Why can't I keep acros?

[buddie]

check your magnesium,iodide, tds on ro top off

 

[Horace]

Also in my experience, the monti Digi especially can take MUCH more light than most SPS. You can and have to really blast the crap out of some of them to get full color, where acros, though they need alot of light too, dont always need as much to stay colorful. I think both will be fine with the above recommendations.

 

[dirtyreefer]

If your Ca has been consistently low as you mentioned, you should test for Mg.

IMO, Ca, Alk and Mg are all equally important and should be monitored on a somewhat regular basis.

 

[rags111875]

thanks to all for replying. i changed my timers for my lights last night. only reduced them by 1 hour for this week. next week will be another hour and so on, until i get to 5 hours a day. anyone know where i can get a good test kit for alk and mg? speaking of mg, is there a good article somewhere on the importance of mg and how to raise/lower it?

 

[mhurley]

I would recommend Salifert for Calcium, Alk and Mg tests. You can get them at the usual suspects of vendors...Premium Aquatics, Marine Depot...etc.

Here's some articles on Mg from our resident chemistry guru, Randy:

Magnesium and Strontium

Strontium and the Reef Aquarium
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2003/chem.htm

Magnesium in Reef Aquaria
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/oct2003/chem.htm

Magnesium and Strontium in Limewater
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/dec2003/chem.htm

 

[PITSTOP]

Dude - you can lower your light quickly...you only need to go slow when you are increasing - unplug 1 of your 400's...

 

[rags111875]

If there is one thing I've learned so far is to never do anything quickly. I feel that a progressive lowering of my light exposure is the proper way to go, since everything is thriving under those conditions right now and I dont currently have any acro in my tank. I'd hate to 'upset' the current inhabitants to get ready for future additions. it's not as simple as just turning off one of my halides. With the tank being 60" long, it clearly looks alot darker with any bulbs off. Perhaps I can lessen the 250W MH over the center of the tank, as the 400's (over each end) fill with light pretty good. But it is still noticable when any bulbs are off.

 

[PITSTOP]

you know, I did not know your tank is 60" long....your approach is justified...do you drip Kalkwasser? If not, start doing so 1-2 liters per week....clear liquid only!

 

[jay24k]

I don't think it is light IMO. Alot of people do run a lower photoperiod but not all work out as planned. I run around 8 hrs a day and I'm upping it by 1. I notice brighter colors with more light. A buddy dropped his down to 3 hrs a day and every coral is browning out. There are others who have no issues though.

I would drop down to 8 hrs a day and I don't think a quick drop would shock any corals at all. See how 8 hrs a day do for you.

Do your SPS bleach out, RTN, or STN? That definetly helps in determining some of the issues. If it is a slow bleach, then light intensity.

IF they are wild colonies, many wild colonies have low success rate and need high high flow. If it is RTN, it could be unstable parameters in the tank.

I personally wouldn't drip kalk until you find out the true problem. If you are keeping your values consistent, then I would wait till you see a difference in sps that you are keeping or buying. Too many changes won't let you know what the problem was.

 

[rags111875]

these are not wild colonies (though my first attempt at one was). i actually already drip kalk every other night in small quantities. it seems that at first whenever i added an acro, it's polyps would extend for a week or two and then the decline occured quickly, polyps not showing and then bleaching in about a couple weeks time for a small frag.

 

[mikeguerrero]

Rags,

With your temp swimg of +/- 3 is this falling/raising all within a 24 hour window?

Or is it happening every 1-3 hours?

MG

 

[rags111875]

MG-
Within about a day or 2. I find that it takes awhile to get 150+ total gallons to change temp that quickly since it's in my basement...although there was this one time last summer..........

Anyway folks, i'm off for a week of skiing. God bless all the inhabitants of my tank while i am away and they are in the care of my older bro.

I dread my return home next week at what I am going to find. I wont have internet access and cell reception will be lousy, if at all.

Thanks all for replying. I'll do some reading. You all gave some ideas and i've printed out alot of material from RC to keep me busy.

 

[mikeguerrero]

Rags,

That window of temp increase/decrease is very acceptable, so you may rule out temps....

I do know acros hate the sudden shift in temps more than other corals in my experience....

MG

 

[rags111875]

Thanks.
I'm gonna look at the following as possible causes:
1. circulation
2. light cycle
3. alk and mg
4. raise my calc
5. i will stop spot feeding them and let nature (er- make that man-made nature) take its course.
So, when I feel that I can improve upon #1,3,& 4, I will attempt another acro and report back my results.

 

[jay24k]

Well, Ihave a temp swing of about 2 to 3 degrees daily with no issues.
My light cycle is 8 hrs a day.
I do not add anything for MG at least yet and I know it's lower.
My alk/calc is stable however.
I have spot feeded before but I gotten lazy.

Do you run carbon? Sorry if you mentioned it before but just seeing a few things. I would say something in the water or light. Even a lower flow I don't think would make all of them not die. I only have about 20 times turnover in my tank.

keep us updated.

 

[clkwrk]

Husbandry ,stability and water quality come to mind .

Beautiful sps tanks require their daily attention and utmost supervision IMO

 

[exo]

Temp. is the # 1 coral and clam killer in my tank..Vacation last summer caused lots of RTN and 3 dead clams over the next 2 weeks, with a temp swing from 77deg to 85 in 6 hr period. Recorded by my PCM> chiller failure and MH cooking away...Now have 2 chillers on different brakers.