What to do with these acros...

[JoJosReef]

I've had some acros for about a month. They were given to me to try out--I didn't ask for them. They don't look dead to me, but they also don't look like they are doing great, either. I don't even know what they are. Haven't taken measurements yet, but I can tell you my NO3 is likely near zero, PO4 between 0.1 and 0.15, ALK around 7.7-8.

This is my "SPS island", where my goal was birdsnests, montis, stylos and branching psammy. Would have liked to add a branching cyphastrea, but not really any room.

Here are the two acros I am trying to figure out what to do with:

1. I just threw this onto the Nem/Zoa island. Nems are at the top and haven't come down to bother the acro. What is it? I've never seen any polyps coming out of it, but it also isn't turning white, so I'm assuming not quite dead yet. Should I clip this guy at the base and glue it somewhere on the side of the SPS island? Higher or lower flow? I'll have a new set of gyres next week, so I'm expecting good flow throughout.

2. This one I kept in my holding tank for a long time and eventually chopped off the part that was still alive and glued it to a frag plug (2 pieces). One piece clearly didn't make it. The other looks like this all the time, no polyps I've seen. What is this? Currently on the Nem/Zoa island. No idea what to do with this guy.

These 2 seem to be OK, but not necessarily great. They have been on the sides of the SPS island for about a month or so.

3. Green, has polyps out like this all the time. It is in a relatively low flow area, because it's on the side of the SPS island opposite the gyre. What is it? I'll probably leave it as is. It's sticking out a bit at an angle, but that's just how the thing glued on.

4. This one is on the side of the SPS island facing the gyre. I am assuming it is a different acro, since it was given to me as a different frag, but I can't tell this one from #3, except that it is slightly less green. What is it? It gets hard, direct flow. Hopefully that changes a bit when the pair of gyres arrives.

I'm really not too keen on acros, but they're in my tank now and I want to do something so that they're happy. Any advice welcome! Remember, my tank is a mixed reef with nems, gorgonians, softies, "easy" SPS and plenty of LPS, so I'm not trying to transition to an acro dominant tank or chase acro numbers. Just get these guys surviving and semi-content. Thanks!


P.S. I've had this goldenrod anacropora for about 2-3 months. It had more gold and more polyp extension before, but that kind of dulled a bit with Flux Rx treatment. Is this able to come back with the golden color and polyps again, or is it on its way out--currently middle-front of the SPS island with high PAR area (300ish). It doesn't seem to be dead/dying, because the branches are growing with new knobs, albeit slowly. Flux has been done for a few weeks, so maybe it'll bounce back? Note: lenses make it look more gold than is really showing currently.

You know what? All that said, I just turned around to snap that photo, and polyps are out. What do I know?

 

[Reefahholic]

They need more NO3 and light.

 

[JoJosReef]

They need more NO3 and light.

Thanks! They are sitting in a 250-350 PAR space (measured by Parwise), which is high and low peaks/troughs on a Saxby-like schedule. I could go up, but I'm already hitting 200 at peak on the sandbed, and I'm not sure the LPS are a big fan of >200 PAR. Scoly/Trachy/Torch/Hammer/Octo are much higher on the totem pole.

What would be the target PAR for these guys?

 

[Reefahholic]

Thanks! They are sitting in a 250-350 PAR space (measured by Parwise), which is high and low peaks/troughs on a Saxby-like schedule. I could go up, but I'm already hitting 200 at peak on the sandbed, and I'm not sure the LPS are a big fan of >200 PAR. Scoly/Trachy/Torch/Hammer/Octo are much higher on the totem pole.

What would be the target PAR for these guys?

250-350 is fine. Here lately I’ve been running 400+ and the corals seem to like it more than 300-350 or so, but Just raise the nitrogen level and you’ll be good.

 

[JoJosReef]

250-350 is fine. Here lately I’ve been running 400+ and the corals seem to like it more than 300-350 or so, but Just raise the nitrogen level and you’ll be good.

Working on it! NO3 has been very stubbornly low despite ample feeding. Just received Loudwolf Ca Nitrate and will figure out how to dilute and dose it.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

I don't think you can kill goldenrod. I have broken off a piece accidentally and it fell into the depths. A few weeks later my tuxedo urchin decided to used it as her Sunday best outfit. It was completely white. I threw it up on the frag rack shelf and forgot about it. It came back!
I will tell you what... I will trade you two Kenya tree frags for every acro...
I think one of those is a JF Homewrecker and the other is a JF Second mortgage...

