[digby]

The only SPS coral I have has slowly turned from pink to white and is now a reddish brown color. I'm not sure if it's slowly being killed by some bad alge and or if there is some sort of treatment that can bring it back to it's orginal pink color. Any advise would be greatly appriciated.

Tank info:

18 gal mini reef
coralife lighting 95w
temp. 81'
PH - avg 8.2

Other live stock - (all doing well)
Anonme
clown
several polups
cleaner shrimp

Thanks, Digby

[Reefland]

What kind of lighting was it under before you put it in your tank? Typically it's difficult to keep bright SPS coloration under PC or VHO lighting; metal halide is optimum for coloration and growth.

[saltjunkie]

i would just say it is your lighting.. as long as the polyp extension and growth rate look normal....

[digby]

Thanks for the info. My lighting is 4 Compact Fluorescent Lamps 50/50 96w. My main concern is the reddish-brown alge currently covering the coral and if it's a sign that the coal is dead or can be treated. Also, I'd like to know if this alge can cause problems for the whole tank. Any thoughts?

I've added a photo of coral in question to my gallery.

Thanks, Digby

[Sueet]

Originally Posted by digby

Thanks for the info. My lighting is 4 Compact Fluorescent Lamps 50/50 96w. My main concern is the reddish-brown alge currently covering the coral and if it's a sign that the coal is dead or can be treated. Also, I'd like to know if this alge can cause problems for the whole tank. Any thoughts?

I've added a photo of coral in question to my gallery.

Thanks, Digby

Well, I don't know enough about sps to know if that is dead, but I believe you have cyanobacteria growing there, which ..... if it is not already dead, WILL be soon, if you don't remove the cyano... If it is cyano, it should blow or brush off fairly easily (unless it is embedded into the pores)

btw... I've been told by a large number of experienced reefers that pc lighting is not enough for sps corals.

[Reefland]

It's kind of hard to tell but it appears that the whole coral is nothing but a skeleton? Can you see any tissue or polyps at all?

[digby]

Hi scott,

I'm not seeing any polups at all. Just the reddish-brown alge / bacteria.

Digby

[Reefland]

If your not seeing any polyps and can't see any live coral tissue, it sounds like the coral is gone and is just a skeleton.

[SueT]

Plus if it is just a skeleton it will not come back for you. SPS coral need the intensity of halides to do their best. The only exception is if the coral was grown out under less than halides which can be done, but is not the norm.

White is not a color you want to see on any sps coral.

[Poseidon]

R.I.P.

I am sorry to say this one looks like it is beyond help. How long did it take to make this change? If it was gradual then YES I would say it is the lighting, if it was quick, like less then a couple weeks, I would say you have something else causing the problem!

[Reefland]

Originally Posted by SueT

Plus if it is just a skeleton it will not come back for you. SPS coral need the intensity of halides to do their best. The only exception is if the coral was grown out under less than halides which can be done, but is not the norm.

White is not a color you want to see on any sps coral.

Your right but on the other hand, all it takes is a very small amount of living tissue to start over. I have a frag that I took when we redid our tank that all but died over the course of a week in the new tank. All but a tiny spot that had 2 or 3 visible polyps. This tiny bit has started to grow and is re-encrusting the skeleton that it once used and is about the size of a pencil eraser now. Nothing extravagent to see obviously but inspiring no the less.