Strawberry Shortcake health

[markalot]

I've had my UC SSC for almost a year now. It's been in two different tanks, the current tank for a little over 9 months. It hasn't died, it's never even receded, but it refuses to maintain decent color or show any growth besides slowly encrusting.

6 months ago.

9 months ago

I'd like some opinions on exactly what this coral prefers so I can make changes or move it if needed (including giving it to someone else!).

I use Salifert test kits.

KH steady near 8.0
Calcium ~ 440
Mag ~ 1500

PO4 typically runs below .05 using a GFO reactor

Nitrates had been elevated at around 15 but I've since dropped them using NOPOX to ~ 2.

PAR on this coral is near 400, flow is high.

Assume I'm an idiot and missing something obvious.

 

[cleverbs]

I got a Aussie SC about a month ago that was very white. Bleached out from shipping, over a week the color went from white to a redish brown on the coralites. the SC is a small colony not even a mimi colony but is maybe 3" tall with 4-5 branches. Last week a was moving some rock around and hit the coral and nocked a 1/2" tip off of it. So I glued that tip to a frag plug and its already almost fully red and green. The main frag has started to get a lot more color in the area it broke off. My point to telling you this is some people think that if a frag has just been encrusting and slowly growing some times breaking a bit of the tip off with start it growing.

Another example of this is a I have milki stylo that in 2 weeks totally encrused its large frag plug and it was just a single branch. The branch never grew at all so I nocked the tip off (broke didnt cut I think this is important) and the tip I broke off 2 proabably 2 weeks ago has now grown 2 new tips and has stopped encrusting and showing visual signs of growth in the tips every day. Maybe try this?

Also if the lights really high and the flow is strong on the coral I think they tend to encrust to give them selfs a really good base to start growing and they grow thicker branches as well so they need a larger base.

 

[markalot]

Thanks for the reply. Do you have pictures of your SSC for comparison?

 

[toothman]

Looks healthy, a good strong base will really help the coral prosper in the future. Possibly try some brightwell amino acids, fauna marin color elements 3 bottles. One additive is zeovit phols extra special, really deepens coral's colors, a very good additive with no real down side. I will almost guarantee if you try phol's you will see much more color in 2 weeks as well as some aminos.

My colony is in 450 parr, high flow. Has all green color with red tips. Your water conditions look great. Sorry not in this picture but gives you a idea of what I am doing.

 

[markalot]

Thanks toothman, that is a beautiful shot! My reds are very limited at the moment so I might try a few additives to see if I can find whatever I might be missing.

I have this acro just a foot to the right in seemingly more flow, but a different variety.

This is where I'm at. Lots of brown and still young SPS.

 

[cleverbs]

no I am sorry I dont have pictures. I would agree with the above post about amino acids, I have seen great improvment in my corals after using it in only a couple days

Much better PE and my blues and reds are already looking better

 

[toothman]

I would also say watch dropping your nitrates too low, make sure there is still a trace or else your acros will get drab chalky looking. My best success has been keeping my kh at 7, this seems to be paramount. Phos .02-,03, nitrate 1 ish. It is not a bad idea to test your potassium also, salifert kits you really can not find them any more. Red sea makes one but the test takes 20 mins, but I think it is the only option for k now. Also do not add a bunch of gfo to drop your phos, it will shock the system. Or feed less. Best way to drop phos is with water change and/or some type of carbon dosing, I have been using faunna marin over zeo for the last 2 months and like it better than zeo which I have used on and off for years.. If you are interesting in trying what I do pm me and I will tell you what 4 products to buy. It is not real expensive compared to zeo additives.

Add aminos also.

 

[markalot]

I would also say watch dropping your nitrates too low, make sure there is still a trace or else your acros will get drab chalky looking. My best success has been keeping my kh at 7, this seems to be paramount. Phos .02-,03, nitrate 1 ish. It is not a bad idea to test your potassium also, salifert kits you really can not find them any more. Red sea makes one but the test takes 20 mins, but I think it is the only option for k now.

Add aminos also.

I did not know Salifert stopped making the Potassium kit. I have one and while it's a pain it's not 20 minutes! It tested a bit low but not much. I put in the occasional cap full of Brightwell Potassion.

I had been using AcroPower but recently switched to Fuel to see if it made any difference. Fuel smells like old coffee.

I could let my KH slowly fall to 7.0 but I like the extra insurance of around 8KH just in case. I'll keep it on the list of things to try though! Thanks again for the ideas.

 

[toothman]

salifert is easy, sorry about confusion, red sea take 20 mins. It really doesn't matter that much with kh until you get phosphate down lower than .03. Most people seem to forget that nsw has a kh of 7.2, I shoot for 7 to 7.5. Have heard good reports about acropower, I think it is a carbon source, never used it. Should have similar effects as the fauna additives or biofuel. Either way go slow and try to change 15 gals a week, in your tank.