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

BTW I have been having very low nutrient issues also. I have been using TM NP Plus in the morning. Neo Phos/Nitro in the afternoon, feed three times a day (flakes, pellets, frozen) and Phyto plus my swamp mix which is phyto, rotifers and pods.

 

[Dburr1014]

I've had some acros for about a month. They were given to me to try out--I didn't ask for them. They don't look dead to me, but they also don't look like they are doing great, either. I don't even know what they are. Haven't taken measurements yet, but I can tell you my NO3 is likely near zero, PO4 between 0.1 and 0.15, ALK around 7.7-8.

This is my "SPS island", where my goal was birdsnests, montis, stylos and branching psammy. Would have liked to add a branching cyphastrea, but not really any room.

Here are the two acros I am trying to figure out what to do with:

1. I just threw this onto the Nem/Zoa island. Nems are at the top and haven't come down to bother the acro. What is it? I've never seen any polyps coming out of it, but it also isn't turning white, so I'm assuming not quite dead yet. Should I clip this guy at the base and glue it somewhere on the side of the SPS island? Higher or lower flow? I'll have a new set of gyres next week, so I'm expecting good flow throughout.

2. This one I kept in my holding tank for a long time and eventually chopped off the part that was still alive and glued it to a frag plug (2 pieces). One piece clearly didn't make it. The other looks like this all the time, no polyps I've seen. What is this? Currently on the Nem/Zoa island. No idea what to do with this guy.

These 2 seem to be OK, but not necessarily great. They have been on the sides of the SPS island for about a month or so.

3. Green, has polyps out like this all the time. It is in a relatively low flow area, because it's on the side of the SPS island opposite the gyre. What is it? I'll probably leave it as is. It's sticking out a bit at an angle, but that's just how the thing glued on.

4. This one is on the side of the SPS island facing the gyre. I am assuming it is a different acro, since it was given to me as a different frag, but I can't tell this one from #3, except that it is slightly less green. What is it? It gets hard, direct flow. Hopefully that changes a bit when the pair of gyres arrives.

I'm really not too keen on acros, but they're in my tank now and I want to do something so that they're happy. Any advice welcome! Remember, my tank is a mixed reef with nems, gorgonians, softies, "easy" SPS and plenty of LPS, so I'm not trying to transition to an acro dominant tank or chase acro numbers. Just get these guys surviving and semi-content. Thanks!


P.S. I've had this goldenrod anacropora for about 2-3 months. It had more gold and more polyp extension before, but that kind of dulled a bit with Flux Rx treatment. Is this able to come back with the golden color and polyps again, or is it on its way out--currently middle-front of the SPS island with high PAR area (300ish). It doesn't seem to be dead/dying, because the branches are growing with new knobs, albeit slowly. Flux has been done for a few weeks, so maybe it'll bounce back? Note: lenses make it look more gold than is really showing currently.

You know what? All that said, I just turned around to snap that photo, and polyps are out. What do I know?

How often do you feed your fish?
How is the overall flow in your tank?
How stable are all the parameters in your tank?
You may be better off dosing some type of ammonium instead of nitrate.
This here is a good read.

Thread 'DIY Ammonia dosing for low nitrate systems' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-ammonia-dosing-for-low-nitrate-systems.987087/

 

[Charlie the Reefer]

250-350 is fine. Here lately I’ve been running 400+ and the corals seem to like it more than 300-350 or so, but Just raise the nitrogen level and you’ll be good.

Out of curiosity what brand light do you run, and which spectrum do you lean towards?

 

[JoJosReef]

How often do you feed your fish?
How is the overall flow in your tank?
How stable are all the parameters in your tank?
You may be better off dosing some type of ammonium instead of nitrate.
This here is a good read.

Thread 'DIY Ammonia dosing for low nitrate systems' https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-ammonia-dosing-for-low-nitrate-systems.987087/

Thanks! Answers below.

Office tank, so I'm in Mon-Fri. When in Office, I tend to do a target feed/broadcast of Reef Nutrition Mysis Feast + TDO pellets + NLS Thera+ pellets.

