First Goni and first Acropora ever! wish me luck! How do I tell if its happy?

[KonradTO]

Hi all!
After I finally started to see some good results in terms of stability with my tank, a couple of days ago I got myself for the first time a goniopora and an acro (green slimer).
The goni is a big colony with hundreds of polyps (some blue goni with short tentacles, don't know the name) all open and fluffy and seems also showing some feeding behavior already.
The acro is what here is called Acropora Enzmann, which I believe it's the same as the green slimer (?). As of now, I can only see some tiny PE, like small "cups" coming out of the mouths, but I am not sure if I should see more, or something in particular.
How do I tell whether it's happy in general? how long will it take to see some "feedback"?

For now it's placed at around 150-200 PAR, right under a kessil A160, but I will slowly increase intensity from 70% to 100% so it should reach something around 300 PAR. Nearby there are only a gorgonian and some holliwood stunner chalice, so they should be fine with higher light intensity.
I will post some good pictures later with the reflex because with my phone the quality is really bad.

 

[Lavey29]

I have had good luck with slimers so far halfway up my rocks. I have 3 gonis doing well in lower third of the tank in corners. Low to moderate flow and lights for them. They do not like elevated phosphate.

 

[KonradTO]

They do not like elevated phosphate.

You mean gonis or the green slimer?

 

[Lavey29]

You mean gonis or the green slimer?

Gonis

 

[KonradTO]

Gonis

Oh ok. I was under the impression that they like better higher PO4&NO3 rather than too low. I will keep that in check but it should not be a problem. For now they look amazing. I was reading that they do better if grown from small frags but hopefully this one does well as I keep it decently fed.

 

[Lavey29]

Oh ok. I was under the impression that they like better higher PO4&NO3 rather than too low. I will keep that in check but it should not be a problem. For now they look amazing. I was reading that they do better if grown from small frags but hopefully this one does well as I keep it decently fed.

Well nitrates I keep 10 to 13 but phosphate I try to keep it under .1 and when it's elevated the gonis don't extend as much. Just my observation, I've had them like 8 months now.

 

[KonradTO]

Well nitrates I keep 10 to 13 but phosphate I try to keep it under .1 and when it's elevated the gonis don't extend as much. Just my observation, I've had them like 8 months now.

Oh ok I think I never reached 0.1 anyway. I will observe it and check for P04 swings in case it looks less extended.
What about acro? Do you know how to tell if they are happy (aside from growth)? Also how long it takes before they start to show some feedback in your experience?

 

[design.maddie]

AS for the Acros, you should be looking for polyp extension. are they fully extended and inflated? Coloration is another good indicator. Look up what the coral should look like. Acros like high light high chaotic flow. The Acros that have grown the best for me have been in 200+ PAR with somewhere in the ballpark of 50-60x turnover(if anyone even uses that metric anymore) Acros will plant down some encrusting then shoot up and out. If it just encrust then one parameter is not right. Keep things stable and you should be okay.

 

[i cant think]

AS for the Acros, you should be looking for polyp extension. are they fully extended and inflated? Coloration is another good indicator. Look up what the coral should look like. Acros like high light high chaotic flow. The Acros that have grown the best for me have been in 200+ PAR with somewhere in the ballpark of 50-60x turnover(if anyone even uses that metric anymore) Acros will plant down some encrusting then shoot up and out. If it just encrust then one parameter is not right. Keep things stable and you should be okay.

Polyp extension isn’t always a sign. Your polyps will almost always be better at night than during the day.
Although I will agree colouration can be a good indicator (Although, much of my fastest growth was in Lower PAR but higher KH).

 

[design.maddie]

Polyp extension isn’t always a sign. Your polyps will almost always be better at night than during the day.
Although I will agree colouration can be a good indicator (Although, much of my fastest growth was in Lower PAR but higher KH).

