Acro doing good?
- Thread starter entice59
- Start date
spsfreak100
Active Member
First off,
Your tank has a considerably high amount of hair algae (at least that's what i'm seeing in the picture provided). Most likely, the Hair Algae is the affect of having high amounts of phosphates in your aquarium. Phosphates will stunt the growth of Small Polyp Scleractinain (SPS) corals, meaning the coral cannot properly grow.
Second,
You'll be suprized how far away Aiptasia anemones can sting. I would recommend injecting the bugger with some Limewater or calcium hydroxide.
To answer your questions,
You're best off giving the coral strong amounts of current, preferably currents which alternate.
Your Acropora will also benifit from regular feedings. Their zooxanthellae only supplies the corals with carbon. The coral's nitrogen needs must be obtained through regular feedings. Acropora can get over 100% of their carbon from the light, depending on the species and the habitat in which they came from. Acropora esspecially are very active feeders, which do best with some supplied food.
I like feeding many of my corals Golden Pearls. This is highly recommend. Phytoplex could also be used for feedings.
FWIW,
I have almost no doubt in my mind your coral will durn a nice dull brown coloration under your current lighting, within a couple weeks or so. This is common when people are housing SPS corals under florecent lighting. This brown coloration is caused by zooxanthellae increase, which is used to capture as much light as possible. Polyps may also be shapped different to attract more lighting. Often times polyps turn extremely fat.
Regards,
Graham
Your tank has a considerably high amount of hair algae (at least that's what i'm seeing in the picture provided). Most likely, the Hair Algae is the affect of having high amounts of phosphates in your aquarium. Phosphates will stunt the growth of Small Polyp Scleractinain (SPS) corals, meaning the coral cannot properly grow.
Second,
You'll be suprized how far away Aiptasia anemones can sting. I would recommend injecting the bugger with some Limewater or calcium hydroxide.
To answer your questions,
You're best off giving the coral strong amounts of current, preferably currents which alternate.
Your Acropora will also benifit from regular feedings. Their zooxanthellae only supplies the corals with carbon. The coral's nitrogen needs must be obtained through regular feedings. Acropora can get over 100% of their carbon from the light, depending on the species and the habitat in which they came from. Acropora esspecially are very active feeders, which do best with some supplied food.
I like feeding many of my corals Golden Pearls. This is highly recommend. Phytoplex could also be used for feedings.
FWIW,
I have almost no doubt in my mind your coral will durn a nice dull brown coloration under your current lighting, within a couple weeks or so. This is common when people are housing SPS corals under florecent lighting. This brown coloration is caused by zooxanthellae increase, which is used to capture as much light as possible. Polyps may also be shapped different to attract more lighting. Often times polyps turn extremely fat.
Regards,
Graham
entice59
Active Member
whats calcium hydroxide? is it just calcuim? . I never thought it would be a problem as long as its far away from the corals.
I am almost done getting rid of the all the hair algae, its mainly on certain rocks now. In a few weeks it should be gone. The rocks you saw mostly had all the hair algae.
if the polyps grow fat, is that a bad sign? Im guessing its not a good sign right?
I traded some mushrooms and polyps for the acro. I just wanted a small piece to see how well it would actually do in my tank as an experiment.
thanks guys
I am almost done getting rid of the all the hair algae, its mainly on certain rocks now. In a few weeks it should be gone. The rocks you saw mostly had all the hair algae.
if the polyps grow fat, is that a bad sign? Im guessing its not a good sign right?
I traded some mushrooms and polyps for the acro. I just wanted a small piece to see how well it would actually do in my tank as an experiment.
thanks guys
jonthefb
Active Member
go to your grocerystore and pick up some pickeling lime, as this is pure calcium hydroxide...mix it with water to make a nice thick paste, then suck the paste into a syringe and squirt it into the center of the aiptasia...the anemone will retract rapidly, but make sure you hit it with the paste, and then put a nice cap of the paste over the hole that the anemone retracted into....shoulod do the trick!
good luck
jon
good luck
jon
sammystingray
Active Member
72 watts won't cut it in my opinion even when concentrated over a 15 gallon. It seems you have some plankton in the water going by what appears to be tiny tube worms on the filter behind it....they usually populate fast when there is lots of suspended food. I have to agree the hair algae seen is usually a sign of problems in the water.
entice59
Active Member
what do you guys recommend me to do with the acro? take it back because its going to die right? is a montipora good enough for my tank, that was my second choice, from either that or the acro. Of course i will wait until everything is fine this time. The guy i traded with said if the acro does bad, it'll be fine, he said he'd rather me try out a free piece then a buy 20 dollar piece at the lfs only to see it die. I'll try giving the tank readings by friday
thanks for your opinions
thanks for your opinions
spsfreak100
Active Member
My opinion is to give it back. With that lighting and the copious amounts of hair algae everywhere, it's almost sure to die. I would give it back and save a life.
