Green acropora colony is getting brown/orange tips

[nsr500rossi]

Hi

I have had this colony for a month now, i slowly moved it up, it is now half way down the tank and 11 inches below my 6x39w ati sunpower.

I am am using zeo.

My params are:

Nitrate 5
Phosphate 0.008
calcium 420
KH 7.8 (this was 6.8 last week, i am trying to get it to a steady 7 at the moment with my profilux and doser)
Potassium 370
Mag 1320
PH 7.80-8.13 (this changes daily, sometimes only drops to 7.97 at night)
Temp 26, i have the profilux to drop 1 degree when the lights are out at night.

Not sure what is wrong with the colony, it seems to be getting a orange/brown coating just below the tips (not right on the tips)

Here are a couple of pics, sorry about the quality (taken with phone)

Thanks

Mike

 

[jciotti]

Umm, that colony looks completely dead from the get go. That looks like algae growing on the tips..

On second look I can assure you that it was dead when you got it if that first picture is on first introduction to the aquarium. The green you are seeing is a green algae stained skeleton, there is no flesh or polyps on that entire coral.

 

[nsr500rossi]

This photo was taken a month after i got it.

It is very fluro green, i fragged one of the lower branches off 2 weeks ago as it was shaded and brown, it has now coloured up and is the same colour as the colony.

Since i put it in i have seen it put out string white stuff from the tips, it does not do that now.

You really think it is dead!

I must admit, i have never seen any polyps

 

[tibob32]

if it's slimming, it's not dead. But its hard to say with your picture, but at first glance, he could be right

 

[jciotti]

Dude, it doesn't get any more dead. Sounds like you got it bad and it isn't your fault.

The slime is probably coming from the algae and bubbles from diatoms.

The smaller piece fragged has probably just gotten green from algae now that it isn't shaded.

Sorry man.

 

[jcolletteiii]

Can you get a closer-up picture?

 

[nsr500rossi]

Will post some more pics today.

Feel pretty stupid, buying a dead acro (my first one) a visit to the shop is in order i think!

I will remove it and see if it slimes up, also may cut a branch to see what it looks like in the middle.

 

[Santoki]

If you're seeing white filaments from the tips, it is clearly not dead, but stressed.
Removing it to cause it to slime will only force it to use more resources than it might have.
You did not post your salinity levels. Are you using a refractometer?
Do you know if it is a wild colony?
-R

 

[nsr500rossi]

I think it was a wild colony (although can't be certain)

I use a dd refractometer, calibrated and showing 35ppt.

I did remove the colony for 2 mins, it did not slime up, when i put it back, it did not show any signs of stress or even life.

Took some close ups, will post tomorrow for sure

 

[Santoki]

IME, wild colonies are a hit or miss, which is why I personally avoid them.
Besides your nitrate being a little high, I would say your parameters are text book. I wouldn't worry too much about it, as sometimes that's just the way it goes with wild collected.
-R

 

[nsr500rossi]

Well, no signs of life so i took the snips to it

Do't think it could be any more dead

 

[nsr500rossi]

just tested dkh with new fm kit, result 7.0, will now test with salifert kit

 

[ScrubberOTanky]

yeah that is a dead green acro, Bummer!

 

[syedjilani]

Hi Mike,
I send you PM. Tell me if it works.

Syed

 

[nsr500rossi]

Thanks Syed

Very interesting read

 

[Lyfey]

Do you think the LFS died that dead coral? I've heard some wack things that LFS's do. Plus they will sell you dead/dying corals if you are new. I got sold a light white/pink lobo when I first started and turned out it was dead and lost all color within a day or two. They are shady.

 

[nsr500rossi]

haha, no i don't think hey dyed the coral, pretty sure it was Ostreobium Algae

LFS is a pretty good one.

Do think that it was pretty much dead when i got it though, experience would of steered me away from it, guess we have to learn the hard way sometimes.

I now have visions of the guy from the LFS getting a pot of green paint out haha.

 

[gar732]

If it was that bad when you got it then I wouldn't say it was a good LFS. I would steer clear of it. I now drive 45min for a good LFS as I learned the same lesson.

 

[nsr500rossi]

Maybe you are right, all corals will come via mail now.

 

[gar732]

The problem that I've had with ordering online is that the shipping usually turns my sps brown and it takes quite some time to get it to color back up. I would suggest looking up a local reef club and getting frags from local members. Thats what I've done for the most part, the frags are usually bigger, cheaper, and tend to keep there color better in my experience.