Receding/Pissed off acan lords

My rainbow acans have been "sucked in" for probably a month now, not looking real unhealthy, just not happy and super puffy like my acans always are. Now one side is looking like it is possibly receding/bleaching, other side looks slightly better?! I moved them down to the bottom of the tank about a week ago, thinking maybe it was the light, we upgraded fixtures from 70-150 watt but that was at least 3 months ago now so I expected it was fine. The tank is just getting over my brown algea issue but nothing else seemed affected and everything looks great, except those acans. I dipped them in some reef dip/iodine stuff we have sitting around (don't remember the brand off hand) tonight during water changes and moved them to a different bottom corner. Anything else I can try? Really don't want to lose them.

What is your PH?

I'll have to break out a test kit tomorrow or recalibrate my ph tester as it's off, I tested everything a few weeks back because of the algea and everything was within range except alk was slightly low. I'm bad, I test about 3 times a year now.

The reason that I ask is that the PH in the aquarium at the science center is running a little low, and a bunch of the LPS doesn't seem to like it.

Well I ended up cleaning house and then didn't want to stick my chemical covered hands in the tank so hopefully tomorrow I can get around to testing, I "think" they looked slightly better today though, I might dip them again tomorrow.

Update, this frag has been doing better since placed in a shaded area, started puffing up slightly and putting out feeders, I moved it a little more under the light today hoping to slowly acclimate it back somewhere I can actually see it.

However, another acan frag, which has been sunken in like the receded one is having issues, part of the skeleton is showing, it was facing the back of the tank so I didn't notice, turned it around to hopefully figure out what's up and might end up dipping and lowering in the tank as well.

well what i think it is they need to be at the bottom for a month or so, because thats what happend to mine so i put it at the bottom and still is and its doing great some acans dont need much light as others!

Have you changed anything else besides the lights? I'm having a hard time finding a place where mine are happy since I moved the powerheads around.

Seems odd having you post that your acans are ticked and even receding . You're the acan queen!

I know right?? All the rest as happy as can be. This colony that's having issues now doesn't look bad from the front, but there's a spot in the back middle where you can see skeleton and some flesh hanging off, that's how I noticed something was off. Powerheads have been moved and moved again but doesn't seem to be the issue. These have faded out in color as well, not bleached, just duller looking. I'll try the same treatment as the last frag and hope it works again.

Sounds like it worked last time so may as well give a shot again. Have you done any testing yet? I'm curious if you find anything there. Color fading sure sounds like it could be the lights too though, huh?

I tested everything a while back because of the algea and nothing was way off, everything else in the tank is doing great, clam is growing, coralline is growing all over (finally!). Even the two other acan lord frags look fantastic. I dipped both problem frags last night and they are on the bottom of the tank so I'm crossing my fingers they look ok today, they were pretty mad about the dip.

Last update, the acans are still on the bottom of the tank but in the middle and are looking a ton better, I am going to start slowly moving them back up the rockwork but I think we are in the clear.

Speaking of PH do you all Kalkwasser? Do you dope? If so what and what quantity. Garrett should this be a separate post? Can we talk about this at the meeting tomorrow. My PH was okay but my KH was low. I began a manual doping of Kalk one Table spoon per day, dosed at evening after the lights went out, and a Tablespoon of soda mix per recipes on RC. (small 29g tank) My PH was ok at 8.2 but my KH was 6-7 funny because after a couple weeks on this regimne, my PH is 8.0 but my KH is now climbing and is a solid 8. I have wanted to ask this question for a while, now that I understand the why and how of doping a little better.

we can talk about this at the meeting. Meeting is sunday though but if you wanted to come tomorrow i will be around as well.
I run a calcium reactor all day,
kalk reactor at night
quad dosing pump
the neat part is that from my iphone you will be able to look at graphs up to a month progression of all my phs, temps, orp, conductivity and a bunch of other neat stuff.
If you are interested in knowing quantities and such i will be able to tell you exactly how many ml every hour and stuff like that.

Probably would be a good post for it's own thread.

So to bump this back up a year later. Now my green ones same thing, I moved the powerhead and the flow must have been too strong so they started falling apart, moved them to the front of the tank lower flow, didn't stop, I've lost a few heads, finally dipped them tonight and hopefully they will improve. Really annoying since all the other acans are just fine! Even the ones in the same spot they started dying off in, makes zero sense!

So again having acan problems! Those green ones were completely lost, just about every other colony is receding, losing heads, sucked in. The two worst I moved to a shaded cave the other day and I made up fresh water for a change, tested the tank because I thought something must be off. Turned on the light, the two shaded colonies covered in brown jelly! One gone, the other half gone. I cleaned off the one frag and dipped all the acans, did a big water change, covered the tank with eggcrate, I just changed the bulb a couple weeks ago and think that may be a stressor. I'm afraid I'll be acan-less by the end of the week. The hillae colony up by the top is fine though. I have no idea what the problem is.

That stinks! I hope it doesn't end up being as bad as it sounds. I'll frag mine to help you get some back if need be.

Yeah it sucks, and worse that I can't figure it out and fix it!

Exactly! No news from your tests? What did you test for?

I have never had any luck with Acans... They look fine for awhile then just receed and die off. The same thing happens for ricordias for me typically. I have had the two in my tank now though for about a month so maybe it's all better now...

It's never fun losing corals, but hopefully there are some frags out there to help replace some of them.

R u dosing strotium ? Acans love it ! Sea water is about 9 we can safely keep ours around 18-20 ppm ! I know i was having color issues awhile back dosed some strotium bam color came back lps puffy and full again strotium as important as mag or cal or alk someone correct me if I'm wrong !

I don't have a test for strontium or mag. so those might be off, but I was hoping a big water change would help. Calcium is up there as always, nitrates a bit high at 25 but that's pretty normal for me, alk a little low but again pretty normal for my tanks. These acans have been in way worse conditions, tap water, way higher nitrates when the non photo stuff was in there, I don't get it. No more brown jelly yesterday so I might save half that colony. I'll probably do another change tomorrow and hope that helps.

Water changes are the easiest way to replenish the correct amount of trace elements. The only reason to dose is if they are used up faster than you can water change or if you don't do water changes often enough (like me)...

GP, I understand they have been in worse situations. The water changes are going to help drop those Nitrate levels. Another thing to try would be a polyfilter if anyone has them local there. Those things are AWESOME when there is something going on and you just don't know as they can remove any bad chemicals and color change to let you know what's being removed.

Are you running carbon? If not, may want to add some as it can help with pollutants too...

I would try to keep parameters more stable and at a blanced level Jim gave me that advice and it was the best advice i ever listened to for my tank ! Tests are well worth the money ! Or if anyone around u can help w the rarer tests