Cant keep deepwater Acro's alive, ARGGGH!

[reefsic]

It seems that everytime I aquire a deepwater type acropora, it does fine for a week or two then just perishes due to STN. So far, I've attemted a Phils Granulosa, 30K Lokani, and a Hawkins Echinata.

The 30K Lokani did very well for approx. 3-4 months with exceptional growth, then one day just RTN'd and turned all white. All of which I've kept in mid height of the tank. All other SPS (including Joe the Coral, Red Planet, mille's, monti's, MIA Orchid, valida's, hyacinthus, etc etc) thrive and have crazy PE and growth!

What gives??? Anyone else struggle to keep deepwaters alive? Do these typically prefer low light/low flow?

Info -
My tank is 109g/220g Total Volume
ULNS/SPS Dominant
MB7/Vodka Method w/ Activated Carbon
GEO CaRx/Kalk Stirrer w/ ATO
WM K2 Cone Skimmer
2x Tunze 6000 / 3x SunSun's (Koralia knockoffs)
6x80w w/ 2x IC 600 T5's (8hrs/day)

Parameters are all in line -
PH = 8.2
Sal = 1.024
dKH = 8.2
Ca = 420
Temp = 78-79f

Dosing Regimen -
AA, Iodine, Iron, Potassium, Vit-C (1x/week)
MB7 (every other day)
Vodka (daily)

 

[Logzor]

Problems like this can be a huge mystery, it's really hard to say why you have such trouble with deepwater acropora.

I would begin by cutting out the Iodine, Iron, Potassium, and maybe the Vitamin C. Perhaps the deepwater species are sensitive to elevated amounts of those compounds.

Are you using a test kit for these parameters?

Once established these corals should be just as easy to keep as the rest of the acropora that you have. I know for a fact that the hawkins, for some reason, dies when it is exposed to Revive, this leads me to believe that it and other deepwater acros might be sensitive to other things...

Are any of your corals pale?

 

[reefsic]

I'll do away with the additional compounds to see if there are any improvements. Some (but not all) of my corals are pale. I used to be on the Full Zeovit Method about a year ago and slowly transitioned away from it, and gradually moved over to MB7+Vodka to keep ULNS. Iodine, Iron, Potassium and VitC were always apart of my dosing regimen and worked well for me, so I stuck with it.

Water is tested using a combo of ELOS and Salifert kits.

 

[ritter6788]

Are you dipping them before adding to the tank? I've heard corals like the ORA Hawkins are sensitive to coral dips such as Coral Rx.

 

[Ostentum]

Your ULNS might be the problem, my Hawkins is in the middle of my tank about 19 inches underneath the light, the 30k is about the same placement except it is on the left side of my tank about 8 inches from an MP40. I have two additional deepwater acros(color like the purple monster) one is on my BB the other is 2 inches from the top of the tank about 11 inches underneath the light both have moderate to high flow. No issues colors look great colors are the same on the PM deepwaters. Tank is 5 feet long with an MP40 on each side of the tank total flow is about 7000 gph in a 110g. All of the corals were dipped in revive when I got them. These acros really didnt take off until I stabilized my alk and calcium recently with the addition of a calcium reactor. You shouldnt have to dose Fe and Potassium that often, I bet you have alot of green shimmer in your acros.

 

[reefsic]

^^^
Not that much green shimmer. Purples are purple, reds are red, and so fourth. I just cant keep deepwaters, successfully.

I've stopped dosing Fe, Potassium, VitC and all the other additives to see if there are any improvements.