Acro Color Question

[BubbleAlgaeFarmer]

Below is a pic of my first acro that i got in March. I don’t think i’ve noticed growth, though recently i’m seeing a tad more color on the tips. Does this mean it is growing, like in the same sense as white tips that i see on my other SPS?

I’m a total acro newb.

 

[Reginald Reefer III]

I would say yes, that is potential growth tips. They typically look lighter and thinner than the existing base/branch. You have some PE there, so it's definitely not in bad shape. I don't see much growth at the base which acros commonly do prior to branching. Share your parameters - Salinity/Alk/Cal/NO3/PO4 (Mag is not really something to worry about as long as it's somewhere in the 1300ish range). Also what is your dosing regimen. Any trace? Acros are some of the most trace hungry corals there are and without that trace, they don't really do much other than survive in my experience.

 

[BubbleAlgaeFarmer]

Alk 9.4
Phos .14
Nitrates 11.1
Salinity 1.0255

Phos is high as i had been fighting zero nutrients and my overfeeding overshot my goal quite a bit. The chaeto sucks it all out and i expect this to remedy quickly. I dose All For Reef and calcium, mag, and alk have always been good. This reading is from 6/12, so I’m due to do some updated tests. Running AI 32s, which could go higher. I’m slowly walking them up.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I would turn the lights up, I agree, you should be seeing some basing out by now

 

[Reginald Reefer III]

Phosphate isn't high. Neither are nitrates.

Agreed on cranking up the light and make sure your flow is in good shape.

 

[Reginald Reefer III]

I also always suggest if you want to get serious with acros, that you get at least once every ~2-3 months an ICP-MS test just to get a baseline of where everything is at. You may be very deficient in something like strontium or one of the other minor traces that absolutely play a role in the health of SPS. Once that's dialed in and you maintain stability, you should see it really take off.

Acros grow like weeds once they have what they need. Until then, they kinda just plod along and don't do much.

 

[BubbleAlgaeFarmer]

Thank you for the input. I’ll get an ICP and post my results when i get them.