I run at a high Alk as well, maybe that is a stat I don't consider. I'm near 12 Alk

 

[i cant think]

I run at a high Alk as well, maybe that is a stat I don't consider. I'm near 12 Alk

I need to do the tests however I run my Alk at 10-12

 

[KonradTO]

Color is much greener in reality, in the picture it looks white-ish. But no crazy PE for now. I keep my alk around 7.5 dkH but I am slowly increasing to 8 over the next month.
How long it take to show some feedback once placed in the tank? Now it has been 2 days and it looks the same as day one more or less. Just a tiny bit of PE more, now at least I can see them

 

[i cant think]

Color is much greener in reality, in the picture it looks white-ish. But no crazy PE for now. I keep my alk around 7.5 dkH but I am slowly increasing to 8 over the next month.
How long it take to show some feedback once placed in the tank? Now it has been 2 days and it looks the same as day one more or less. Just a tiny bit of PE more, now at least I can see them

It will usually take a month or so before you see any growth. My first acro shot up first and still hasn’t encrusted 2 months on (Although it has withstood some harsh heat).

 

[design.maddie]

I will piggy back on that and say minimum is 1 month before you should really be able to notice a difference. You took photos so that will be a good way to see the changes in a month.

 

[KonradTO]

Ok then I will wait for a month and report back.
Just measured nutrients and are 5ppm NO3 and 0.06 PO4 so I am in the right range with decent feeding. There should be the conditions for it to thrive, as light is good and flow-wise its right below a wavemaker (but not in the direct path of the flow)

 

[i cant think]

Ok then I will wait for a month and report back.
Just measured nutrients and are 5ppm NO3 and 0.06 PO4 so I am in the right range with decent feeding. There should be the conditions for it to thrive, as light is good and flow-wise its right below a wavemaker (but not in the direct path of the flow)

I’ve seen that the best colouring can occur at 15ppm with Nitrates but I can’t remember what the best Phosphates are.

 

[design.maddie]

my best numbers that I ran with was 10-15 nitrates and Phos 0.03-0.05. At those levels I find that I have to monitor nutrients a ton. Amino Acids being a big deal as well for coloration.

 

[Lavey29]

Oh ok I think I never reached 0.1 anyway. I will observe it and check for P04 swings in case it looks less extended.
What about acro? Do you know how to tell if they are happy (aside from growth)? Also how long it takes before they start to show some feedback in your experience?

my slimers really started encrusting right off the bat. From what I understand now about acros is they will build their base by encrusting before they start their vertical growth kind of like a tree builds its roots first before growing tall. I have about 25 acros frags in my tank now and have only lost one due to shipping stress. The others are encrusting and starting to branch and show vertical growth now. Couple had some slight color fade though which I am trying to figure out why but I am surprised that I have had such good luck so far after starting SPS about 7 months ago now.

 

[tehmadreefer]

Hi all!
After I finally started to see some good results in terms of stability with my tank, a couple of days ago I got myself for the first time a goniopora and an acro (green slimer).
The goni is a big colony with hundreds of polyps (some blue goni with short tentacles, don't know the name) all open and fluffy and seems also showing some feeding behavior already.
The acro is what here is called Acropora Enzmann, which I believe it's the same as the green slimer (?). As of now, I can only see some tiny PE, like small "cups" coming out of the mouths, but I am not sure if I should see more, or something in particular.
How do I tell whether it's happy in general? how long will it take to see some "feedback"?

For now it's placed at around 150-200 PAR, right under a kessil A160, but I will slowly increase intensity from 70% to 100% so it should reach something around 300 PAR. Nearby there are only a gorgonian and some holliwood stunner chalice, so they should be fine with higher light intensity.
I will post some good pictures later with the reflex because with my phone the quality is really bad.

There’s certainly some spots of concern if you look closely.

 

[KonradTO]

my best numbers that I ran with was 10-15 nitrates and Phos 0.03-0.05. At those levels I find that I have to monitor nutrients a ton. Amino Acids being a big deal as well for coloration.

Mm I am reading many people here in the forum reporting better results with higher NO3. That's good to know. My fuge is way too effective, I am trying to reduce slowly (very slowly) the photoperiod and intensity, as well as feeding more frozen, to go back to 10 ppm. I have also seen some zoas start stretching a bit since nutrients fell to 5ppm, as if they are relying more on light to grow.