of the frags started encrusting the live rock under their frag plugs. One day I bought 3 large (7+ inch) maricultured acros from LA online, and on the first day, one of the colonies RTNd within a couple hours. Suddenly, all my previously healthy acros frags started to RTN and every single acro in the tank died. I have been advised to be patient in adding acros to a system as young as mine. I also consider that for a period of about 1 month, I had about 7 various acro frags that were doing fine and growing at a moderate pace before the disaster occurred. With that in mind, I have stopped adding acros for the past 3 months out of fear. I lost a lot of frags and it was hard to see the money I invested in them disapear overnight. I have, however, kept 2 montipora frags and 1 test acro in the meantime. 1 of the montis is a purple rim danae which has grown substantially and has very nice, deep coloring. The other monti is an ORA melonberry monti, which hasnt grown a bunch but in general looks healthy with nice colors. The mini acro I have had for the past month seems to be doing fine, it is very small so its hard to judge growth but it has started to encrust the LR below it (I fragged it off the plug and glued it onto the LR).

I wanted this setup to be my first serious attempt at having an acropora focused reef. I have a bunch of LPS which I love and which populate the sandbed. I have kept the top half of my rock empty for acros to populate and fill in. Do you guys have any advice as to whether I should start seriously begin to add acros after this hiatus? Money is a factor and I would love to buy the boomcorals acro pack (9 frags for appx $250) given that its a great deal and saves a lot of money compared to buying frags individually. Yet, I am cognizant of the fact that adding 9 frags at once leaves me venerable to another potentially huge loss of investment and if I buy the frags separately, I will probably not be able to afford as many frags as I would like for the given time. I want to test more acros but its hard buying 1 small frag online for 40 dollars.

What would be the best advice to follow? My goals are the following
1. Eventually have an acro dominant top half of my reef
2. Minimize the chance of another huge loss of livestock
3. To not be so careful that I end up failing to start my acro endeavor.

Misc Notes:
50 gallon 36 x 16w x 20
2 x Kessill 160we
- 4 inches above water line
- lights are 8 inches apart to create a relatively light heavy center where I plan to keep the acros
- the perimeter of the tank will be for LPS only

- Reef Octopus 90 HOB
- CPR HOB Refugium with wildly growing chaeto and pods finally

Flow:
Vortech mp10 on 100%
Tunze 6045 on 100%

Ca: 400-420 (salifert)
Alk (ideally 8.9-9.3, but does sometimes swing 8.4-9.5)
Mag: 1400-1450
SG: 1.025 (ATO)
Po3: ~0.03
No3: ~5-10 ppm
pH: 8.3 (very steady)
30% WC every 2 weeks

- use acropower

Thanks for any input from your successful acro experiences.

 

[GoatmealJones]

Here are some pics of the SPS
(forgot to add I also have a stylophora frag and a small porite colony as well which seem to be thriving)


Red = Current SPS frags Green = Future acro area
160we's are appx 8 inches apart and 4' off surface

Current SPS:
Stylo
Porites (left)
Ice Acro (near stylo)
Melonberry Monti (right)

Color edited to try to emphasize polyp current extent of extension

Purple Rim Danae Monti

Close up Mellonberry Monti:

FTS

LPS Collection:

Acan Echinata:

Frogspawn and Scoly

"Pumpkin" Echinata

I hope these pictures give a general sense of where my tank is at as of now in regards to maturity, general health, etc. Again any input fully appreciated!

 

[LARedstickreefer]

Those Kessil lights might not be up to the task for Acroporas. How’s your coralline growing?

 

[Reefltx]

I think your tank is a bit young, sand looks clean as a whistle.

 

[jsvand5]

I’d just start with a few cheap and forgiving acro frags and see how they do. Maybe try a green slimer to start. I think you are probably fine though. Your other corals look good.

 

[GoatmealJones]

I think your tank is a bit young, sand looks clean as a whistle.

Just spent about 2 hours siphoning the sand actually, its been getting pretty mucky lately.

Ample corraline growth on surfaces (started with aquacultured LR).

Im not as concerned about the power of the Kessils given im only looking to grow acros within a 18 inch zone between 2 160's. The overlap between the two in the center should by my estimation be reasonably strong. The setup I have basically attempts to create an area of overlap in the center that emulates having 1 strong central light. I believe each 160we is 40w and the 360 are appx 90n watts, so if I concentrate the light via overlap I believe the light should be sufficient. That being said, Im not expecting any crazy growth. I just want to venture into keeping acros so that in 5-7 years when I can afford some 360's or radions I have a good foundation.

 

[MnFish1]

Just spent about 2 hours siphoning the sand actually, its been getting pretty mucky lately.

Ample corraline growth on surfaces (started with aquacultured LR).

Im not as concerned about the power of the Kessils given im only looking to grow acros within a 18 inch zone between 2 160's. The overlap between the two in the center should by my estimation be reasonably strong. The setup I have basically attempts to create an area of overlap in the center that emulates having 1 strong central light. I believe each 160we is 40w and the 360 are appx 90n watts, so if I concentrate the light via overlap I believe the light should be sufficient. That being said, Im not expecting any crazy growth. I just want to venture into keeping acros so that in 5-7 years when I can afford some 360's or radions I have a good foundation.

I'm not a big believer in the age of a tank being a big deal - as much as the stability of the parameters. Are your parameters stable? Do you have good systems to maintain the temp fairly constant, alkalinity, ca, etc? My recommendation (also heresy - I know) - try to get your coral from an LFS rather than by mail - at least at this starting point - since it lessens the stress of transport. Also - as others have said - perhaps an 'easier' sps - green slimer, etc would be a good choice - though - I have also had bad luck with "easy" corals - and good luck with "Difficult" corals.

Edit - I just re-read your post - I had thought your tank was wiped out - and that the pictures were of your tank before the problem. It certainly seems like you have lots of coral doing well - in fact if what you have 'grows' - you will not have more room in your tank for 9 more pieces of coral. Your tank and corals look great - perhaps not rocking the boat with 9 new frags would be a plan. PS - it does kind of sound like you are wanting to rush things - no offense - you asked. Keep up the good work.

 

[GoatmealJones]

thank you for your input. Yes, I am impatient and its hard to not bite the bullet and go ahead when everything has been going very well since the isolated RTN incident. Its hard because I was having legitimate success before introducing the maricultured colonies which just absolutely polluted my entire tank. It smelled terrible and I assume the deterioration of the acro flesh had a part in destablizing the systems chemistry. I also reason that since I started with actual aquacultured "Live Rock", my tank might not be as sterile as one started with dry rock. I have been curing the rock since February so the "system" has been established for almost 5 months now.


Here is some data I kept in a file pre - RTN event. I am specifically looking to tighen up ALK range and keep MG more steady. My tank is right next to my bed and desk, so it recieves a good share of my daily attention.

Here is a more "detailed" schematic of my light situation. Its messy but the main point is that IU only plan to keep acros either directly under each fixture of between the two fixtures, a region which would be reciving light from both sources overlap. Since my LR starts preetty deep in my setup, I have been thinking about even lowering them to 2/3 inches off the surface because I dont really need all the coverage for the full 36 inches. Will be growing GSP at the fringes and thats all really. I could potentially get the lights to be 8-10 inches above the acro line.