Help! I call on the masses. I've just skeletonized another acro (not exactly, an echinita this time) in a record 4 days in quarantine! I've been in the hobby for about two years, but acro type corals always die on me. In fact, they usually die in less than 2 weeks. Even the so called easier bird's nest eventually succumb though usually take about a month or so. Other stonies seem to be ok in my tank in fact my oldest coral is a pavona, but acros...no. The problem is they rarely survive quarantine. It has one powerhead, and recently got upgraded to T5s which sit right on top of the tank for better lighting. I'm basically asking for the secret or secrets to getting acro type corals to survive quarantine. I'm tired of being the grim reaper for acros which isn't good for them or my wallet. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Thanks for the ideas. I rarely get fish, but don't add anything like copper to the tank as I haven't had a fish that showed any signs of disease yet while in quarantine. As for more about my routine, I typically drip acclimate new corals for about 40 minutes to an hour. The tank is continuosly running, but isn't taken care nearly as often when nothing is in quarantine. However, when in quarantine, I try to do water changes of about 10% every 4 days or less. I try to add at least one coral food within those 4 days like oyster feast, coral frenzy, or marine snow. It is a 20 gallon long tank with a sponge filter. Light is not as regular as I would like as I don't have a timer on it yet so some days it would get 12 hours, or 15, or when forgotten before bed...24 hours. If the latter happens, I try to give them a day of darkness to make up for giving them too much light. Lastly, I've tried dips and no dips, but it doesn't seem to make a difference in terms of survivability of the acros. I hope the extra info further helps anyone else reading this.
I also use a small qt. lighting surprisingly is usually not hard to get the needed par levels. I usually dip new coral in revive then iodine. I keep my par level at no higher then 150 at the bottom. For the first week.then slowly raise it weekly. Rule of hand to me is if everything's bleaching you are pounding the coral with light. If it browns out not enough. With sps flow and water parameters need to be maintained. I always fill the qt with water from DT so it is water that has the needed nutrients. I then do weekly 25 % water changes and dip the coral again. I usually do not feed my qt tank tell the coral has been in the tank for several weeks and I target feed them with zooplankton only. After the feeding I then do a water change also. Hope this helps and good luck
Oh wow. Less lighting. I always thought acros needed a lot of light. I don't have a way to measure PAR so I guess I'll start by removing 2 of the 4 T5 lights and then adjust from there if needed. I'll also look into revive to learn more about that. I'm not sure what DT stands for, but I use RO/DI that I make, but if it helps, I could do water changes using water from the main tank instead of RO/DI water. I can also feed them less if that is being detrimental, but I had done it with the hopes that whatever I fed them would suppliment whatever I'm doing wrong to keep them alive, which hasn't help so far. So far, I'm learning a lot here, and if anyone else has an idea, please chime in.
I hadn't tested things like nitrates and alkalinity in a while, but I do regular checks of salinity as that is the thing that changes the most on me. The filter is always there, and it could probably use some squeezing out as that's been a while. The water sits in a 30 gallon trash can for at minimum of overnight and I test the salinty on that before adding it to anything. I did upgrade to LEDs in the main tank so the time I had up there is going downstairs to the quarantine tank today. I wish it was just bleaching, but the tissue dangles off of the acro before disappearing into the water so, sadly, they die. I've gotten acros from many different people, including beakerbob and mynemesis on here, and they met the same fate so source definitely isn't the problem. The consensus seems to be to use water from my main tank which should work no problem. Lastly, I can't really move the lights because the refugium is right about the quarantine and the sump is right below it. I'll try, maybe a piece of wood or something, to at least lift them up an inch or so.
I hadn't tested things like nitrates and alkalinity in a while, but I do regular checks of salinity as that is the thing that changes the most on me. The filter is always there, and it could probably use some squeezing out as that's been a while. The water sits in a 30 gallon trash can for at minimum of overnight and I test the salinty on that before adding it to anything. I did upgrade to LEDs in the main tank so the time I had up there is going downstairs to the quarantine tank today. I wish it was just bleaching, but the tissue dangles off of the acro before disappearing into the water so, sadly, they die. I've gotten acros from many different people, including beakerbob and mynemesis on here, and they met the same fate so source definitely isn't the problem. The consensus seems to be to use water from my main tank which should work no problem. Lastly, I can't really move the lights because the refugium is right about the quarantine and the sump is right below it. I'll try, maybe a piece of wood or something, to at least lift them up an inch or so.
Good advice from chort. You really only need six hours of max light to keep coral alive. So consider that you have been really giving them allot more then they need. DT stande for display tank also. I personally will never connect a qt to my main system ever again. If you buy a piece that is infected you risk it traveling to your main tank. This the intent of haveing a separate tank to quarantine new species to remove the chance of it traveling to your pride and joy. The sponge should go,all it will do is create problems for you. Sponge is nothing more then a nitrate factory! You should test your water before you introduce a new coral. I even go as far as testing the water that the coral was in. You would be surprised of the levels that some stores maintain. The tissue falling of makes me wonder where is the flow from you power head pointed. Just a thought but if it's pointed directly at your new frags it could be a large part of the problem. If it is redirect the flow.you don't need to have water blasting at the frags but do want good directional flow thru out the tank. Just more food for thought and good luck. I picture would helpful
I like the idea about the wrasse, but plan on adding at least 5 more fish over the next few months, so that would have to wait. I did understand to not connect the quarantine into the main tank as that would defeat the purpose of a quarantine. The consense seems to be to get rid of the sponge filter. Does that mean no filter at all because of the water changes or to get a more expensive non-sponge filter? Here are some pictures as requested.
As you can see, the green birds nest is starting to become pale as well. There are some cyphastrea on the bottom that I'm worried will go next. Ideally, some of the stuff I've learned from all of you will keep that from happening to these corals.
I appreciate the concern, but I think I've just taken some bad pics. However, I do plan on more frequent water changes with the display tank water, and to get rid of the sponge filter. I have the lights on a timer now, and will try to get another powerhead in the tank I just don't have a way to have them turn off and on as I can't afford another one of those "wave like" timers for a little bit. Thanks for the input everyone, and if there is more to say, I'll be glad to hear it!
I am the grim reaper of Acros
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Originally Posted by msumatt
