ORA Frags

[makdaddy386]

So I am new to all of this and I've set up a 30 gallon with a DIY 36 LED setup while waiting to build my 150 gallon. Anyways I have recently purchased several ORA SPS Frags from three different LFS. All of the stores seem to say the frags are gonna always brown out for the first month. And they also stated the frags shouldn't really expect growth for around a month either.

Is this true? My Pink Birdsnest, Orange Digitata and another unknown Acro are not very colorful at all. In fact the last LFS had some awesome fast growth on his frags but barely any color. Almost all frags were brown with only slight hints of purple, green, or pink. He said this is the most they will color up but ORA's farm site shows drastically different color.

And I do understand ORA's pictures are probably the best the corals could ever look. I would be happy to get half the color they have.

 

[makdaddy386]

I'm just anxious. I have only had all of the SPS frags for a week at most

 

[lilyost4290]

I only have two ORA corals, a green birdsnest and a red planet. I've had the birdsnest for about a month or so and the red planet for just over a week. Both have shown some growth in that time, and have kept their color extremely well with no browning. I think as long as you keep your params in check and provide good lighting and flow you should have no problems with color or growth. Good luck.

 

[jimrawr]

Growth can be pretty immediate yet slow, and you dont have to lose colors. How are you tank parameters, specifically CA/ALK?

 

[makdaddy386]

This is bad to say but I don't have a single test kit at the house so I don't know. I've just been taking a water sample to the LFS every week. I will find out and post it though.

 

[James404]

If you keep your nutrient levels low, provide adequate light and flow, as well as keep cal, alk and mag nice and stable you should be able to attain great coloration. Some species will grow quicker then others.

 

[saltygeek]

I'be had some frags brown and others keep color when first put in. They usually start encrusting within a week and start to color back up after a few weeks if they did brown out. You need to pick up some test kits because in thirty gallons its not easy to keep parameters steady. Good luck.

 

[nolanrob123]

I found out the hard way in my 28g that you have to watch ALL of the parameters. I let my mag drop just a little bit and noticed everything looking tired and some dying off. I checked everything and couldn't pinpoint it. It's funny how one thing off causes the rest to go with it.

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

I've set up a 30 gallon with a DIY 36 LED setup while waiting to build my 150 gallon.

You are going to need to do weekly water changes for the first 10 to 12 weeks or until you get the 150 gallon built.

 

[makdaddy386]

Alright I got the water tested today and the LFS said my parameters are pretty much spot on barring I could use a small drop in my ALK. The guy says my Calcium was 420 and my ALK was 10.5, everything else was zeroed out.

 

[makdaddy386]

I've got several chalices, a favia, a red goniopora, a pagoda cup, an unknown ORA which I bought browned out, an ORA Orange Digi, ORA Orange Cap, ORA Green Stylophora, ORA Pink Birdsnest, unknown Acro, etc. etc. I haven't had a single encrust yet. One week?! That's nuts. The only for sure growth I've seen is a couple new sprouts on my Goni and some tiny new polyps on the pagoda cup. What gives!!!!!

 

[bigt0706]

water stabilty , age of tank , flow would wory about adding alk at 10.5 what test kits were the using ? also mag leval and for a tank that size best way to maitain elments add leval is weekly water changes

 

[makdaddy386]

water stabilty , age of tank , flow would wory about adding alk at 10.5 what test kits were the using ? also mag leval and for a tank that size best way to maitain elments add leval is weekly water changes

ummmmmmm....I'm not sure if I got all of that but my tank has only been up and running for around 2 months now. I don't know what the Mag level is and the test kits were API I think except for the ALK which was some other brand.

 

[bigt0706]

with a tank that young it will be time untill u see great growth and color , 4-6months
sory meant to say wouldnt wory about adding alk at 10.5
u want shoot for around 400ish calcium , 8-10 dkh , u should be able to maintain these levals by week water changes
and the api alk test one of the reliable ones and then look into salifert or elos or one of those for mag and calcium

 

[makdaddy386]

why is that? I don't doubt it but I'm curious why that is if my water parameters are all in line.

 

[saltygeek]

The parameters are ok. Alk is a little high IMO. With a young tank you may not see growth right away on sps. They are saying to do weekly water changes because you are not dosing calcium or Alk. If they do start to grow, they will drop Alk and cal out quickly w/o dosing or water changes.

 

[mike810]

how are you topping off with fresh water? unless you have an ATO, I would bet your sg is not stable in that 30 gallon.

 

[cobra9]

I have a frag in my tank I put in a year ago that had zero growth for 10 months then the last 2 months has encrusted pretty well and doubled in size.

My experience is stability is key. Also age of tank also maters. Not sure why but it does. When my tank was new I got almost zero growth for months on all my corals. After a year or 2 you can see some growth in days sometimes.

 

[makdaddy386]

My SG is very stable actually. I just top off with fresh water when necessary. Every single time I get the water tested it's solid at 25.

 

[makdaddy386]

Here is some pics of the pieces which I have: