Coloring

[Frogspawn]

I have couple of corals that are growing very well but lost their color. A small pink birdsnest and a tenius, I think, have both turned brown. What are the odds of returning to coloration once it's been lost? Assuming that I fix whatever may be stressing them to do this.

Thanks,

 

[GraviT]

They can almost always color back up once you eliminate the cause.

 

[fish2morow]

I'll second that!

 

[Frogspawn]

That's what I like to hear... Now I've just got to find the problem(s). I'm a bit new to care and feeding of hard corals. Suggestions on where to start my research would be helpful.

Thanks,

 

[fish2morow]

@Frogspawn wrote:

First and most importantly make sure your water parameters are in check.
Cal 400-450 PPM
Alk 8-11 DKH
Mag 1350-1450 PPM
PH 8.0-8.3
Temp between 76 and 82, but not fluctuating that much just in that range.
NO3 and PO4 as low as possible.
Make sure your skimmer is properly sized for your tank and is running properly as well, regular cleaning will make a very big difference on how your skimmer will work. Most skimmers need the neck and collection container cleaned daily or at least every other day.
Once you have all that straight then concentrate on water flow and lighting. Random but strong flow is what your looking for in water movement but not directly on any of the corals.
Halide lighting is almost a must for sps corals. I prefer Reeflux 12 K bulbs along with actinic suppliment.
That should keep you busy for a while....

 

[Frogspawn]

Great information!

Thanks!

 

[gmax]

Anyone would be a fool to disagree with Robert on SPS farming! However I will venture to say something he did not mention, that being that the shock of transport and differing water parameters and flow may be enough to cause a temporary brown out. With some passage of time, the coral may return to its full glory or even better. Stress all by itself causes a browning, so that it may not be anything you did as much as the movement from South Pacific to wholesaler to retailer to you!

 

[Frogspawn]

I may need to start here... my skimmer has an overflow that empties into a gallon jug so I rarely clean it. The last time I cleaned it, it flowed a few gallons of clear water all over the place and was not doing the job. It seems to work well when I leave the neck alone.

Also I'm preparing to install a good sized sump with a fuge' which should help the process along.