Help Please. Acros tips turning white.

[dsalomone]

Hi everyone
I have always had problems with sps in the past but I have finally gotten my water parameters stable of the past 6 months and wanted to give it another try. I just got a nice acro colony a week ago and the tips are starting to turn white. I'm pretty sure it is not growth as it has slowly progressed more. The tank is a 150 gal and is 6 years old.

My parameters are
sg 1.024
alk 8.5
cal 450
mag 1260
nitrate 2
phos .02
Verified all my test kits with my lfs to be sure

Did some research and most signs pointed to alk swing but I tested my alk at different times of the day with my hanna meter and it stay around 8.5.
I drip kalk with my ato very slowly. Can't figure out what it could be and don't want to lose the colony. Also don't see any signs of pests.
Here is a pic

Thanks
David

 

[myroom]

How long was it in the fish store prior to you purchasing it?

 

[dsalomone]

Over a month.

 

[ange062]

Looks like growth and/or normal color change.

 

[dsalomone]

Also, it has been on my sand bed since I got it to acclimate it to my lights. I have 2-250 metal halides 14k.
Tank is 36 inches deep.

 

[dsalomone]

and I'm getting good polyp extension everywhere but the tips.
Sorry for the multiple posts, I'm just trying to give all the info. SPS has always been a mystery for me to keep.

 

[letoan]

Looks normal to me. It's growing.

 

[Whip316]

Looks like its doing good. I think it's just adjusting to your lights. If you start seeing tissue falling off at the tips then I would be worried. Move it up higher and see what it does.


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[myroom]

If its been in the store over a month I think your okay and like the others suggest looks okay maybe move it up some.

 

[myroom]

What lighting was it under in the store?

 

[Met3112]

It is hard to tell exactly from the pic, but it does seem like the flesh is peeling from the tips. It should be fairly obvious. If so you could try fragging off a branch far enough away from the dying part and let it sit in a good coral dip solution.

Is your Alk stable throughout the week?

 

[dsalomone]

The lfs had it under 14k 250's also. It does look like skin is falling off.

 

[dsalomone]

It is hard to tell exactly from the pic, but it does seem like the flesh is peeling from the tips. It should be fairly obvious. If so you could try fragging off a branch far enough away from the dying part and let it sit in a good coral dip solution.

Is your Alk stable throughout the week?

If I frag it, am I cutting off the dying tips and soaking the rest. Never fragged a hard coral before and just want to be sure. I have the Topic Marin dip.

From my testing, my alk seems to stay pretty stable. If anything it has dropped a little bit over the past month from 9-8.5. I'll test some more throughout the week.

 

[ange062]

If the tissue was falling off it wouldn't be purple further back from the white part. It just looks like normal growth and color change, cutting it up is going to be a waste of a nice coral! I'd just leave it be, I think it'll end up turning quite beautiful in the next month or so.

 

[Solus]

I say put it higher up closer to the light SPS dont usually do very good on the sand. I cant grow any on past half way down my 90g and its also 36" deep but Im running a tek 38/ 8 bulb setup I dont know if that makes a difference in my tank

 

[dsalomone]

I'm gonna try moving it up tomorrow and keep an eye on the alk.
Thanks

 

[Grim Reefer]

It kind of looks like its reciding but had to tell for sure ...just keep a close eye on it to see if it continues to declines or progress in health....I wouldn't chop it up till your 100% sure its tissue loss

 

[fjpod]

Its normal for tips to be white if the coral is growing.

 

[RadReefer]

Leave it alone for a while...

 

[westreef]

It seems to be a very healthy growing coral. Don't do anything but keep an eye on it.