ORA Red Planet questions

[faze07hd]

So yesterday i swung by my LFS and i seen that he had a faded frag of ORA Red Planet. It was a 1.5" frag and it was very white looking. Not white to where it looks like its dead, but very pale. Plus the tentacles were sticking out a little bit still.

So my questions are as follows..

I paid $40 for it, thinking it will color back up in a few weeks. Did i over pay?

I acclimated it for about an hour and a half and then put it in my reef tank where all my params are great besides my .10 phosphates, which are slowly decreasing.

With that being said, Is there anything i can do extra to help save this frag? also, how long until color should start coming back?


I think it will come back to color because he had frags in there that have been there just as long and they looked perfect, Including other Red Planets.

Any opinions would help. Thanks.

 

[sailfintang]

It could go either way with the coral. I would add some AA's maybe Vit C to see if that aids in coral recovery but only time can really tell. It is $80 for a brand new one at most local stores. So you got it half price but now you have to show alot of TLC to be sure it makes it. I have the same issue with a dendro right now so far so good I can only wish you the best of luck.

 

[MMOORE0324]

Re: ORA Red Planet questions

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14570080#post14570080 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by faze07hd
all my params are great besides my .10 phosphates, which are slowly decreasing.

You might not start to see improvements until your Po4 comes down a bit. Are you running a GFO reactor? If you can keep it alive until then... it should start to turn around. A pic would help too. Being pale doesn't really mean that the coral is in bad shape... what kind of lighting did the LFS have it under? What kind of lighting do you use? Just make sure that you keep it low in the tank for a few weeks.

 

[faze07hd]

I dont have a gfo reactor. i have a phosphate sponge in my sump.

The LFS had it under 20k's and he just changed them to that about a month ago... thats the reason he says it lost all of its color.

i have it low in my tank now and i have 2x175w 10k's...

ill see if i can get a pic later tonight, but it promise it wont be best of quality. haha

Thanks guys

 

[finksmart]

Red Planet loses its color when given too much light.

 

[chimmike]

I wouldn't have paid $40 for an ORA frag that was looking pale/bleached, personally, but if it recovers, cool deal.

 

[isseym328]

It all depends on your tank parameters. If you have better parameters than the lfs tank then things should start looking better. I purchased a acan that was half dead, and in the 2 months that I've had it it has recovered about 75 percent.

I would do more water changes to get that phosphate down. Not only will it make the new frag heal faster, it'll benefit your tank as a whole.

 

[panic]

i 2nd keeping it low in the reef for awhile. Mine was low for the first 2 or 3 months before I moved it up, so I know that it the lower light level didn't hurt it. I run 400s though. Def stay away from buying the bleached corals in the future as they are always a gamble.

 

[mflamb]

Harry, keep the PO4 coming down and the Red Planet should do fine. Most ORA pieces are very hardy. My Red Planet is doing great at the top of the tank.
Are you coming to the TBRC meeting this Saturday?

 

[faze07hd]

no im not... nothing against you, its just too big of a drive for me... im waiting for one a bit closer to me.

 

[douglam]

Which LFS was it i am also in St. Pete.

 

[Sr5_Reef]

Keep it low in light but a good amount of flow on it. Like isseyman said, do more frequent W/C and hope for the best. There is a big difference from your 10k to the LFS 20k also. Good luck

 

[justin23]

like any coral that is introduced to a new tank, light acclimation is a good idea. start it low and gradually move it up until you find the best spot.

 

[faze07hd]

Just an update for all of you. Its been almost a month now and i thankfully i took pictures of it a couple of days after i had gotten it.

Since then it has colored up very nicely and tonight i will post some pics to show all. I havent added much to my tank at all. Just cyclopeze every now and again... That was it.

 

[justin23]

Where are those shots you promised? Do a nice before and after for us

 

[faze07hd]

whoa good call... ill get them later, lights arent on right now.

 

[Madfronter]

slacker

 

[payyourtoll]

which LFS?