Acropora frag looking pretty rough...

[Brian7002]

Been 10" or so directly under 150W MH with moderate flow for 2-3 weeks.

Normal?

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/lBK588JXY4w2zGf2xPwZmcbup2dHvK2YSurabOUXCyg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_ai_r7N-Wjf4/TXL3vV13cCI/AAAAAAAASRI/7cm0ScdJOs0/s800/IMG_1324.JPG" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/bkfitz/Aquarium?authkey=Gv1sRgCK2Q0cyh0bi_cg&feat=embedwebsite">aquarium</a></td></tr></table>

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/vLexv1EeJ-rF66t2zuoV0cbup2dHvK2YSurabOUXCyg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_ai_r7N-Wjf4/TXL3wJ-jHKI/AAAAAAAASRM/69ytcDD7vXo/s800/IMG_1325.JPG" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/bkfitz/Aquarium?authkey=Gv1sRgCK2Q0cyh0bi_cg&feat=embedwebsite">aquarium</a></td></tr></table>

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/IcLI8JiZZsKB3zXIGE6dnMbup2dHvK2YSurabOUXCyg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_ai_r7N-Wjf4/TXL3xBXdy0I/AAAAAAAASRQ/IJp8y2YBVT8/s800/IMG_1326.JPG" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/bkfitz/Aquarium?authkey=Gv1sRgCK2Q0cyh0bi_cg&feat=embedwebsite">aquarium</a></td></tr></table>

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/V2Vcj_BsO7cpEFEEoTDOwsbup2dHvK2YSurabOUXCyg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_ai_r7N-Wjf4/TXL3x_ubPzI/AAAAAAAASRU/bupqcTJeODc/s800/IMG_1327.JPG" height="600" width="800" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/bkfitz/Aquarium?authkey=Gv1sRgCK2Q0cyh0bi_cg&feat=embedwebsite">aquarium</a></td></tr></table>

 

[iap]

What did it look like to begin with?

 

[Brian7002]

White.

 

[reeferlover]

gonna die. it should have not been glued that way. straight up next time

 

[Mikey122687]

Yea you can't save it, it looks almost completely dead

 

[steelhead77]

Why was it glued like that? Acros grow like trees, You wouldn't plant a tree like that would you?

Oh, and it's a goner. Sorry.

 

[NewSchool04]

gonna die. it should have not been glued that way. straight up next time

That isn't true. A lot of people mount their acros horizontally so they can grow a large base in the beginning. That would have nothing to do with your frag dying.

Unfortunately it looks like the acro is dead.

 

[Fish4Me2]

It looks like it might already be dead and growing algae. You have my sympathies: more than one frag in my tank has looked like that over the years.

 

[smtank]

First I would move it down in the tank.

I glue my frags like that all the time, it increases the surface area exposed to the light and makes them encrust faster with better growth IME. I would have a bunch of dead acropora frags if gluing them horizontal were indeed an issue.

Hard to tell from the image if there is any tissue left. If you can get an image of in underwater.

Good luck

 

[Toddrtrex]

That isn't true. A lot of people mount their acros horizontally so they can grow a large base in the beginning. That would have nothing to do with your frag dying.

Unfortunately it looks like the acro is dead.

Yep, I have done it myself, and they really seem to take off like that -- and I agree that it being mounted that way didn't kill it.

 

[Brian7002]

The guy I got the frag from says he prefers to glue them horizontally bc it provides more surface area for the lights... he's a long time reefer.

What did I do wrong? Levels are all good... new bulb in the MH...

PS - I also have two monti frags, one green tiny on a plug, and an orange one ~ 3" square that I see what I believe to be good polyp extension on... tiny little feather duster looking things all over the top surface that come out when the lights are on.

PPS - when we glued the acro, it took two attempts with superglue... could it be that having to glue it twice damaged enough of the surface area that it croaked?

 

[Brian7002]

bounce

 

[iap]

Yea the mounting position has nothing to do with it. When you say directly under the light..what do you mean? You probably should have started it on the very bottom of the tank and moved it up slowly over a few weeks.

Also sometimes they just die. I have gotten frags before and did everything right and they still ended up dying.

 

[mike810]

You can mount a frag anyway and it will still grow under good conditions. You probably should have started your frag at the bottom and move it up (light acclimation) If it bleached on you then it got shocked by the light. If it rtn/stn on you, well it just happens and nobody really knows why. Check your params

Looks like its dead and growing algae on it...sorry

 

[mcoomer]

It's hard to tell without seeing the coral in the water but I don't see any flesh in your photo so I'm afraid if it isn't dead it's in very bad shape. I'd move it further down in the tank for awhile and see what happens.

As for mounting frags sideways, I've got 3 in my frag tank right now. For smallish frags I always mount them that way and once they heal and begin to grow they really tank off. I've found that I generally get several branches growing out of the frag when mounted horizontally. Works for me.

Mike

 

[jimrawr]

Parameters? Acros are very sensitive to alk swings. If the person you got it from had a higher alk than you and you didnt acclimate it, and keeping it in a 6dkh alk range, then that could be your cause. First rule of thumb is to test everything

 

[mcoomer]

Would you please post your calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium numbers? If you post up nitrate and phosphates that would be a bonus.

Thanks,
Mike