Acro help

[miggs76]

I'm in need of some help/advice. I'm having a really rough time keeping acro frags alive. Here is the background:

I have a 60 gallon cube with a Radion LED. The tank has been set up since May of 2012. I am lightly stocked with 2 clowns, a yellow watchman goby, a clown goby, and a six line wrasse. I'm 95% SPS with a lot of different types of montipora and stylophora that are all doing well. I'm on my 4th acro frag and each one stn'd after about 2 weeks. My parameters are as follows:

Nitrate (undetectable with Silifert)
Phosphate .02
Calcium 420
Alk 8.5
Temp 78
Salinity 1.025
Mag 1350
I change 15% water weekly
I hand dose 2 part daily but will be getting an Apex Lite within a month so I'll be using that to dose soon.

What am I missing? Is it the LEDs that the acros dont like? Is it the fact that the tank is 10 months old? I really want some acros to grow. Any help is appreciated.

 

[rovster]

How are you acclimating them? Acros can be sensitive. Also, any chance you could be dealing with AEFWs?

 

[footballdude2k3]

Without knowing anything else, my guess is that you are not properly acclimating them to the light

 

[miggs76]

No flatworms at all. Im putting them low, then moving them up every few days. Any suggestions?

 

[footballdude2k3]

It is not going to be the LED's, if they are really the Radions, I know a lot of people that have had a lot of success there. It might have to do with the age of the tank. What do you have for flow? Do you have a sump?

What is happening to them? Are they turning brown or white? Do you ever see the polyps? is anything ever harassing them? How many have you tried?

 

[miggs76]

I have an mp10 and an mp40 so plenty of flow for the size of the tank. The polyps are out for a few days then they retract. The acros generally get lighter but not a complete bleaching.

 

[miggs76]

I have a sump and reef octopus skimmer too

 

[footballdude2k3]

How big is the sump? What is the total water volume? Which octopus skimmer? Have pictures of the process of this happening? Have an ATO?

 

[miggs76]

18 gallon sump....total water of about 60 gallons after live rock...Diablo 160 skimmer and yes i have an ato

 

[miggs76]

any advice?

 

[igot2gats]

How about some pics? They could help.

 

[power boat jim]

Where are you getting the frags from? Do they have good color before you put them in? Also LEDs can be tough on new coral, place them at the bottom in a slightly shaded area like under a tank brace. Leave them there at least a week.

 

[miggs76]

Each of the past 3 acro frags died, so I have tossed them. I am getting the frags from people in my local reef club. I can try putting them in the shade for a week and see how that goes.

 

[Palting]

What kinds of acros have you tried? No acro is really easy like LPS/softies, but some are less difficult than others. An example of a not so difficult acro is Monti cap or a slimmer.

 

[eg8r210]

You might have an issue with stability. Those are your measurements on that day but what about across a week or more? I notice problems right away when Alk is not stable.

 

[Arkayology]

Are you running GFO or biopellets? Your water might be nutrient poor. Just a thought.

 

[animalkingdom]

What kinds of acros have you tried? No acro is really easy like LPS/softies, but some are less difficult than others. An example of a not so difficult acro is Monti cap or a slimmer.

monti = not an acro

OP...double check param swings as others mentioned.

 

[Palting]

monti = not an acro

LOL!! You are definitely wrong there, my friend . Montipora capricornis, or Monti cap for short, belongs to the Family Acroporidae. You know, the SPS corals? There is indeed a genus Acropora, also within the family Acroporidae. Perhaps this is where you are limiting your definition of an acro?

Here is a link to a site we are all familiar with, with reference to Montipora capricornis: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=597+1492+2293+1812&pcatid=1812 . To save you all the trouble, here's a quote from the site: "The Red/Orange Montipora capricornis Coral is a small polyp stony (SPS) coral often referred to as Vase Coral."

Like I said, some acros are not as hard to care for as others. Some can even tolerate parameter swings. It would be interesting to know which one's the OP has tried.

 

[miggs76]

Are you running GFO or biopellets? Your water might be nutrient poor. Just a thought.

I'm running GFO and carbon. What nutrients would need to be increased?

 

[miggs76]

LOL!! You are definitely wrong there, my friend . Montipora capricornis, or Monti cap for short, belongs to the Family Acroporidae. You know, the SPS corals? There is indeed a genus Acropora, also within the family Acroporidae. Perhaps this is where you are limiting your definition of an acro?

Here is a link to a site we are all familiar with, with reference to Montipora capricornis: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=597+1492+2293+1812&pcatid=1812 . To save you all the trouble, here's a quote from the site: "The Red/Orange Montipora capricornis Coral is a small polyp stony (SPS) coral often referred to as Vase Coral."

Like I said, some acros are not as hard as others. It would be interesting to know which one's the OP has tried.

I've had a red dragon, strawberry shortcake, and purple bonzai
I have no trouble at all keeping montiporas