Can my dying acro be saved?

[VB313]

Been slowly turning white for bout 2 weeks now can I save it?

 

[29bonsaireef]

Honestly, looking like a goner imo.. sorry. Do yo have other SPS?

 

[VB313]

Honestly, looking like a goner imo.. sorry. Do yo have other SPS?

dang..... no this was my first try

 

[29bonsaireef]

Post up your water parameters/lighting so we can have a better idea what went wrong, and where you need to start to fix the issue.

 

[VB313]

I have a 32 gal biocube over a year old with the stock LED lights
I upgraded the tanks filtration to intank media basket floss/purigen/chemipure blue
Plan on starting a intank refugium very soon
I replaced the stock return pump with a higher gph pump from innovative marine for better flow runing jebao pp4 wavemaker aswell
Temps are a lil inconsistent due to the heatwave but never go’s under 78 or above 81
Parameters are always pretty consistent I test every Thursday and do 4gal water changes every other Saturday religiously
I ve started using aquavitro fuel but it raises my nitrates and phosphates so I been target feeding corals every other week with a 1ml syringe

 

[29bonsaireef]

For your Alk I would shoot a little lower. Especially with such low nutrients present. You had a minor swing, which possibly could have had an impact.

Also the stock LED Biocube lighting is probably not enough for acropora. If you really want to get into acros/SPS you will probably need to modify the lighting.

 

[Crabs McJones]

I would frag off the part of it that is still colored up. Your parameters appear low in all areas except alkalinity which seems to be around 9DKH and ph which 8.0 to 8.3 is fine.
Salinity can be bumped up to 1.025-1.026, calcium raised to 420-450, and you do want some nitrate and phosphate for corals to thrive. what test kit are you using to get these numbers and what are you dosing to raise them? Any coral can be saved with enough time and effort.

 

[29bonsaireef]

Those are just hobbyist target numbers. Params are well within capable range of growing SPS (aside from NO3/P04), wouldn't chase other numbers ATM. Just go slow. I see you have some coralline, that's good. Try to get nutrients up before anything.. Your recent readings of 0.02 is not too bad for Phos, get a little NO3 in there. Fuel is a good start but don't over do it, add more fish and feed more if you have to. AND really look into some better lighting. There's some great t5/led retrofits that work great on Biocubes.

Realize there will be some losses in the beginning stages of this hobby, it happens to all of us. Worst thing you can do is over exaggerate for one small frag. Good luck!

 

[VB313]

For your Alk I would shoot a little lower. Especially with such low nutrients present. You had a minor swing, which possibly could have had an impact.

Also the stock LED Biocube lighting is probably not enough for acropora. If you really want to get into acros/SPS you will probably need to modify the lighting.

How can I improve my alk I have been using reef fusions 1 and 2 but haven’t been lately

 

[29bonsaireef]

Back off on dosing. WC will bring it down, as well as the calcifying coralline algae. IMO, weekly WC 10-20% will be the easiest way to maintain alk, cal, and mag until you have established mini colonies of stony corals. Kalkwasser is also good to know about and your tank can have great benefits from using that instead of 2 part, again up until the stony's really start to take off.

 

[VB313]

I would frag off the part of it that is still colored up. Your parameters appear low in all areas except alkalinity which seems to be around 9DKH and ph which 8.0 to 8.3 is fine.
Salinity can be bumped up to 1.025-1.026, calcium raised to 420-450, and you do want some nitrate and phosphate for corals to thrive. what test kit are you using to get these numbers and what are you dosing to raise them? Any coral can be saved with enough time and effort.

API tests kits I really don’t dose anything to raise them other then the fuel and reef fusion

 

[VB313]

Back off on dosing. WC will bring it down, as well as the calcifying coralline algae. IMO, weekly WC 10-20% will be the easiest way to maintain alk, cal, and mag until you have established mini colonies of stony corals. Kalkwasser is also good to know about and your tank can have great benefits from using that instead of 2 part, again up until the stony's really start to take off.

Yeah I have tons of coraline my entire back panel is covered and I’m regularly scraping it off the display glass ile have to do research on kalkwasser

 

[VB313]

Yeah I have tons of coraline my entire back panel is covered and I’m regularly scraping it off the display glass ile have to do research on kalkwasser

 

[29bonsaireef]

Your tank definitely looks SPS ready. I'm thinking it's one of two things, or both. Insufficient lighting, and/or lacking nutrients. Next piece you try I would place it up higher, not on the sand bed. Also, in an area with good flow, not being hit directly though.

 

[Reefer40b]

Option...
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/led-retro-fit-29g-biocube-sb-reef-lights-sprite-nano-84w.249919/

 

[VB313]

Your tank definitely looks SPS ready. I'm thinking it's one of two things, or both. Insufficient lighting, and/or lacking nutrients. Next piece you try I would place it up higher, not on the sand bed. Also, in an area with good flow, not being hit directly though.

Thanks for the advice what’s the best way to try to increase nutrients?

 

[VB313]

Option...
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/led-retro-fit-29g-biocube-sb-reef-lights-sprite-nano-84w.249919/

Interesting I been looking at the Steve’s LED KITS

 

[DivingTheWorld]

Been slowly turning white for bout 2 weeks now can I save it?

You might want to try fragging that branch which hasn't STN'd yet. I find if a coral starts STN'ing like that, it will eventually all go. I've had luck fragging off the healthy part. Not always, it's about 50/50.

 

[biecacka]

Thanks for the advice what’s the best way to try to increase nutrients?

Feed your fish more often is a great way to raise nutrients.

Corey

 

[29bonsaireef]

Thanks for the advice what’s the best way to try to increase nutrients?

Yes, feed more.. and, just noticed you were using Purigen/Chemipure. I'd stop using both right now.