Acropora not coloring up, any tips?

[rustix]

My Acropora frags have been in the tank for about three weeks now, but they're not showing any color. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5 nitrate, 8.2 pH, 420 calcium, 1300 magnesium. Running Radion XR15s at 60% intensity for 8 hours. Any ideas what's missing?

[goaliepro]

Yo, sounds like your lighting might be the issue. Acros need that sweet spot of PAR, around 250-350. You gotta ramp it up slowly though, or they'll bleach. Also, check your alk stability. If it's bouncing around, they'll stay dull.

[Foliant]

Yo, sounds like your lighting might be the issue. Acros need that sweet spot of PAR, around 250-350. You gotta ramp it up slowly though, or they'll bleach. Also, check your alk stability. If it's bouncing around, they'll stay dull.

Agreed. Alk swings are a killer. What's your alkalinity sitting at? And how often are you testing?

[phillis79]

I've had the same problem before. Turns out my tank was too clean. Acros need some nitrates and phosphates to color up. Try feeding a bit more or cutting back on water changes for a bit. Worked for me!

[angler2]

What's your flow like? Acros need strong, random flow to thrive. If they're just sitting in a dead zone, they won't color up no matter what you do with the lights or params.

[SunnyG]

Honestly, three weeks isn't that long. Sometimes they just take a minute to settle in. Mine looked like crap for a month before they finally started popping. Patience, my dude.

[franzi]

Are you dosing anything? Amino acids and trace elements can help with color. I started dosing Red Sea Colors and saw a big difference in about two weeks.

[route4]

I've had the same problem before. Turns out my tank was too clean. Acros need some nitrates and phosphates to color up. Try feeding a bit more or cutting back on water changes for a bit. Worked for me!

This is solid advice. I was running my nitrates at zero for ages, and my Acros were blah. Upped the feeding, and bam, colors came back.

[north_rose]

What salt mix are you using? Some brands are low on trace elements. I switched to Tropic Marin Pro and noticed better coloration across the board.

[rustix]

Thanks for all the suggestions, everyone. I'll start by tweaking the lights and checking alk more frequently. Appreciate the help!