But the real feeding happens from my refrigerated autofeed system + Eheim autofeeder.

5x per day, a blend of Reef Nutrition food gets pumped into the tank (including 8pm feeding for the night feeders):
ROE + Oyster Feast + Roti Feast + Pac Pods + Arcti Pods + Phyto feast
3 : 1 : 1 : 2 : 2 : 1 ratio

In addition, the Eheim drops TDO small pellets 3x per day.

System is run on wifi power switch, so the return pumps cut off 2 min before the dosing pump turns on. A Maxspect jump 2K keeps everything in the tank circulating and gets the pellets blowing around. Return pumps stay off for 20 min.

Then I sporadically add a couple mLs AcroPower aminos, mostly when I know nitrates have hit dead zero.

Flow is a Maxspect Jump 2K gyre on one side of the 3ft tank (40gal long AIO), set to alternating forward/reverse flow. I haven't been happy with it since the right side of the tank isn't getting even flow, so I have a pair of xf330s arriving this week to replace the one jump 2k. Otherwise, flow also comes from the 2 returns nozzles that split into two RFGs--each connected to a MightyJet 536gph.

Doser keeps AFR going 5x per day, and I keep ALK around 7.7-8. I might inch it up a bit to 8.5 as my target, not sure yet. Consumption seems to be increasing gradually and steadily. I don't measure pH, Ca, Mg, or anything else regularly. I use Fritz blue box for water changes about monthly. I also keep a bubbler in the AIO chamber for oxygenation, but will soon switch to a skimmer. Temp is kept at 78F by a Helio titanium+ Inkbird/Finnex/Fans.

I'm quite curious as to what these acros are, because the guy that gave them to me just said they were super hardy.

I read that thread before about the ammonium, but I'm a bit hesitant with 7 fish + inverts and wanting to avoid a mistake. Will have to continue thinking about it.

 

[Dburr1014]

Thanks! Answers below.

Office tank, so I'm in Mon-Fri. When in Office, I tend to do a target feed/broadcast of Reef Nutrition Mysis Feast + TDO pellets + NLS Thera+ pellets.

But the real feeding happens from my refrigerated autofeed system + Eheim autofeeder.

5x per day, a blend of Reef Nutrition food gets pumped into the tank (including 8pm feeding for the night feeders):
ROE + Oyster Feast + Roti Feast + Pac Pods + Arcti Pods + Phyto feast
3 : 1 : 1 : 2 : 2 : 1 ratio

In addition, the Eheim drops TDO small pellets 3x per day.

System is run on wifi power switch, so the return pumps cut off 2 min before the dosing pump turns on. A Maxspect jump 2K keeps everything in the tank circulating and gets the pellets blowing around. Return pumps stay off for 20 min.

Then I sporadically add a couple mLs AcroPower aminos, mostly when I know nitrates have hit dead zero.

Flow is a Maxspect Jump 2K gyre on one side of the 3ft tank (40gal long AIO), set to alternating forward/reverse flow. I haven't been happy with it since the right side of the tank isn't getting even flow, so I have a pair of xf330s arriving this week to replace the one jump 2k. Otherwise, flow also comes from the 2 returns nozzles that split into two RFGs--each connected to a MightyJet 536gph.

Doser keeps AFR going 5x per day, and I keep ALK around 7.7-8. I might inch it up a bit to 8.5 as my target, not sure yet. Consumption seems to be increasing gradually and steadily. I don't measure pH, Ca, Mg, or anything else regularly. I use Fritz blue box for water changes about monthly. I also keep a bubbler in the AIO chamber for oxygenation, but will soon switch to a skimmer. Temp is kept at 78F by a Helio titanium+ Inkbird/Finnex/Fans.

I'm quite curious as to what these acros are, because the guy that gave them to me just said they were super hardy.

I read that thread before about the ammonium, but I'm a bit hesitant with 7 fish + inverts and wanting to avoid a mistake. Will have to continue thinking about it.

IMO, I would wait on changes after you get the pumps in. I feel more flow may be your answer.

Seems like you are feeding the fish a good amount. I really don't think you will see any benefit from dosing no3.

 

[Reefahholic]

Out of curiosity what brand light do you run, and which spectrum do you lean towards?

I’m running Radion LED’s and Haldies. 14K for 6 hrs and 20K for 6 hrs.