orange digi bleaching tips or growth?

[gregzbobo]

I'm still pretty new with SPS, so please forgive me for that. I bought an orange digi frag some weeks ago and noticed a few of the branch tips are pretty white, theres no algae growth, and I can see a few polyps fairly close to the tip, but not right on the very tip itself, the polyps closest are pretty milky white.
I failed to acclimate it on the sandbed at first and just glued it about midway in my tank (about 6" from the LEDs give or take), but I DID shut off 2 of the 3 strips worth of the lights for a few days thinking that would be enough. The base seems to be exhibiting some growth, and it gets plenty flow from the MP10 and its proximity to the Hydor Flo device it's close to.

Polyp extension seems pretty good, and the base flesh seems sort of greenish yellow under my lights.

I'll try to snap a pic or two once the lights come on to show what it looks like.

 

[Lightsluvr]

Maybe Paul, Glen or Greg will chime in here, but in my experience, what you're describing could be great news or bad news. It could be new growth as you hope or it could be the beginning of tissue necrosis...one of the reasons SPS can be so frustrating. A trained eye can tell the difference...but it's hard to tell without actually seeing your coral. Fingers crossed for you!

Have your water conditions been stable?

LL

 

[skiformance]

whats your alk at.

 

[pwhitby]

Montiporas tend to have lighter tips, so its likely growth. It also depends on the digi as well, some have a white skeleton that becomes more apparent at the tip:

My plain orange one is lighter, but not really white. Sorry dont have any pics of that one.
If everything else is well, and i know the Tyree Flowerpetal is doing well, then I would say it is growth.
P.

 

[gregzbobo]

Paul, mine looks almost exactly like yours just smaller, and I shone (shined?) a flashlight at it an hour ago and saw that some of the milky looking polyps were actually starting to color up, and you are right, the flesh is VERY light in color, it shows just a tinge of greenish yellow toward the older part of the coral.

Ski, my alk is at 3.0 meq/L, which as I understand it is in range of healthy stony corals.

 

[pwhitby]

then you are good my friend. A nice problem to have...corals growing.

 

[gregzbobo]

Just an add, the Tyree I got from you Paul was getting pretty white along the edges, as I noted in my tank thread I was worried it was bleaching, but turns out it was growth.

Everybody is new to SPS at some point, and my point is pretty much now. Thanks for the replies, I'll still post a pic or two later, hopefully I can get my Canon to focus closely enough, its macro mode is not very easy to use.

 

[Lightsluvr]

Congrats, Greg. Sounds like Happy Days!

LL

 

[Lytehouse]

Very good question,

and great news