Skep's 225 gallon build
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OP
Skep18
Valuable Member
Random bump. Tank is still up. Unfortunately still no success with most stoney coral. Varied attempts at fixing things while other long periods of letting things ride. Have no idea, after 5-6 years what I'm doing wrong. Kinda getting re-inspired to try and fix things but not sure what to do... I might update this as I proceed. Frustrated overall though.
Gumbies R Us
Another Fish in the Sea
That is some crazy growth!JF Mohican Suns have taken over. Amongst everything else, I'm working on getting large patches of these out of the tank over time.
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OP
Skep18
Valuable Member
Well paint me pink and call me Shirley. After years of trying anything and everything I guess I overlooked some basics. I could swear at multiple points I had all the "basics" down and still no joy. I had always been concerned my lighting fixture (Reef Breeders Photon) was for some reason to blame. Back when I bought them 6 years ago they were much less popular. As such, having tried all the other things (or so I thought) I would look for someone running the same fixture for advice. If they had my lights and success, it can't be that. Mind you I know Battle Corals and many others run the same fixture but alas desperation looks for an excuse anywhere it can find it.
At this point (and others in the past) I would run around asking anyone who'd listen in their DM's for advice. Specifically, people who run my same fixture but with better results. I'm thankful that @therman was kind enough to read a DM rant from me asking for his advice. While not trying to remove credit from him very good advice, something over the last few years must have changed (duh?). As therman aptly pointed out my PAR was wayyy too low for acros. In hindsight this was painfully obvious. I've owned the Seneye PAR meter for many many years. I've set the PAR levels at the recommended levels and failed many times before. But, for whatever reason (mature rock? finally?) I was able to get an acro to not only survive but grow!
A month or so before increasing my light levels I bought an acro frag at my LFS. I was ready to throw frags at this (again) until I figured it out. It waned but survived. The base started to recede a little. I think that's what prompted my again reaching out to random R2R members, this being therman this time around. Following his advice blindly (cuz I clearly suck at this) I turned my PAR up to 250-400 on my mid-to-upper rock work. The acro started looking better! Idk if it ever fully lost polyp extension but it certainly got better, the skin looked healthier, overall the health of the frag was improving!
Just prior to turning lights up, I bought an unknown monti frag. It was meh but started to show what I've come to call the "crunchy" look at its skin. I think this is where the skin is pulling back and the peaks of the coral skeleton start to show through if you look VERY closely. Like nose on the glass with a magnifying lens, closely. Turned the lights up. It turned around!
I bought an orange digitada again from my LFS after turning the lights up I think. It was two branches and I accidentally broke it moving it on the lower part of the tank when I was trying to let it acclimate. For science I put one branch up high in 400+ PAR and one under a rock ledge. Prior to this move the white areas were starting to grow external algae of some kind. I know that means no skin is there but I don't think it ever lose tissue. Maybe it was just a severe browning out but I swear it looked like algae. Polyps still out, but small. Well, the frag I moved up started improving. Bleached a bit but good PE overall, all good signs. Eventually it acclimated so I moved the matching branch near to it.
I'm happy to say, to this day, all these frags are alive and well. The original acro is growing new nubs all over the base and on its branches. The monti is widening with new growth. I think its plating but not really sure. The digi I think might not encrust as much? But the nubs are longer as seen in photos over time.
So, for anyone who cared to see this thread 6 years later, it can be done with dry rock!!! Lol. Come to find out now days the guys at BRS are sort of reconsidering that idea that I thought was a sold bill of goods back in 2017. Not impossible but maybe not as ideal as previously thought. That said, I know plenty have had no issue with dry rock so again, its probably something I did. But things are on the rebound. So much money poured into this STUPID hobby... But it takes its hold on you and I just can't stop. (It's not stupid but considering my journey you'll forgive my tone...)
At this point (and others in the past) I would run around asking anyone who'd listen in their DM's for advice. Specifically, people who run my same fixture but with better results. I'm thankful that @therman was kind enough to read a DM rant from me asking for his advice. While not trying to remove credit from him very good advice, something over the last few years must have changed (duh?). As therman aptly pointed out my PAR was wayyy too low for acros. In hindsight this was painfully obvious. I've owned the Seneye PAR meter for many many years. I've set the PAR levels at the recommended levels and failed many times before. But, for whatever reason (mature rock? finally?) I was able to get an acro to not only survive but grow!
A month or so before increasing my light levels I bought an acro frag at my LFS. I was ready to throw frags at this (again) until I figured it out. It waned but survived. The base started to recede a little. I think that's what prompted my again reaching out to random R2R members, this being therman this time around. Following his advice blindly (cuz I clearly suck at this) I turned my PAR up to 250-400 on my mid-to-upper rock work. The acro started looking better! Idk if it ever fully lost polyp extension but it certainly got better, the skin looked healthier, overall the health of the frag was improving!
Just prior to turning lights up, I bought an unknown monti frag. It was meh but started to show what I've come to call the "crunchy" look at its skin. I think this is where the skin is pulling back and the peaks of the coral skeleton start to show through if you look VERY closely. Like nose on the glass with a magnifying lens, closely. Turned the lights up. It turned around!
I bought an orange digitada again from my LFS after turning the lights up I think. It was two branches and I accidentally broke it moving it on the lower part of the tank when I was trying to let it acclimate. For science I put one branch up high in 400+ PAR and one under a rock ledge. Prior to this move the white areas were starting to grow external algae of some kind. I know that means no skin is there but I don't think it ever lose tissue. Maybe it was just a severe browning out but I swear it looked like algae. Polyps still out, but small. Well, the frag I moved up started improving. Bleached a bit but good PE overall, all good signs. Eventually it acclimated so I moved the matching branch near to it.
I'm happy to say, to this day, all these frags are alive and well. The original acro is growing new nubs all over the base and on its branches. The monti is widening with new growth. I think its plating but not really sure. The digi I think might not encrust as much? But the nubs are longer as seen in photos over time.
So, for anyone who cared to see this thread 6 years later, it can be done with dry rock!!! Lol. Come to find out now days the guys at BRS are sort of reconsidering that idea that I thought was a sold bill of goods back in 2017. Not impossible but maybe not as ideal as previously thought. That said, I know plenty have had no issue with dry rock so again, its probably something I did. But things are on the rebound. So much money poured into this STUPID hobby... But it takes its hold on you and I just can't stop. (It's not stupid but considering my journey you'll forgive my tone...)
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