Why is this fading!?

[Ahbaloch]

When i got it,

Tank is almosg 2 month old

Got a few softies

This is the only sps

All the level are good

Cal 440
Alk 9.3
Mag 1350

Have had this for 3-4 weeks
It was yellowing in under white and green under blue

But now its all fading away

Barely any polyp extention

First 2 pics are now

Lst 2 pics are when i got it

 

[Ahbaloch]

Got this feather duster looking thing only at this tip,

That comes out spins and go back.

Like porcelain crabs hands.

 

[Ahbaloch]

Smthing else is there by polyps

 

[Hayduke]

The feather duster looking thing is a filter-feeding barnacle. It won't hurt the acro, but will likely eventually either starve or the acropora will grow over it.

As for the fading acropora, if your tank is only two months old it's likely not mature enough to keep it healthy. What are your nitrates? With alk at ~9 DKH, make sure your nitrates are between 5-20ppm and phosphate is detectable, but not very high (0.02-0.04 is a good range to shoot for). Acros will lose color like that when they're starving from lack of nutrients in the water. I'd try feeding your fish a bit more and dosing amino acids every other day. Also, keeping your magnesium a little higher (1400-1450ppm) can help with coloration imo.

 

[Ahbaloch]

What are these white things sticking out?

Dont look like polyp

Hard to get a better pic thn this

 

[Ahbaloch]

Nitrates are 0

Phosphate is around .25-.5 i would say, hard to compare the colors,

I ordered the ULR phosphorus just now should be here this week

 

[Ahbaloch]

Here are some close ups

 

[miPapareef]

Pretty sure it’s hydroids. Many different types but start searching for hydroids on sps and see if zanclea looks most similar.

I think they’re pretty hard to remove.

https://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhikers-guide/

 

[29bonsaireef]

Definitely little hydroids of some sort. Not sure if they would really harm the coral, but I'd get them off anyhow. Probably would have to take tweezers and pluck them off.

What type of lighting and how much is it getting?

 

[Ahbaloch]

So this frag was in my dt where i have coral life quad, in my 37 tall tank, in top with high flow,

Just moved it to my FT where i have ati quad 24in which is 20g ft,


Should i toss this out?

Are they bad? Good ?

Can they spread

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Just try a dip in coral cleaner for the hydroids.
Put the acro as close to the top of the tank with the higher flow.

 

[Stigigemla]

And add a little nitrate. In Sweden we buy it by the spices in the supermarket. Sodium nitrate or NaNO3. Stump remover is very good too but its a big package. Just answer here what package you found and we will help you with the dosing. A Nitrate test will be good to have.

 

[jda]

In a two month old tank, routine dips, flow, light and patience are probably all that are going to help.

SPS can suck for up to a year in even the most established of new tanks.

If you are near a Lowes, Bayer Advance is a great SPS dip.

 

[Ahbaloch]

I tossed it out, couple people PMed me saying i should get rid of it if jts cheap.

So with a heavy heart i did

 

[DesertReefT4r]

Sad. You did not even give it a chance.

 

[Ahbaloch]

Sad. You did not even give it a chance.

it was infested very bad, felt like they were increases by minutes.

 

[Christopher Davis]

The feather duster looking thing is a filter-feeding barnacle. It won't hurt the acro, but will likely eventually either starve or the acropora will grow over it.

As for the fading acropora, if your tank is only two months old it's likely not mature enough to keep it healthy. What are your nitrates? With alk at ~9 DKH, make sure your nitrates are between 5-20ppm and phosphate is detectable, but not very high (0.02-0.04 is a good range to shoot for). Acros will lose color like that when they're starving from lack of nutrients in the water. I'd try feeding your fish a bit more and dosing amino acids every other day. Also, keeping your magnesium a little higher (1400-1450ppm) can help with coloration imo.

+1

 

[Mattrg02]

I don’t know who pm you, but the true pros here wouldn’t have told you to toss it. You lost out on valuable experience imo.

 

[Ahbaloch]

I don’t know who pm you, but the true pros here wouldn’t have told you to toss it. You lost out on valuable experience imo.

“You need to toss that acro out, before those hydroids get to all of your other corals”

 

[Ahbaloch]

Thts what i was told, I see where you are coming from though