Acro Help! (Again)

[Mckreef]

Ok. Need some help. I had a previous similar post and since have done an ICP test to see what’s going on and really nothing. I keep purchasing basic Acros and cannot get them to survive no matter what. Here is the previous thread - https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/acro-help.1092297/

Since this try in February I got an ICP test completed and all parameters were exactly in line with my Hanna tests. Only thing elevated was silicon which was also in my RO water of course.

Fast forward to this week. Took advantage of the Cherry Coral sale and picked up a WWC heartbreaker and a PC rainbow. Don’t think these are too high end or high maintenance. Put them in the tank on Tuesday. No dip. No acclimation. Just floated to match temp and put them right on the frag rack.

Tank is a 45G JBJ lit by a Kessil A360X.

Now 5 days later the PC Rainbow is losing tissue and will be dead in a day just like the last time. Heartbreaker does seem to have some polyps extending which is encouraging. Both are on a frag rack with other Acros (see pics).

Parameters are super stable. In fact they are pretty much the same as when I posted in Feb but I did raise my Nitrate per suggestion in the thread and my phos is a little higher as well. I even tested the water the frags came in just to have more data.

What am I doing wrong here? I really want to get to Acro level and add some more but what am I not getting? Is it the lighting?

Current parameters
Temp - 80
Salinity - 35
PH - 8.1
Alk - 9.0
Ca - 470
Mg - 1440
Nitrate - 31
Phos - 0.05

Bag frags came in
Salinity - 32
Ph - 8.3
Alk - 7.7
Ca - 420
Nitrate - 32
Phosphate - 0.02

 

[Catawba_Valley_Reef]

Do you know what your par levels are?

Also, the corals went from 7.7 to 9 dkh alk instantly.

I would consider lowering your alk to 8/8.5.

Do the corals stn or rtn? Does it happen from the base up?

 

[Mckreef]

Do you know what your par levels are?

Also, the corals went from 7.7 to 9 dkh alk instantly.

I would consider lowering your alk to 8/8.5.

Do the corals stn or rtn? Does it happen from the base up?

So the PC Rainbow is now have bare started from the base up so I would say it’s pretty rapid.

Last time I checked PAR was in the 200ish range where they are on the frag rack.

Def agree on the Alk. I actually dialed back my AFR to very slowly lower that.

Do you think insufficient PAR would cause tissue loss that fast? I do need to rent a PAR meter again and have been considering an A500X

 

[Catawba_Valley_Reef]

So the PC Rainbow is now have bare started from the base up so I would say it’s pretty rapid.

Last time I checked PAR was in the 200ish range where they are on the frag rack.

Def agree on the Alk. I actually dialed back my AFR to very slowly lower that.

Do you think insufficient PAR would cause tissue loss that fast? I do need to rent a PAR meter again and have been considering an A500X

I don’t think a par of 200 would be the issue. From the base up could be phosphate deficiency.

You listed your po4 at .05, but is it possible that it bottomed out at all? If you are using a hanna checker there is a margin if error and .05 might be close to zero.

I would try increasing your po4 to .10 and see how things do. This way, you know for sure it didn’t bottom out.

I’ve had way more issues with low po4 than high.