secrets?

[Cloran]

Can anybody tell me any tricks or secrets to keeping Acro's? I can't keep them for the life of me.

[youngtimothy]

good flow, high lighting, and stable calcium (430) ALK (9dkh) mag(around 1500) no nitrates, no phospates, good clean water and a lot of luck! I have 8 now, Ive lost a couple hopefully no more. also your softies may doing the chemical warfare thing with them, if your not running carbon. I dont run carbon but I dont have softies. hope this helps, good luck.

[Cloran]

flow, they were under my return
lighting= 175 MH
CA= always around 450
MAG= dose weekly
nitrates= undectectable
phospate= running reactor
carbon= I'll give it a shot, not running right now
%25 bi-weekly water changes

[youngtimothy]

how about ALK everything else looks good

[Cloran]

Never really tested that one, have to get around to doing it. I know at one point it was a hair low

[marinelife]

Do you have hair algae in this tank?

[youngtimothy]

alk could be the problem. acros dont like low alk here is a good read about cal and alk.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

[Cloran]

I got a little hair algae but its going away. I just have 2 little spots left on the back glass.

[marinelife]

Is this in your 20, if so it could be the soft corals causing issues. They release chemicals into the water that can effect SPS Corals. 24/7 carbon can help.

Also you may notice a difference once the hair algae is gone. You have phosphates that must be getting lower with reactor running since you say the algae is going away. Phosphates hurt SPS corals so you will need to always run the reactor.

Also check the acro for Flatworms and Red Bugs!! They are a pain and will kill your acropora.

[Cloran]

Well i'm working on getting more phosban just ran out. Also starting carbon today and let it run for awhile