Acro Troubles

[TWallace]

I'm somewhat new to SPS. I've been successfully keeping some lower light loving SPS (montipora cap, stylophora, hydnophora, pocillopora) and they all look great with nice polyp extension. I tried a couple of acros several months ago and they never extended polyps, then bleached within a month.

Last weekend I went to Barrier Reef and asked about some of the easier to keep acros. I was given great info and bought a bali green slimer and a millepora. The millepora was already bleached due to the electrical problem Barrier Reef had recently, but was showing good polyp extension and looked healthy (and it was cheap) so I bought it.

In my tank at home however, the mille only extends its polyps nicely at night. During the daytime, they're barely visible. The bali green slimer looks better, polyps are visible in daytime. My first thought was that either something is bothering the mille during the daytime or that the lighting is too bright. However, I watched the tank for a while and don't see anything bothering it, and the mille was under 400w MH at Barrier Reef, and only under 4x54w T5 in my tank (though it is close to the top of the tank). Should I try moving the mille down to lower lighting?

I don't think that the lights are too dim, as I have 3 crocea clams in my tank that I bought last August and they're doing great.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Milli likes good lighting and moderatly strong water flow. How is your calcium?

 

[TWallace]

Haven't tested it in a couple weeks. It's usually around 370-380. I have trouble getting it up higher than that. I know that sometimes low magnesium can prevent it, so I started adding a calcium supplement that also contains magnesium about 3 months ago. However, the calcium level seems to be enough for my 4 clams (3 crocea, 1 derasa). I'd think if calcium was the problem, my other SPS and clams would be affected.

 

[Snappy]

Haven't tested it in a couple weeks. It's usually around 370-380. I have trouble getting it up higher than that. I know that sometimes low magnesium can prevent it, so I started adding a calcium supplement that also contains magnesium about 3 months ago. However, the calcium level seems to be enough for my 4 clams (3 crocea, 1 derasa). I'd think if calcium was the problem, my other SPS and clams would be affected.

I personally think your ca is too low. Yes stuff will live but at that low level it doesn't take much for it to drop too low with minimal consumption. What are the other parameters like? What temp is the water?

 

[SueT]

actually the clams may be sucking the calcium out of the water. Theres a reason their also known as calcium hogs. LOL.. I'd definitely be testing my calcium level more often and also checking alk and magnesium. With sps you do need to be more diligent with water checking til you kind of know whats going on with it. I would try to some how get it to atleast 400 and 420 preferably. Milleporas do love more intense lighting and flow. I sure would not lower it. Every mille I have is polyped out 24/7.

 

[Snappy]

actually the clams may be sucking the calcium out of the water. Theres a reason their also known as calcium hogs. LOL.. I'd definitely be testing my calcium level more often and also checking alk and magnesium. With sps you do need to be more diligent with water checking til you kind of know whats going on with it. I would try to some how get it to atleast 400 and 420 preferably. Milleporas do love more intense lighting and flow. I sure would not lower it. Every mille I have is polyped out 24/7.

Yeah, what Sue said.

 

[TWallace]

I keep the temp between 79 and 80. I'm at work so can't measure alk/cal/mag right now. Will do so when I get home. I've got Salifert kits for Alk/Mag and a SeaChem kit for Cal. I'm still curious why the mille opens at night, but not during the day. Seems like water parameters wouldn't explain that, as they don't change much at night (pH drops a bit most likely, but nothing else).

I have a JBJ auto topoff that replaces all evaporated water with kalk water.

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Why keep it so warm?

 

[TWallace]

I thought 79-80 was pretty standard, actually somewhat lower than what a lot of people run.

 

[thekingfish]

I'd think if calcium was the problem, my other SPS and clams would be affected.

Not saying the calcium is the problem but some corals like certain acros are just more sensitive than other sps to water conditions that are not optimal.
When my water chemistry was off a while ago cause I was trying to dial in a reactor, my stylo never seemed bothered while my acro frags lost their polyp extension.

If your ca/alk/mg levels are good, maybe they're just adjusting to the lower light level.

 

[kevinpo]

Hello,
It's unlikely that your calcium, water temperature, or magnesium level is related to polyp extension. It is possible alkalinity could be responsible but most likely it is overall water chemistry that is different from where the coral came from. It may take a few weeks to months to adjust. High organics and/or low ORP numbers have a much greater impact on polyp extension (IME) than the parameters you have listed above.

SPS reef temperatures from 76-82F are ideal I have never had a problem with a 3-4F swing in 24 hours.

Regards,
Kevin

 

[TWallace]

Just did some tests. I can't test calcium because my test kit got some moisture in it and ruined the powdered reagent (supposed to be purple, it solidified with large black spots all over it). So I threw it out. I'll pick up a Salifert kit this weekend.

Temp: 79.9
pH: 8.24
Alk: 8.3 dKH
Mag: 1095
Nitrates: 0

I know the mag is low (and the calcium is historically around 370-380). I've been struggling to raise them. Maybe I need to switch to a salt that has higher concentration of both. I currently use Instant Ocean.

Here are some pictures:

Bali Green Slimer

Notice that this acro has decent polyp extension.

Millepora

This one is bleached, but it was like that when I bought it. Barrier Reef had an incident in their tank where a pump electrocuted the system. Notice the minimal polyp extension. It's a mille, so it's got very hairy polyps normally. The polyps were extended nicely at Barrier Reef, so the electrocution is not the cause of its current state.

"Calcium Hogs"

 

[twilliard]

Oh my that Milli does not look happy.

How was it acclimated to the water and the light?

 

[tamarindthai]

The millepora was already bleached due to the electrical problem recently, but was showing good polyp extension and looked healthy (and it was cheap) so I bought it.

is this related to the problem?

 

[tamarindthai]

ops,never mind wrong tread

 

[TWallace]

Oh my that Milli does not look happy.

How was it acclimated to the water and the light?

I acclimated it for 1 hour. It sat in the bag (still sealed) for the first 20 minutes to get the temp correct. Then I opened the bag, drained half the water into a bucket, grabbed one turkey baster full of my tank water, slowly emptied it into the bag over about 20 seconds. Then added another turkey baster of my water every 10 minutes. After 1 hour total, I placed the frag in my tank.

 

[SueT]

yeah, that millepora does not look happy. Yet look at the "hogs" and the slimer. They look good. Has the millepora changed any.. like color worse or some better, or polyp extension any better or worse?? I would definitely get your magnesium up too. It relates to the calcium being low. I learned this from Kevin, magnesium can usually be figured by multiplying caclium by 3. So if the mag is 1095 that means the calcium is very low.

 

[TWallace]

No, the mille hasn't changed since I bought it 5 days ago. The only change I see in the mille is that it does look good in the morning before the lights come on, nice and hairy. There are no corals near enough to sting it, and I never see any fish or other creatures bother it.

I'm definitely going to try to raise the magnesium and calcium this weekend. I already use kalk for top off water. What should I use in addition to that to boost calcium (and maybe magnesium in the same supplement)?

 

[SueT]

I don't know about 1 product but I use Kents Tech M for magnesium and I use kalk for top off. If I do need to boost calcium which I do from time to time I use Oceans Blend.

 

[TWallace]

Here's a picture taken about 4 hours after lights out:

As you can see, it's got nice polyp extension at night, looks quite healthy (other than the color, but that's been covered). This leads me to believe that it's not likely a water quality issue. Why would the water quality be tolerable for this coral only at night (it's like this every night)? I think I'm leaning towards something must be bothering it during the day time, but I don't know what.