Help my blue mille

[tozzi]

My blue mille started as a 1" frag. It grew to around 3" with multiple branches and was a real nice glowing blue. Now its still growing , about 5" now, but it lost all its color and is basically all brown. Didnt change anything in my tank, water params, lighting, placement, everything is the same. Is there any additive to help blue coloring?

 

[tozzi]

Potassium maybe amino's?

 

[SDguy]

Just sounds like increased nutrients in the water to me. Added more fish?

 

[tozzi]

Nope, actually i gave about 4 away.

 

[chefzif]

Nitrates increase?, +1 on amino addition

 

[buy_baff]

Are your bulbs old?

 

[SDguy]

What about the mille is brown? Skeleton? Or polyps?

 

[Ian]

I doubt you need to add anything as far as additives, if anything they'll add to the problem.

Where's your phosphate and nitrates?

 

[tozzi]

Nitrates are undetectable, no phosphate. The polyps are brown. The skeleton a very little hint of blue just near tips, rest mostly all brown. Bulbs are 6 months old only on 6 hrs a day. Only change really made to tank is that i took out my big blue throat trigger and 3 large sq back anthias about 5 months ago. Could it be from less fish waste in the tank? Maybe stuff was balanced better before with more waste? I heard the aminos and potassium for blue maybe ill try that, besides It cant hurt anything

 

[basser1]

Tozzi..... Help us help you by posting some actual numbers. What you think are good numbers, maybe different to some.

 

[chessmanmark]

Where does it sit in your tank and what kind of bulbs are you running?

 

[SDguy]

How did you catch those fish you gave away? Did you stir up sand? Rearrange rocks?

 

[tozzi]

Its mid level, i run 2- 400w 12k and 2- 400w 10k all reeflux, 2- 160 vho's

I caught the fish in a trap, never touched the sand.

Ph- 8.2
sg 1.025
cal 425
nitrate undetectable
nitrite undectable
phos <.03 or lower
mag 1000
temp 78-82 year round
ammonia 0
alk 8.5

All of this stuff has been the same since i introduced the mille in to the system. I do have a monti that is near it and has growin quite large. Chemical war?

 

[SDguy]

Mag is way low...not sure that'll cause browning, but I'd still bump it up to 1400 at least.

 

[chessmanmark]

Here's a picture of mine when I got it.

It was at the bottom of a tank that ran 400w 20K and it looked great. I placed it at the top of my tank under 250 12K bulbs and it browned out as well. I put a small frag at the bottom of my tank and it is blue, however not as blue as the picture of when I first got it. I'm guessing it likes 20K lighting and placed low in the tank.

 

[DaddyJax]

6 hours a day is kinda short on the light cycle for me. I ran mine for 10-12 per day.
How is the flow and where is the placement of the coral?

 

[jimroth]

My blue millie is very sensitive to changes, it's a good day when it IS blue! I currently have the main colony, which has been brown since I moved it to keep my Cali Tort from growing into it and I have two mini colonies from the same parent that are pretty blue, I just haven't moved them.

 

[tozzi]

Mid level, lighting is 2 staggered- 6 hr periods with 400 w mh and an hr before and after with vho. 10 hours a day there is lights on. 8hr mh 2hr vho. tons of alternating flow in the tank. 210g 3- mp40 2- 500gph returns

 

[tozzi]

I usually try to keep the mag around 1250, so it is a bit low

 

[Thairun]

Mag low

Mag low

Your mag is not a bit low, but far too low. Am not an expert, IMHE had this situation at range of 1100 to 1200 and my PE is little and color more to brown. Situation change when I managed to boost mag up to 1350- 1400 with addition of little potasium chloride. Other parameters are the same.

Good luck mate!