Flower Pedal

[verper]

Just a little teaser for you Nikki. Yours should color up.

[micki]

That is cool! I wish I could get PE on my coral. I'm sure it would change the looks of them.

[MechanicalEngineer]

That's beautiful!  I'm really confused on mine b/c the polyps aren't even bluish colored...at least with my eyesight.  I saw the guy frag it, and the mother colony looked like yours.  Can the polyps change color too? 

[verper]

Yes, the whole coral can turn brown, even the polyps.  But this is usually a gradual process because of underpowered or yellow light.  I am a little confused as to why the color of your coral would have changed so rapidly.  I bring frags back from swaps that don't change color and many have been in bags from 7am to 8pm.  The only thing to do is to put it under some strong lighting and see if it colors back up.

I asked you this before but my memory fails me - Do you have actinic lighting in your 260w PC fixture?  The PC fixtures sometimes have "blue bulbs" that are not actinic.  Do any of your other coral fluoresce with just the actinic lights on?

[MechanicalEngineer]

The acropora and the "flower petal" coral I brought back from MI both lost their coloring (with the acro turning from grass green to chocolate brown).  It may be due to the trip and due to my lighting.  They were both brown after taking them out of the bag.  I'm running 2 x 65 W 10000 Kelvin lights and 2 x 65 W "Actinic".  The actinic lights say, "true actinic" on them...if that means anything or not.  A couple of my corals somewhat flouresce (like my Caps), but not like I've seen other people's do.  This may be a stupid question, but I've changed my white lights every 6 months, but not my actinics.  Should I change the actinics as well?  All of my SPS are near the very top of the tank, except the things that have bleached out a bit.  The only SPS that has done well is my green Cat's Paw. 

Diverting a wee bit (but just trying to give the whole picture), I almost lost a cap, but it's been coming back after adding the skimmer and a Lugol's Dip.  (I tried the Lugols b/c I figured it couldn't hurt it anymore.)  I completely lost a Chesterfield Acro after it turned brown, quit extending its polyps, and then just bleached.  I'm in the process of losing a brown bird's nest.  Its skeleton is 100% white, but it is still extending brown polyps.  I've tried lower light with it, but it might be past the point of no return.  Still kicking are 5 different montipora caps (which are supposed to be easier ones, so go figure) and the Cat's Paw.

I'm not so bright...and have several softies...including leathers...in the tank...and I'm no longer running carbon.  Have I hit the nail on the head?

[micki]

I know when I switched to Hamilton 14 K lighting (after Travis told me for like 18 months:)  ) my SPS changed color.  Many of them were brown and now are lighter prettier colors with greens, purple and blues.  I also had PO4 problems and that is fine now with the help of a phosphate reactor.  I also run carbon all the time.  I haven't changed my actinic lighting for a long time.  I'll be interested to see others thoughts on the actinics.  I did notice my SPS starting to go to the brown color again and realized it had been 8 months since I changed my MH bulbs.  As soon as I got new bulbs the pretty color came back.  What kind of changed lighting do you have?   

[rmstevensiii]

FWIW...  I've successfully recovered a Monti Digi and Caps which fell behind the rock-work in my 75.  They were back there for more than a month b4 they were pushed far enough toward the front for me to pull them out of the shadows and put them back where they belong.  Both were totally bleached out and both have regained all of their color and have grown  enough to be fragged.  That being said, I would not give up on them just yet.  I change my VHO atinic's every 6-8 mos and my MH's every 8-12 mos.  If I slip on bulb changes, I don't notice a change in the corals in my tank, but I do notice an increase in the growth of the nuisance algae.  My tank is fairly stable... I feed it about the same every day, I keep my hands out as much as possible, and I try and do a large water change every month or so.  Hope this helps.

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[MechanicalEngineer]

I run PC's changed every 6 months (other than the actinics that I have never changed.)  I run a PO4 reactor but no carbon.