Coral Concerns and Nutrient Levels

[bpounds1991]

Have had a couple acan colonies not doing so hot lately and am currently in the process of getting a Red Sea Pro test kit for everything, but I'm just curious as to what levels I should be looking at first as the culprit before I purchase every test kit on the market (not literally) to find out what the source could be? I use regular Reef Crystals as I know that has seemed to have been the most consistent over the years.

[markalot]

Tough to answer. Acans like to be fed and this is generally the issue. I have some in a mixed reef and if I target feed they will grow and look great but if I broadcast feed, mainly for my SPS, they live but aren't very happy. I keep my levels locked in at or near 8.5KH, 450ca, 1300+ mag.

 

So in short, try feeding them with a good food (I like Reef Roids but lots of other larger foods for LPS) using a turkey baster ... slowly, and see what happens. Also make sure they aren't getting too much light, but my experience is with enough food they can do well in higher lighting.

[Arkayology]

What kind of lighting are they under? Where are they placed? Pics?

[farkwar]

They need food.

 

Proteins, like mysis. Directly feed them via syringe or turkey baster.

 

I started off feeding via tweezers, too time consuming.

 

Mine like medium low light.

[bpounds1991]

I've been feeding them krill, they're in the lower section of my 13" deep reef lit by a Nano Box Duo, I just picked up some brine/mysis tonight and fed them with that and did a solution bath with the one that looks sickly, but here's some of them and their placement.

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/joker577/media/Newest%20Tank/1D596274-9FCE-4204-BC23-E20DCB8F7285_zpsgh7x7bf0.jpg.html'>

[markalot]

I'm going to guess a little too much light combined with a newer tank (is it newer?) and some swinging parameters, some of which we can;t measure, has them stressed a bit. Duncans look happy, shroom looks happy, is that a torch in the back? If those are all happy then it might be something else, but the acans don't look that upset to me.

[hey]

My single colony of acans for the moment has grown from 2 to about 15 heads right now with very limited feeding. I intend to feed more frequently in the future but with a newish tank I don't really like to push the limits of my filtration. I have noticed prior to a growth spurt (popping out more heads) they tend to look tiny and not their normal selves but then come back looking better than ever.

 

Like mark said if your other lps are happy the acans are probably fine. They tend to be much hardier than other lps in my experience. One of my torches for instance I think lost its color during shipping and is crazy white now. It's been almost 2 years since I got it like that and other than the color is quite happy and healthy looking asides from being very white. Slow recovery times on a lot of lps.

[bpounds1991]

I've got a sebae which has turned 4 shades darker since I got it, all the SPS seem to be doing well too, and at least as far as temp goes it only swings between 78.5 and 80 over the course of the day if that, just ordered the essentials test kit for calc alk and mag so we'll see if any of those are off

[bpounds1991]

I just hate feeling like such a noob about it all, I was keeping full SPS tanks when I was in high school and then just went out of the hobby for 6 years, came back and now I'm just shaking the rust off

[markalot]

I just hate feeling like such a noob about it all, I was keeping full SPS tanks when I was in high school and then just went out of the hobby for 6 years, came back and now I'm just shaking the rust off

 

You know, honestly, if you're used to SPS the LPS can be harder because they like a different set of params. I've never had good long term success with Acans. I just can't be bothered to pamper the little bastards, but I've had good luck with Blastos, Duncans, and Torches.

[bpounds1991]

I know they like slightly higher nutrient water, so I don't mind the extra feeding to pamper them lol but once football preseason ends (I'm a graduate assistant athletic trainer) I'd like to get everything set in stone and even start a dosing regimen

 

If you wouldn't mind elaborating a little more on the SPS vs LPS/acan differences in water/nutrient needs?

[markalot]

I know they like slightly higher nutrient water, so I don't mind the extra feeding to pamper them lol but once football preseason ends (I'm a graduate assistant athletic trainer) I'd like to get everything set in stone and even start a dosing regimen

 

If you wouldn't mind elaborating a little more on the SPS vs LPS/acan differences in water/nutrient needs?

 

It depends on the LPS. For me acans always need direct feeding, lower flow, and moderate light to be really happy. I just looked in my 150 today and my acans are not very happy while everything else is. Bah I say, let them suffer. Everything else is doing fine with a morning does of Acro Power and the occasional broadcast feeding of Reef Roids. My tank is fairly automated with KH locked in around 8.5 for my acros, which is what I'm really concentrating on at the moment.

[bpounds1991]

I just ordered test kits for Calc/Alk and Mag, hope to keep things consistent regardless of what coral i'm focusing on, although my acans are at the lowest areas of the tank...and there's verryyyy little flow in that corner along with my daily feedings