acans and chalices, why.....

Smite · Oct 24, 2015

......can't I keep them alive long term? Well chalices are about month on average and I'm pretty much over trying them.

Acans I keep alive, but it's a constant battle. 1 colony I've had for almost 2 years. It gets to about 15 heads, nice and fluffy, the starts melting away. The last couple heads hang on and recover and the cycle starts over. Grows then melts then grows....

My other lps - torch, blastos, scoly and war coral seems fine.

I feed coral food at least 1x a week. And rods reef is a staple for my tank.

Nitrates are 2
Phosphates .02

Alk 8-8.3
Calcium 440
Magnesium 1440

Salinity 1.025
Temp 78.5

Lighting radion g3 pro x2. 50%

They are on the sandbed tank is 27" d

ERIC1975 · Oct 24, 2015

I can keep acans alive but can't seem to keep their rainbow colors...99% of them seem to turn red/orange after 6 months

They're under T5 and Kessil.
How much flow you have? Acans prefer low light and flow

Smite · Oct 24, 2015

I cant keep the rainbow color either, but mine stay orange and red and lose all greens.

I have decent flow in my tank, but not a constant blast. I don't think they are getting torn apart.

I'm going to start spot feeding them, maybe they just aren't catching any food.

jesuses · Oct 24, 2015

The only chalices doing good in my kessil lit tank are in complete shade. Really weird. Acans don't stay fluffy in my display but do a little in my sump. Maybe because I have an angel. Weird thing is I also have a scoly, blastos, hammers doing good in my display. Might be the led's

ERIC1975 · Oct 24, 2015

I noticed my acans and chalice n my 30 gal are doing much better than those in my 180 display tank where lightning and flow are higher. The 30 gal tank only have one Kessil and just return for flow no additional pumps. I do spot feed them with coral frenzy pellets 2-3x a week. They are very fluffy and eat like crazy. I spot feed my chalice too!
Some shots with iPhone last night feeding them

My new rainbow Wellso

Smite · Oct 24, 2015

jesuses said:

So weird, same thing. I also have pygmy angel, I haven't witnessed him nip but who knows.
I picked up some MH fixtures. I've been thinking about changing over once it cools down a little more.

ERIC1975 said:

Dang, now that's some colors! Nice pieces Eric.

organism · Oct 24, 2015

What's the spectrum on your Radion? I've had issues when they get too much white light even if it's not a high intensity, but in a bluer spectrum or in the shade they do better.

mark.a.smith405 · Oct 24, 2015

I would guess it's a flow / nutrient thing. Higher flow lower nutrient means there's less food and harder to grab? Spot feeding would prob help but if you have shrimp watch out cause they might steal the food and further piss off your lps. Hahaha. That's what mine does

gumbii · Oct 24, 2015

i've been growing my chalice under a halo for a couple of months now... great growth..

i always had good luck with chalices though... always put them on the lowest point of the tank.. not on rocks, not on racks... medium flow, and no sand... a little sand gets on them, they will start to recede... acans, i'm blowing the rainbow out of them, but they are huge... so i can't complain....

cowboycove · Oct 24, 2015

I don't think you should have nitrates. If you feed ablot I'd do 20% water changes weekly. Sounds like too much waste probably. I had issues with my tank in the beginning and all my chakkaces and pektinia died. There like lingering skin on one of them. But they are sensitive. Not worth trying again for me. Scans doing good for me though. So far. I even had a very old hammer die on me. But its making a comeback back now with a bunch of cereal size heads.

And I think chakkaces like low light. I know every time mine falls in a completely shaded area it colors up like crazy

Macdaddynick1 · Oct 31, 2015

I'd vote +1 on the nutrients. Try some particulate food every 3 days

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ndrwater · Oct 31, 2015

I have had great luck with spot feeding. I used jumbo mysis to feed each head. Color and growth were great. ..... Then I added a couple of peppermint shrimps.... After the few aptasia were gone, the acans were next on the menu... D@mn it...

Smite · Oct 31, 2015

Yeah I'm never trying peppermint shrimp again. I had the same issue with them before. Tear the mouths open trying to get food.

turbonut · Oct 31, 2015

Peppermint shrimp are the devil when it comes to fleshy lps

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CoralsAddiction · Dec 9, 2015

just lost a 3 head acan frag but picked up two chalices...hopefully they stay alive.

All Delight · Dec 10, 2015

Nitrates are low. If u can get them to 5 you'd see an improvement.

All Delight · Dec 10, 2015

Longshot too....I was losing chalices one at a time until I found a rusting tunze magnet.

Smite · Dec 10, 2015

All Delight said:

I've been thinking about only running my skimmer half the day. For whatever reason, no matter how much I over feed and slack on water changes my nutrients stay low.

Smite · Dec 10, 2015

That being said my acans seem to be doing a little better. I dipped them all in revive and the receding stopped. I've now been spot feeding and I'm starting to see mouths appear in the old skeletons

Nanoreefer43 · Feb 13, 2017

I agree on target feeding mysis or brine every other day. My acans and chalices are growing like crazy. My levels are very similar to yours so I think the target feeding will make a big difference.

acans and chalices, why.....

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