The Montipora you plan to get will also most likely die. While the Montipora varieties do tend to be one of the hardier species of Scleractinia, they are still very sensitive.
My personal opinions would be to stop buying any Small Polyp Scleractinians for your tank, until you have the proper setup to care for one. By testing, you're doing almost nothing except putting a coral in an environment in which it cannot survive. I would stick with the corals that would really thrive in your tank, not just live or die 2 weeks later. All these are only my mere opinions. Others may have different thoughts.
Regards,
Graham
The Montipora you plan to get will also most likely die. While the Montipora varieties do tend to be one of the hardier species of Scleractinia, they are still very sensitive.
My personal opinions would be to stop buying any Small Polyp Scleractinians for your tank, until you have the proper setup to care for one. By testing, you're doing almost nothing except putting a coral in an environment in which it cannot survive. I would stick with the corals that would really thrive in your tank, not just live or die 2 weeks later. All these are only my mere opinions. Others may have different thoughts.
Regards,
Graham
jonthefb
Active Member
like i said entice, i have kept acros and montis and other sps under pc lighting, but they never thrived....theygrew a bit, but it was because of high calcium/alk levels and constant dripping of kalk...and fairly heavy feedings as well...i would reccommend upgrading your lights, and fixing any hair/aiptasia problems you have now before delving into the unknown world of sps!
good luck
jon
p.s. the scooter blenny in the pic is also probably not going to make it....this fish is as finicky as a mandarin when it comes to food, adn only after tiresome work can you get them accustomed to frazen foods, however even when they are not feeding on frozen, they will be hunting on your live rock, so again the animal will only be thriving and not surviving...again these are all just my humble opinions, take them for what they're worth!
good luck
jon
good luck
jon
p.s. the scooter blenny in the pic is also probably not going to make it....this fish is as finicky as a mandarin when it comes to food, adn only after tiresome work can you get them accustomed to frazen foods, however even when they are not feeding on frozen, they will be hunting on your live rock, so again the animal will only be thriving and not surviving...again these are all just my humble opinions, take them for what they're worth!
good luck
jon
entice59
Active Member
ok, i didnt know a monti was a sps. I'll skip that.
The scooter actually does eat brine and mysis, it charges after it when its in the tank. It used to have a sunk in stomach because the shrimps would scare it away from the food and steal it from the scooter. I put the shrimps in the 55 and now the scooter has a big ol' pot belly.
DvSKiN, i have 72 watt PC on my tank.
I want to ask another question. Im using Chemi-pure, and its labeled 40 gallons and up. I have a 55, its in the tank now, but with the sand and the live rock im only guessing i have 30 gallons. Should i cut the bag and split the carbon in 1/2 and save the carbon for next time? Is it possible to keep the carbon after its been used for a day or two? I want to just save half the carbon for 15 when its time to replace it.
The scooter actually does eat brine and mysis, it charges after it when its in the tank. It used to have a sunk in stomach because the shrimps would scare it away from the food and steal it from the scooter. I put the shrimps in the 55 and now the scooter has a big ol' pot belly.
DvSKiN, i have 72 watt PC on my tank.
I want to ask another question. Im using Chemi-pure, and its labeled 40 gallons and up. I have a 55, its in the tank now, but with the sand and the live rock im only guessing i have 30 gallons. Should i cut the bag and split the carbon in 1/2 and save the carbon for next time? Is it possible to keep the carbon after its been used for a day or two? I want to just save half the carbon for 15 when its time to replace it.
richard rendos
Active Member
polyp extension is a good sign...I would however try to get rid of all hair algae before adding any other SPS...hair algae can cover and smother SPS to death quickly.
sammystingray
Active Member
Quote.............."If you want a prime example of clams and SPS under PC lighting, not only surviving, but thriving, you can take a look at Johnny Brooklyns 10 gallon nanno. I'm not sure what he has on there for lights, but I know its only PC. "
I didn't see the big clam he had in his last pictures, and I noticed some SPS missing. Some colors were faded as well. He does have a beautiful tank, and nobody could ever put it down, but it hasn't been set up even a year yet, and you have to consider that as well. You can get months out of just about anything even in incorrect lighting....corals are pretty hardy actually, and they do "try" to adapt. Even when he first showed it...he even mentioned that atleast one SPS didn't have the color it would under more powerful lights. I am actually very curious as to what has happened in his tank since it was setup.
I didn't see the big clam he had in his last pictures, and I noticed some SPS missing. Some colors were faded as well. He does have a beautiful tank, and nobody could ever put it down, but it hasn't been set up even a year yet, and you have to consider that as well. You can get months out of just about anything even in incorrect lighting....corals are pretty hardy actually, and they do "try" to adapt. Even when he first showed it...he even mentioned that atleast one SPS didn't have the color it would under more powerful lights. I am actually very curious as to what has happened in his tank since it was setup.