A. cerealis browning (pics)

[Milleme]

I got this frag of A. cerealis 2/22/06 from reefermadness. It had purple tips and a tan base when I got it. I acclimated it to the light by gradually increasing the photoperiod over a week and then attached it to rocks. It is 5 inches under the water directly under 250 de hamilton 14k which is another 12 inches up. It is now all brown but still has some PE.

Parameters:
-nitrite, nitrate, ammonia all 0
-alkalinity 8.3
-calcium 480 (a little high i guess)

Is the calcium the problem? Or is it to high in the tank or something else.

Heres a pic

 

[Milleme]

Here is a pic of when i got it 2/22/06.

 

[Milleme]

O ya, 58 gallon tank been up for 2 yrs now. Euro reef rs5-3 skimmer, only 2 bartletts anthias. The coral is in medium flow.

 

[Sk8r]

I have a cerealis under a 250. The light is about 6-8 inches above the water, and the specimen is about 8 inches down to its top, but it's off to the side of the tank, not directly under the bulb. I've observed it's also sensitive to low alk: didn't extend its polyps until I corrected water chemistry to better balance. I've had no troubles with its color, which is deep purple with, as you say, a tan stem.

 

[Milleme]

Ok thanks maybe ill lower it a little if no one else says anything. Is alk. of 8.3 considered low?

 

[nemofish2217]

was it a wild collected colony or aquacultured? wild caught often will turn brown just because they are used to being under the high intensity of the sun's light....

 

[jsweir]

Give it time, some corals take quite some time to color up. Good thing is it sure looks healthy!

 

[Milleme]

Its aquacultured, from reefermadness.

 

[Milleme]

Thanks jsweir, I think ill do that.

 

[mntl]

I would leave it and give it time, many new corals do this and moving them just seems to postpone good coloring. I do not know if you said it was wild or not, but if it is this is very common and given the bulb you are using and how high off the water it is I would not think too much light is the issue, probably the opposite.

-John-

 

[Milleme]

ok thanks john. it was not wild.

 

[fishdoc11]

A. cerealis are bad about browning out in transport and taking a long time to color back up IME. Give it some time and keep in mind it might take a few months to get it's color back.
Chris

 

[scyphozoa]

I also bought a frag labled as A. cerealis from RM mid-Jan (...maybe they fragged it from the same mother colony?). It also turned brown during the next month but lately the tips are turning a deep purple. I think if you wait another month or so you might start seeing some changes. If it is indeed from the same colony RM has it would be interesting to see how it does in a different tank.

 

[Milleme]

Fishdoc, thanks for the advice.

Scyphozoa, intresting, I will post agian in a month or so and we can compare or something. What lighting do you have yours under?

 

[Chicago]

it will go through changes to adjust to parameters.. mag alk light levels ect.. post bakc a pic in 2-3 months..

good luck

 

[Milleme]

Thanks, will do

 

[AWExotics]

cerealis brown out notoriously. I picked up a wild colony recently and it turned brown like everyother cerealis I have ever had. I run my alk at 10 in that system. After QT, I moved it into another system and added mass amounts of buffer .. raising the Alk to 15.3 over the course of a week. The coral looks great again. Solid purple with bright green corallits and brighter purple/blue tips ... Could be the alk and it could be the acclimation time to captivity. I have nevefr had luck coloring up cerealis after import. Even after months upon months of a coral doing great in terms of growth... So I am stoked over this one coloring.

Todd

 

[easttn]

Do not lower it. Keep it high and tight to the light. Watch for any pests around the base. Big flow but not direct, it does not like changes--of any kind. Mine (from RM) did very well, but after two years just STN'ed.

Keep it stable and watch the base for sighs of stress. Don't know why these are still being brought in, they always fade, brown then make a semi color comeback. FYI, RM uses 1000W in the show vat.

 

[thebicyclecafe]

A. cerealis brown almost always when they are shipped. reefermadness frags aren't "aquacultured" per se, they are frags of wild colonies and those will still have wild flesh on them. Patience and it will color back up slowly.

 

[Milleme]

Thanx for the advice guys. I can see patience is the key here.