Is this acro toast?

[Echoplex]

Hello all!

I am new to the hobby and tried out a couple different acros. They have not been in the tank long. I also added a digi and his polyps do come out like halfway. I assume this is because he is still aclimating to the new tank. The across however do not really have polyps out... ever. For the most part they are all doing well for color and I do see the base of the growing. Is this normal to not see polyps after about a week and a half? More importantly I had one of these acros getting blasted by the return nozzle pretty directly. I assume this is why the acro below has started bleaching. This is the only acro Im scared for at the moment but the lack of polyps has me a bit scared as well. I'll post my peramiters as well below. Keep in mind this a graph from over the past 3 or 4 months. I test alk pretty much daily. Please advise if this acro is toast or there is still a chance. Also id like to know if I should be concerned about the lack of polyps after a week and a half to two weeks for some. Thank you!

 

[Minifoot77]

Your kh is pretty high and doesnt look stable

 

[Fish Styx]

Your kh is pretty high and doesnt look stable

 

[Echoplex]

Your kh is pretty high and doesnt look stable

I thought that would be an issue too. I started trying to figure out a dosing schedule to keep it stable. What would you consider stable? Consistent numbers are pretty hard to get. What im asking is a small fluctuation like .03-.05 daily movement or should it be exact every day? Im struggling with this tbh.

 

[Minifoot77]

Should be the same at the same time of day. If its 8.5 at 9pm every night thats what I shoot for

 

[Echoplex]

Should be the same at the same time of day. If its 8.5 at 9pm every night thats what I shoot for

I understand. I will do my best. Any advice for this scenario, it seems like alk is not being used consistently, some days it gets used by .5 others it does not move at all. How can I figure out what is a consistent usage and then figure the dosing out for it?

 

[Minifoot77]

I understand. I will do my best. Any advice for this scenario, it seems like alk is not being used consistently, some days it gets used by .5 others it does not move at all. How can I figure out what is a consistent usage and then figure the dosing out for it?

What other corals you got?

 

[Echoplex]

I did go a bit over board... I have some LPS and some SPS, 2 Duncan's, 2 acans, 4 torches, 2 hammers, 2 frogs, 1 leposteris, 2 plate monti, 2 entrusting monti, 1 digi, 1 alveopora, 1 goni, several Zoas, one devils hand, one bird, 1 stylophora, 1 chalice, 1 candycane, 1 cyphastrea. 4 lower cost acro. Forgive my grammar and spelling im on a small phone keyboard. I'll add that all my other corals seem to be happy and out all the time.

 

[Minifoot77]

Still gotta pick a number and try to keep it there are you using a doser?

 

[Echoplex]

Still gotta pick a number and try to keep it there are you using a doser?

I am, using red sea 4 part with the doser. The recommended settings is what got it to 11 and then I had to stop dosing so it didn't exceed 12 which is why you see the instability around 11 in the graph. I realized I could just use my own settings for the ML dosed and changed it to 10 instead of 18. Just did my alk test again and im at 11.2 after the change. Im hoping that if I continue the dose at 10ml tomorrow ill still be at 11.2. If not ill have to decrease or increase the dose depending on how much I lost or gained. I guess trial and error is the strategy for now. As far as that acro, do you think it can recover if I stabilize soon?

 

[mcarroll]

I did go a bit over board... I have some LPS and some SPS, 2 Duncan's, 2 acans, 4 torches, 2 hammers, 2 frogs, 1 leposteris, 2 plate monti, 2 entrusting monti, 1 digi, 1 alveopora, 1 goni, several Zoas, one devils hand, one bird, 1 stylophora, 1 chalice, 1 candycane, 1 cyphastrea. 4 lower cost acro. Forgive my grammar and spelling im on a small phone keyboard. I'll add that all my other corals seem to be happy and out all the time.

If I read the charts correctly and this tank just finished cycling (looking at you, NO2!), then you just made a high-quality understatement.

A new keeper with a new tank isn't an ideal combo for more sensitive coral species. As you're finding, there are lots of balls to juggle and it takes time and practice to get good at it. Keep those happy coals happy and don't do anything more to make the unhappy ones happy than to get better at what you're doing and dial in that stability – nothing crazy. If these few corals don't make it, you just have more room for the happy corals and nothing but quality time to refine your skills before you try again next time. Don't rush it!

 

[Echoplex]

If I read the charts correctly and this tank just finished cycling (looking at you, NO2!), then you just made a high-quality understatement.

A new keeper with a new tank isn't an ideal combo for more sensitive coral species. As you're finding, there are lots of balls to juggle and it takes time and practice to get good at it. Keep those happy coals happy and don't do anything more to make the unhappy ones happy than to get better at what you're doing and dial in that stability – nothing crazy. If these few corals don't make it, you just have more room for the happy corals and nothing but quality time to refine your skills before you try again next time. Don't rush it!

If I read the charts correctly and this tank just finished cycling (looking at you, NO2!), then you just made a high-quality understatement.

A new keeper with a new tank isn't an ideal combo for more sensitive coral species. As you're finding, there are lots of balls to juggle and it takes time and practice to get good at it. Keep those happy coals happy and don't do anything more to make the unhappy ones happy than to get better at what you're doing and dial in that stability – nothing crazy. If these few corals don't make it, you just have more room for the happy corals and nothing but quality time to refine your skills before you try again next time. Don't rush it!

Fair enough. I have high expectations of myself and jumped the gun a bit. Luckily everyone else is doing well. I'll just stabilize and go from there.

 

[Minifoot77]

Fair enough. I have high expectations of myself and jumped the gun a bit. Luckily everyone else is doing well. I'll just stabilize and go from there.

If I was in your situation id stop dosing and check my demand for a day. Let it settle down to about 8 to 8.5 and then id test every other day. If it rises for 2 tests (4 days) i would lower my doser output. Same if it drops. Once you keep it within .2 or so dkh over 4 days test every 4 days and adjust doser. After a while you can slow testing and adjusting your doser. I use a 2 part with part c and dose them all equally

 

[Echoplex]

If I was in your situation id stop dosing and check my demand for a day. Let it settle down to about 8 to 8.5 and then id test every other day. If it rises for 2 tests (4 days) i would lower my doser output. Same if it drops. Once you keep it within .2 or so dkh over 4 days test every 4 days and adjust doser. After a while you can slow testing and adjusting your doser. I use a 2 part with part c and dose them all equally

That is a solid plan. Thank you ill give it a go.