I could use some help with expectations. Is it normal when adding new acros, that some of them just melt away? For example, I got a battlebox - 6 frags. I added them to the tank a week ago. One of them (a red tabling acro) just melted away in less than 24 hours. No polyp extension, flesh started turning white at the base right away, and hour by hour the flesh was peeling off and floating away. The other 5 are still kicking a week later. 4 of them immediately showed polyp extension and it's like they never skipped a beat. One of the surviving ones still has no polyp extension, but no other visible signs of issues. All my parameters are good, phosphates are a little bit high (0.06), but otherwise everything was on point (assuming all my test kits are reading correctly). In the past when I lost new coral additions, I could look myself in the mirror and go "you could have done a better job with xyz" Not so much this time. It's like the shock of shipping, a new tank, lights, environment, whatever - just makes the frag go "enough - I'm out"
Anyways - I'm assuming this is considered normal, that no matter how careful and perfect you try to make things, you're going to lose a frag or two. But let's be honest, it was alive before, and it died of something. Any good reads on this topic to maximize success for adding new frags you guys/gals can point me towards? Any advice to share? I'd like to keep refining my practices to keep these guys alive during a stressful transition. 5 out of 6 isn't bad - but next time I'd like to keep all 6 alive...
Anyways - I'm assuming this is considered normal, that no matter how careful and perfect you try to make things, you're going to lose a frag or two. But let's be honest, it was alive before, and it died of something. Any good reads on this topic to maximize success for adding new frags you guys/gals can point me towards? Any advice to share? I'd like to keep refining my practices to keep these guys alive during a stressful transition. 5 out of 6 isn't bad - but next time I'd like to keep all 6 alive...