Acropora Hoek - Dyeing or Adjusting?

[chrisdim]

Im new to SPS...

Have had this Hoek for about 3-4 weeks now, love it, however i have noticed that the undersides of some of the branches are dieing off.

I test my water on a daily basis.

1.025
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 0 pretty much
phosphates 0.02
alk 8.2 (this has recently been around 7.7 which I know is low but i believe its to do with my salt brand, but have been dosing regularly to keep it in check)
magnesium 1350
calcium 410

To me it looks like its to do with its positioning, the areas dyeing off are shaded as you can see in the before and after photos. I have a Radion xr30w for lighting and x2 mp10's for flow, so i feel like the lighting and flow is sufficient, just not in the right places?

If i leave it where it is will it continue to die, or will it just be the shaded areas?

as i said i am new to sps so im open to any help or suggestions.

cheers

 

[chrisdim]

just wanted to add please note the growth on the caliendrum just behind, i know its an easier and faster growing coral but to me is an indicator that the water quality lighting and flow is ok???

 

[MammothReefer]

something is off, it's defiantly receding from the bottom up. Alk swings can be an issue, and can cause this. I would say just try to keep things stable and get your numbers back where they were when things were good. I've had corals come back from this type of recession.

 

[chrisdim]

thanks for the reply.

You dont think its an issue with lighting? as i say the areas that are receeding are highly shaded

 

[Whisperer]

Shaded areas of an acropora do not lose tissue and die. They become smoother, almost devoid of polyps but retain tissue. You are losing the coral probably STN. It may stop or it may continue until entire coral dies.

 

[chrisdim]

anything I can do to prevent this?

 

[sahin]

This is a very fragile Acro. Do a search on this forum and you will see that what is happening to yours, happened to many others - even seasoned SPS keepers. I sourced a frag from another reefkeeper and it STN after a couple of weeks and died. I then got a piece from a vendor - this was wild grown. It too STN'd, but I managed to save tiny frags which then survived. These frags were killed off months later by AEFW's. A thrid frag from a different reefkeeper did just fine and grew nicely with excellent colour, but this was also killed off by AEFW's. If the tissue continues to recede, then frag the branches.

 

[karsseboom]

Yeah that's coral is on its way for sure. Just frag it and try to save some of it.

 

[chrisdim]

Just an update and another thought. I fragged the coral, got about 6 pieces out of it hopefully they will survive.

However, I did notice my Yellow Coral Goby 'nipping' at the frags i made. I know he used to sit on this coral.

Is it reasonable to think that this may have been what caused the issue. I have heard stories that they nip at the flesh to prepare the coral for eggs?

 

[sahin]

Just an update and another thought. I fragged the coral, got about 6 pieces out of it hopefully they will survive.

However, I did notice my Yellow Coral Goby 'nipping' at the frags i made. I know he used to sit on this coral.

Is it reasonable to think that this may have been what caused the issue. I have heard stories that they nip at the flesh to prepare the coral for eggs?

Those Yellow Coral Gobies can be quite harmful for SPS as they nip the SPS coral polyps. They also clean a section of the coral for nesting purposes.

I used to keep them in previous tanks, but since I went mainly SPS I no longer keep them. If kept in a tank full of established SPS colonies then the damage to one particular coral is less.

 

[ghostman]

I have had horrible luck with hoeks despite success with almost every other SPS out there. Your success with the birds nest, and stable tank parameters should indicate that you are doing everything right. Everything I've read indicates that hoeks love to be blasted with light, so maybe putting it as high as you can might help.

 

[bonsaireef90]

Keep on churning!

 

[chrisdim]

Thanks for all the replys! I knew the hoek was a difficult coral but I liked the idea of the challenge! all the crags I made have unfortunately died, but I won't let it phase me. I splashed out on x2 mp10s and the radion light unit to keep these guys. The hystrix and calks drum are growing well but I want to get some others.

Are all acros this difficult?

I want something that won't die on me but has good growth and colour (what we all want I'm sure). Any suggestions?

I have seen a nice tricolour acro at my LFS the I'm tempted with.

 

[ghostman]

Tricolors are easier, slimmers are pretty easy too. I love torts for their shape and colors. You could get a nice Cali tort that would have a similar color to the hoek. Montis are always nice too!!!! All are much easier than the hoeks IME.

 

[prop-frags]

Are all acros this difficult?

I want something that won't die on me but has good growth and colour (what we all want I'm sure). Any suggestions?

No. IME, hoeks are sensitive (need very stable water quality, lighting, etc.), and thus are really challenging to keep.

There are some acro species that are colorful and more tolerant than hoeks (some millis, tenuis, formosa, yongei), but generally you'll need to get stable water parms before moving to sps, or it will be a frustrating and costly thing.

 

[chrisdim]

yes well atm I have the calliendrum, a pink hysterix. a red monti, green monti, purple polyped monti, and a digitata, all of which i have seen good growth on over the last month. So i think i will be okay with other types, i just think maybe the hoek was an exceptionally difficult one.