First Acro is 7 months old, how am I doing?

[rhitee93]

My tank is primarily setup with LPS and clams. I have a few SPS that are simpler: Pavona, stylophora, birds nests, and some montis. They have all done well so I thought I'd throw an acro in a few months back. It has encrusted its frag plug, and started growing all of a sudden. I'm assuming that is all good, but I don't know what I'm looking at.

I run my tank on the "Dirty" side for acros. Nitrates are usually in the 30-40ppm range, and my phosphates are around 0.15ppm. I keep the alk between 8 and 8.5 dkh, and calcium between 450-500. The clams really suck up the Ca and alk. The light level where this coral is at is around 350par.

This coral is pretty "Brown" looking. I don't follow the acro crowd much, but I understand that the environment impacts the color. I'm not interested in chasing color to the detriment of my other inhabitants, but if there are things I should be doing to make the coral healthier I'd like to know. Am I doing anything obviously wrong?

Here it was when I put it in the tank on October 2nd:

Here it is a few moments ago:

Here is an FTS:

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Encrusting of a frag plug is always a good sign!

 

[mboley]

I'd be concerned with the high par on your lps and soft corals. Your sps in the pic looks fine.

 

[Battlecorals]

My tank is primarily setup with LPS and clams. I have a few SPS that are simpler: Pavona, stylophora, birds nests, and some montis. They have all done well so I thought I'd throw an acro in a few months back. It has encrusted its frag plug, and started growing all of a sudden. I'm assuming that is all good, but I don't know what I'm looking at.

I run my tank on the "Dirty" side for acros. Nitrates are usually in the 30-40ppm range, and my phosphates are around 0.15ppm. I keep the alk between 8 and 8.5 dkh, and calcium between 450-500. The clams really suck up the Ca and alk. The light level where this coral is at is around 350par.

This coral is pretty "Brown" looking. I don't follow the acro crowd much, but I understand that the environment impacts the color. I'm not interested in chasing color to the detriment of my other inhabitants, but if there are things I should be doing to make the coral healthier I'd like to know. Am I doing anything obviously wrong?

Here it was when I put it in the tank on October 2nd:

Here it is a few moments ago:

Here is an FTS:

looks good to me, that lower protruding brach will likely be your colony starter

 

[twentyleagues]

I'd be concerned with the high par on your lps and soft corals. Your sps in the pic looks fine.

I dont know everything looks pretty happy.

 

[mboley]

I dont know everything looks pretty happy.

That's what counts.

 

[rhitee93]

That's what counts.

Most of the lps are in the 150-200 zone. The torch is a bit higher than that, but it has gone bonkers with growth since I put it in.

I appreciate the sanity check from everyone!

 

[mboley]

Most of the lps are in the 150-200 zone. The torch is a bit higher than that, but it has gone bonkers with growth since I put it in.

I appreciate the sanity check from everyone!

I also have a 24" high mixed reef. My rock structure is a little higher than yours. My LPS in the lower and middle of the tank range is similar, about 120 on the bottom to 170 peak day.

 

[rhitee93]

I also have a 24" high mixed reef. My rock structure is a little higher than yours. My LPS in the lower and middle of the tank range is similar, about 120 on the bottom to 170 peak day.

Sounds like our lighting levels are about the same then. It's good to know I'm not alone ;)

 

[Dburr1014]

My tank is primarily setup with LPS and clams. I have a few SPS that are simpler: Pavona, stylophora, birds nests, and some montis. They have all done well so I thought I'd throw an acro in a few months back. It has encrusted its frag plug, and started growing all of a sudden. I'm assuming that is all good, but I don't know what I'm looking at.

I run my tank on the "Dirty" side for acros. Nitrates are usually in the 30-40ppm range, and my phosphates are around 0.15ppm. I keep the alk between 8 and 8.5 dkh, and calcium between 450-500. The clams really suck up the Ca and alk. The light level where this coral is at is around 350par.

This coral is pretty "Brown" looking. I don't follow the acro crowd much, but I understand that the environment impacts the color. I'm not interested in chasing color to the detriment of my other inhabitants, but if there are things I should be doing to make the coral healthier I'd like to know. Am I doing anything obviously wrong?

Color brown can also be not enough light. I would turn up the par some. If you go slow enough your LPS and soft can take it just fine.

The fact that you can grow a bird's nest and then throw in an Acro is all good. I find acros are actually easier than a bird's nest, lol.

 

[rhitee93]

Color brown can also be not enough light. I would turn up the par some. If you go slow enough your LPS and soft can take it just fine.

I still have quite a bit of capacity left on the lights, so I may try this. I'm heading out on vacation soon, so I think I'll wait until I get back.

Would the coral prefer shifting all parts of the spectrum up? This is what my profile looks like now:

I attempted to bump the white lights up a bit a few weeks ago and started seeing some new algae growth, so I bumped them back down. I might need to work on getting the nitrates/phosphates a bit lower if I really decide to increase the lights.

 

[twentyleagues]

I still have quite a bit of capacity left on the lights, so I may try this. I'm heading out on vacation soon, so I think I'll wait until I get back.

Would the coral prefer shifting all parts of the spectrum up? This is what my profile looks like now:

I attempted to bump the white lights up a bit a few weeks ago and started seeing some new algae growth, so I bumped them back down. I might need to work on getting the nitrates/phosphates a bit lower if I really decide to increase the lights.

Can you just leave the spectrum as is and bump intensity?

 

[rhitee93]

Can you just leave the spectrum as is and bump intensity?

Yes! BeanAnimal's wonderful Noop setting app makes shifting power and duration very simple. (Thank you @BeanAnimal )

 

[twentyleagues]

Yes! BeanAnimal's wonderful Noop setting app makes shifting power and duration very simple. (Thank you @BeanAnimal )

Perfect just do that then. If it has an acclimation mode set it for an intensity you want and have it self regulate over 30days to get to it.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Yes! BeanAnimal's wonderful Noop setting app makes shifting power and duration very simple. (Thank you @BeanAnimal )

Glad that you find it useful.

 

[Dburr1014]

I still have quite a bit of capacity left on the lights, so I may try this. I'm heading out on vacation soon, so I think I'll wait until I get back.

Would the coral prefer shifting all parts of the spectrum up? This is what my profile looks like now:

I attempted to bump the white lights up a bit a few weeks ago and started seeing some new algae growth, so I bumped them back down. I might need to work on getting the nitrates/phosphates a bit lower if I really decide to increase the lights.

Absolutely wait until you get back from vacation.