Help with acropora millepora

[SnowboardKid26]

OKay okay, I have to say it before i start, i know I was stupid. STUPID STUPID. That being said.....

I bought a blue millepora from a LFS recently that was kinda bleached. I know its dumb but I know the owner, he takes really good care of his stuff and he told me it should color back up. I brought it home, aclimated as normal (1hr drip method), and put it on my sand for a 2 days. Then I moved it to the top of the reef to color up. Well its hasn't colored up much, turned a little brown, and I don't really have any PE. here's my set-up.. please shoot some ideas my way.


16g nano no sump

berlin skimmer

175w Krystal Star 14K

2 12" VHO actinics

PH 8.2
salinity 1.026
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 5
Phos 0.1
Calcium 475 (i know its kinda hard)
dKH 8

 

[raddogz]

Do you have any pictures?

The salinity is a little high at 1.026

 

[damienkee]

actually! I dun c any problem with ur tank. but worried about ur parameter swing. ur water volume is quite small.

juz my 2cent!
cheers!

 

[SnowboardKid26]

no pics, my digi is busted. but its pretty much white, a little brown on the tips, and no PE on the tips, a bit on the main body.

 

[jay24k]

If it was bleached and it is now brown, then it is a good thing. A bleached coral will have to recover it's zoox and will brown up first. After a few weeks, you will being to see color coming back in.

If there is no polyp extension, check at night and see if it does then. Also check when your lights come on after an hour to make sure no fish are picking at it.

 

[SnowboardKid26]

Right on, thanks jay

 

[twon8]

I agree with jay, but i would add that a 16 is very small for sps, do you at least have an auto top off? i could see evaporation induced salinity changes angering them.

and jay, I like the new avatar, cool pic

 

[jay24k]

Thanks! Just a little fun with photoshop.

I would also if you can possibly up the flow. I know in smaller tanks it can be tough but they have mods for the maxijet 1100 that will disperse the flow quite a bit but give you a nice turnover.

I agree on the 16 gallon. Hopefully it evaporates slow but if not, make sure you do not have big swings.

 

[SnowboardKid26]

It does evap slowly, only about half a quart a day, 2 cooling fans on the hailde and the A/C unit in the window near it really help out with that.

Jay - thanks for staying on this thread, MAD apreciated bro. I looked at the mille this morning like you said, and i had good PE, not on the tips, but on the main body. Hopefully as it colors up it will look better. I can kinda see that the blue might be starting to tint the white.

As for flow I have a MJ900 in one corner, and an Eheim aquaball in the other, then on the bottom blowing across the rock I have a small (80gph) Azoo pump. Also the return from my skimmer, So i'd hafta say flow is pretty good, I have it figured at turning my tank over about 22x per hour. Enough?

 

[castorpollux]

you should be fine with all that, just don't blast it with too long of lighting periods right now if its already bleached. milli's are super hardy you just need to take your time with this one and baby it along till it gets its foothold.

 

[jay24k]

As long as it has good overall flow you are fine. I only have about 3700 gph in my 180 which is just over 20X with no issues. Once the corals pack in, then I'll step it up and be a bit more creative.

You should post it up and then update the thread weekly. I'll post some photos of some I colored up over the last month or two.

 

[SnowboardKid26]

word... i'll try to get a pic up here either tonight or tommorow.