IMO the most important part of getting into SPS is getting together a great QT system and learning everything you can about dipping because dealing with AEFW is probably the worst experience you will ever face as a reefer. It is a horrible feeling to learn you have AEFW and that you are going to lose a lot of money, a lot of growth, and a lot of coral and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.
However, acros are pretty resiliient as long as their needs are met. I have never had an acro brown out during bringing it home from a local hobbyist, but have had acros brown from shipping. Even snipping off fresh frags from a friends tank, not mounting them and tossing them into QT for a couple weeks has never caused much browning. Even acros coming from AEFW treatment half dead and poo brown have regrown any shed/eaten flesh and colored right back up in just a few short weeks.
I never really acclimate SPS because other than temperature because I don't keep my lighting all that high (because of the mixed reef) and because dipping is far more harsh than slight changing parameters. If they can survive a poison bath, they can survive a one-time 2 or 3 dKH swing.
As long as your Alkalinity is very stable, you have adequate flow, decent lighting, and your phosphates are below 0.05ppm or 0.06ppm you will get pretty good color. The longer they are in stable, low phosphate conditions the better they will look. You can start tweaking things like potassium and amino acids, but that is really fine tuning and unless you already have great color it isn't going to do all that much. Powerful lighting isn't all that important anymore since it seems everyone today has lights capable of a gazillion PAR and plus, "high light" isn't the best for all acros. Starting at the bottom and moving them slowly up with a few months between moves until you get the best coloration is the best way to do it.
always use any dip - or medication for thst matter - in the proper strength for the proper amount of time.
