Fading tips on 2 week old acro colony

[rav3n]

My recently introduced acro colony from about 2 weeks ago, tips are starting to fade white. I wouldn't imagine it would start growing already?

Params-
Temp: 80.0
ALk 8.0
PO .05
CA 355
MG 1360

It's currently under a hydra 2600 (dual led) and a hydra prime (single led). Those lights are 5 inches above the water and the acro is about 3 quarters away down from the water line In somewhat direct light close to the bottom. (About 12 inches to water line). The hydras are at 100% all blues and 40% white for 6 hours with gradual drop off before and after for 2 hours.

 

[Pife]

Looks to be settling in to me.

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[rav3n]

I figured, woke up this morning and found a chunk of flesh missing, guessing rtn, not sure how though. My alk was fine. I added calcium to compensate the low CA reading, maybe All took a dive.

 

[rav3n]

Did a test this morning.
Alk 7.7
CA 375

These changes are expected cause I added calcium to compensate, but would this upset the coral,I thought these are good numbers? Confused...

 

[reefmutt]

How old is the system?
What are n and p?
Where did the corals come from?
Are they your first acro additions?
Do you add any additives?
It may not have anything to do with the lights, your settings aren't bad but the lights are pretty close to the water surface.. maybe start with raising the ligjts another 5 inches?
The whitening tips would indicate light stress to me but not the rtn..
Maybe more than one thing going on here..

 

[rav3n]

The system in total is a over 1 yr, been in the new tank for 3 months.

Nitrates no2 is 0
Nitrates no3 is < 10ppm

These are not my first acros,I have about 10 more in the tank, closer to the lights super happy.

I only use esv two part (alkalinity part only) maybe once a week if I need to for ALK, otherwise no additives. I just used the calcium part for the first time as Ca dropped.

I guess I could raise the lights. My suspicion is leaning towards lighting


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[rav3n]

Also the acro came from an acro only private dealer. Very nice pieces under metal haylieds . I've meant to ask him what his ALK is

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[rav3n]

As the lights are coming on more flesh is just peeling away from this acro, starting to look pretty bad..

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[rav3n]

My temperature dropped .5 degrees to 79.5 and the CA jumped from 355 to 375 , alk dropped from 8.0 to 7.7. my guess is these things changing, this coral just didn't like. This is my best guess..

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[reefmutt]

Well, if the other acros are happy, maybe this one just wasn't going to make it from the beginning.
Yes those small changes to an unacclimated and maybe stressed coral could put it over the edge..

 

[jda]

Is this a wild piece? If so, then don't sweat it too much... wild stuff is really hard under even the best water parameters and lights.

Healthy acropora can easily tolerate all of the things that you listed. Unhealthy ones might be able to handle a few, but then one more means death.

 

[Geeray]

I personally wouldn't make a Bunch of changes if everything else is happy. You might tick everything else off.

 

[rav3n]

I feel like it might be better to only buy frags instead of colonies as a colony may be more acclimated then a younger growing frag

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[rav3n]

Is this a wild piece? If so, then don't sweat it too much... wild stuff is really hard under even the best water parameters and lights.

Healthy acropora can easily tolerate all of the things that you listed. Unhealthy ones might be able to handle a few, but then one more means death.

I can find out, but it sure looks like a common wild acro, and the seller was eager to get rid of it for some reason

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[lynchmob3000]

I dunno if this is the cause but I do know esv is supposed to be use equal parts and if you don't you can really disturb the water chemistry.


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[lynchmob3000]

I just read your ca was 355. If this is true then you should have been dosing equal parts of both esv but you haven't. Being at 355 sps can and will get ugly and start doing things like this until corrected. Been there done that bc of a bad dosing head.


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[rav3n]

I dunno if this is the cause but I do know esv is supposed to be use equal parts and if you don't you can really disturb the water chemistry.


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It would seem probable cause this thing literally dropped dead 10 hours after I dosed only calcium from the two part.

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[jda]

Healthy SPS can withstand everything listed on here. Stress from shipping, many tank moves, etc. can really make a difference. Nobody wants to hear this, but acropora under LED and lower light levels also cannot withstand alk/parameter swings, shipping, nutrient changes and the like as well as ones on T5 and MH. The bottom line is that this was probably not you... definitely get your parameters more in line, but don't do anything crazy because of this.

Wild acros are hard. They can really pay off with some beautiful pieces, but if you have success with one in four, then you are ahead of most.

 

[lynchmob3000]

I totally agree that under led your lines of stability seem to be a much smaller window


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