Steps for that one acro that doesnt do well?

[sticksreef]

Hey everyone, i was wondering what do you guys do when you have one acro that isn’t doing well?

My tank is pack full with happy sps, but i got a frag of angry bird that is been like 3 months in the tank and Its not happy. Almost like loosing flesh but like realllyyyyyy slow like 1 pigment every day.

Do you dip it? Or let it ride and see what happens?
Pic of the corals.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Bump

 

[ScottB]

Most important is not to do anything system wide for just one unhappy coral acro, especially if it is newish. Of course I am assuming you are running common SPS water parameters. Angry Birds and homewrecker are both fairly finicky in my experience and sometimes they just won't take. My first HW died, but my second is doing fine now after a slow start.

A gentle acclimation helps particularly when shipped. Temp acclimate, visually inspect, then place in low light. Wait a couple days before dipping.

Lastly, I only buy frags from vendors that run very similar ALK and nutrients to my own.

 

[lakai]

Hey everyone, i was wondering what do you guys do when you have one acro that isn’t doing well?

My tank is pack full with happy sps, but i got a frag of angry bird that is been like 3 months in the tank and Its not happy. Almost like loosing flesh but like realllyyyyyy slow like 1 pigment every day.

Do you dip it? Or let it ride and see what happens?
Pic of the corals.

Pricey frag to risk it. Flip a coin.

 

[PatW]

I have noticed that acro frags can just sit and sit and sit. Then they wake up and start growing. I had one that sat and did very little for a long time and then became a fast grower. If everything else is OK, I would suggest just letting it sit and see if it comes around.

 

[sticksreef]

Thanks everyone for your opinions. I will wait it out a few more weeks keeping an eye on it. Since everything is going well.

 

[jda]

You do nothing... chasing one acro can ruin the others. It if is meant to be, then it will come around. Most who have been at this a long time have had one just take off after a while of just sitting there. This can be frustrating if it is an expensive frag, but if you are buying a non-trendy expensive coral, then they are usually expensive because supply is low and they are hard sometimes.

 

[sticksreef]

You do nothing... chasing one acro can ruin the others. It if is meant to be, then it will come around. Most who have been at this a long time have had one just take off after a while of just sitting there. This can be frustrating if it is an expensive frag, but if you are buying a non-trendy expensive coral, then they are usually expensive because supply is low and they are hard sometimes.

Oh i am not changing anything to the system. Was just wondering if people would take the frag out for dipping, or moving to a lower light or what other things to do to the frag for a better chance.

 

[ScottB]

Oh i am not changing anything to the system. Was just wondering if people would take the frag out for dipping, or moving to a lower light or what other things to do to the frag for a better chance.

I define "losing flesh slowly" as something totally different than STN. If flesh is literally coming off the skeleton in flakes I don't really have a remedy. It is not a pest at that point but something more grave that happens sometimes.

If it is so slow that algae or coralline covers the bare skeleton I feel your correction odds are much better. It could be bugs or worms.

Describe some more this problem? Pace of change? Nature of demise? Is it from the base? Or tips?

 

[ScottB]

In that pic I see plenty of happy acros. How about a pic of angry birds?

 

[jda]

I would not dip a coral that does not have pests. Maybe take measure of where you are at and see about small, incremental changes. ...like maybe wider light if going from frags to colonies. Getting more NSW with carbonate and calcium. If you want to keep some tricker species, then maybe closer to NSW on residual levels of N and P. Feed more and export more with more availability - this is nearly always a good idea.

I usually keep frags in a rack until they start to take off a little... not always, but usually. I have found that nearly all corals will do well no matter where in the tank, but I do have Halides and a lot of light even low and in the periphery. I do not have much experience with moving corals.

Some will clip a small amount off of the tip to encourage growth, but this is usually if they are encrusting and otherwise look healthy. I don't do this, so no personal experience.

I used to really struggle with Wet Thumbs Tierra Del Fuego - the OG (there are many knockoffs). I had it for years and year and it did not die, but did not do anything. Then, all of a sudden it decided to grow. I grew it many times from a 2" chunky frag to dinner plate, then cut it all up and started over. I have no idea what happened or why it decided to grow. I have pretty much done the same method of reef keeping for decades.

 

[jda]

I don't consider Angry Birds to be a super easy acropora. Not hard, but also not easy. I would not take it too personally if it needs some time. I find it to be like about half of the multicolored A. Tenuis that are good once they settle in, but can also struggle for some. Homewrecker or Tyree Superman are like this that take off once established, but they can take a while for most and even die for some. It is not like SCOP where it does well for lots and lots of people.

 

[sticksreef]

Update for the interested took the fragout and its looking really rough outside than in the tank. I have over 40 acros on the tank from mid to high end but i guess it just happens sometimes with some frags. I dont think its going to make it. But thank you everyone for your advices.
Here is a pic of some healthy sps that were close to that frag. Cheers