Acropora care

[Tuna]

hello i typed acropora in search funtion and didnt see any strict info on care.
Im very interested in a small Acro section in my tank and would like to know what i need to do...


edit i thought there was a my tank link here :S

i have a 65aga overflow tank,tidepool2 filter with some bio-chem stars in the bottom, a berlin skimmer in the sump,coralife metal halide,110-130 lbs of rock.
I only check nitrates too btw,id like to start checkin other params but the lfs says no need :S however everything is going great its probbly been running for 6+months now(time to change the bulbs soon!)

 

[Witfull]

strong light, good flow and an established tank.

 

[Woodstock]

Also good calcium, magnesium and alkalinity levels.

Reef Aquarium Water Parameters

 

[Tuna]

i saw some posts about people feeding them... is this neccessary? i pour rotifers in my tank maybe 2x a week for the other corals.

 

[cheeks69]

Also good calcium, magnesium and alkalinity levels.

Reef Aquarium Water Parameters

Ditto ^^^
Maintaining a balance can be very difficult you must test regularly to make sure these elements are at the proper levels. What are you using to maintain your cal/alk/Mag ? Are you using kalkwasser ? You should also keep your nitrates low. AFA food you don't need to target feed them but as Witfull mentioned proper lighting is essential.

 

[Tuna]

i think im good on lighting,its a 150w i believe coralife MH 36" and i dont check those other things:bugout: i assumed a weekly water change(15 gallons) would take care of that,however im going to start adding kent's esential elements, and i use kents calcium buffer techA&B (2 part stuff) weekly.

my nitrates are always good,it never shows in a test...always yellow.

 

[cheeks69]

i think im good on lighting,its a 150w i believe coralife MH 36" and i dont check those other things:bugout: i assumed a weekly water change(15 gallons) would take care of that,however im going to start adding kent's esential elements, and i use kents calcium buffer techA&B (2 part stuff) weekly.

my nitrates are always good,it never shows in a test...always yellow.

With SPS and Clams your calcium levels will quickly be depleted so you have to test regularly and dose as necessary, also keep in mind that if adding a 2Part cal/alk additive if your not testing your levels your tank could easily become unbalanced. IMO/E I would drip kalk daily and use a 2 part only when necessary or get a Calcium Reactor.

 

[blue_eyes53813]

150 watts on a 65 gallon wont be enough for acros..they will need 7 watts per gallon and up...sorry

 

[Tuna]

150 watts on a 65 gallon wont be enough for acros..they will need 7 watts per gallon and up...sorry

thats good info,thanks...i wonder if i can retro my fixture?

*goes to search for calcium reactor*

 

[cheeks69]

150 watts on a 65 gallon wont be enough for acros..they will need 7 watts per gallon and up...sorry

That really depends on how tall the tank is. Is it a single bulb Tuna ? If the tank is 20" or less then a couple of 150w would be enough. IMO the WPG rule leaves alot to be desired,

 

[Tuna]

i have 1 MH bulb and 2 actinics also 2 lunar...but I can place corals 9 in from the bulb (9" from the corals bottom that is) however there is a plastic brace in the way of the light which i really want to remove but am very scared to do. ill find a pic. even with the slight blockage everything is doing awesome all corals are getting very big and reproducing coraline and various macroalgea grows like crazy.

these are old pics and since then ive cut a 1/2in wide slot in the brace

 

[lcstorc]

Is the brace you mention across the top of the tank? If so be very very careful and IMO leave it alone. It can be a pain I know, but it is structural and helps to hold the tank together. I have heard stories of people removing the brace and then the glass bows out on the side unitl the seals give.
Sorry to sound paranoid. Lots of people around who can add more info, but when I even mentioned removing mine some far more knowledgable friends stopped me fast.
If it is a different brace then just ignore everything I just said. LOL

Your tank looks nice. You have some great looking aquascape there. Hope to see more pics soon.

 

[Gina]

I would not remove the brace!
We had a 46g bow front that the brace broke on last year and you would not believe how far out the tank bowed! We rushed out and bought another tank before it gave.

 

[billyr98]

its a shame things change in the years... My dad has a 90g tank from 1993 and no brace on them... They just made the tanks better... Thicker glass and such..

But acros are a great thing to get in frags.. It is so fun to watch them grow..

 

[Tuna]

I would not remove the brace!
We had a 46g bow front that the brace broke on last year and you would not believe how far out the tank bowed! We rushed out and bought another tank before it gave.

it broke!!! omg! thats why i left it there but just opened up the center so there wouldnt be that uglt shadow in the middle...ill take a few more pics

heres a more recent tank shot...i cant aquascape for nothing :away:

 

[billyr98]

aquascaping looks good, but don't touch that brace!! its there for a reason, i know it stinks with lighting.. but it would stink even worse with water on the floor!

 

[Tuna]

ok ill leave the brace,but can i support an acro? or any sps? maybe i just dont have enough overall water too. I heard something like that too

so my lighting may be ok, i have to start checking pH and Calcium, and ill need another powerhead. What am i missing :S

 

[cheeks69]

ok ill leave the brace,but can i support an acro? or any sps? maybe i just dont have enough overall water too. I heard something like that too

so my lighting may be ok, i have to start checking pH and Calcium, and ill need another powerhead. What am i missing :S

Not sure what you mean about enough water but what your looking for is a mature stable tank with proper levels of cal/alk/Mag , excellent water quality, strong indirect flow and proper lighting.
Since there's nothing you can do about the brace I would confine any SPS to the area that the MH covers and I would start out with some frags maybe a couple of Montiporas and see how they do.

 

[lcstorc]

I've actually put my brace to good use and put my softies in the shade provided by it.
How old is the setup? As Cheeks mentioned you want to let the tank establish first. You could always try a few pieces but many people say they need a well established tank to thrive. I have heard of exceptions of course so you could try.
Test your water and see what your levels are. IMO your lights should be fine, but you really don't know where your water is right now and that is key.

 

[Vanquish]

Just to add, watch your po4 levels too if you wanna keep acroporas well...