From white to brown to ????

[Bling_bling466]

We'll after bleaching a couple pieces (very expensive pieces btw lol) rr cj pinkie and rr rainbow loom both colony's.....At first I thought it was the lighting and now figured out if was nutrients... Now they have been sitting a couple weeks brown at the bottom of the tank.
Do I leave them at the bottom or is it time to start raising them to get some color I'm getting any were from 220-275 par at the bottom
any tips
Parameters calcium 420
Alk 8.2
Phosphates are still undetectable but running barebottomg I have to clean the glass every 3 days

 

[rovster]

I would wait until they start darkening at the bottom of the tank then very slowly start moving them up. You'll likely have to go through another brown. But that's usually the best way to go. It usually takes a really long time to go from bleached to color so be patient. Good luck!

 

[Wazzel]

It could take a long time to get the color back. I have an efflo frag that bleached real bad in shipping. It has taken several months for it to start showing that it will color back up. I suspect it will be a few more before it is back to its original color. Think months not weeks.

 

[Reef Bass]

Months not weeks is an appropriate expectation. I've had pale starving near death acros start showing color again after 2-3 weeks when fed. I've also had brown corals stay brown for months and then start coloring up beautifully (I love that!). Bleached versus brown or pale tends to fall in the months not weeks category in my experience.

 

[WhiteTang]

Months not weeks is an appropriate expectation. I've had pale starving near death acros start showing color again after 2-3 weeks when fed. I've also had brown corals stay brown for months and then start coloring up beautifully (I love that!). Bleached versus brown or pale tends to fall in the months not weeks category in my experience.

I don't mean to hijack this thread from the original poster but I have a similar problem. I have an Milka that i supposed to be purple but only the polyps have some color. The "skin" that covers the coral is brown (like brown brown).
Its a 16g. I have only only two small fish that I feed super light! Nitrates, nitrates, ammonia are 0.
No phosphate test yet but since day one I have used phosguard and only RO/DI water. Never had algae problems.

Question:

1) Is it possible my SPS turned brown because of lack of nutrients?
2) By nutrients do you guys mean nitrates?
3) What do you guys feed tour SPS?


PS. again sorry for the hijack!

 

[rovster]

If it's a rich brown it's usually low light or high nutrients. I would try increasing light or change placement. If it's a pale tan could be low nutrients.