What is this SPS? Did I get ripped off?

[Rskillz]

I grabbed this SPS from the only store we have in my town, in part because it was relatively cheap (35$) and because it was white, which struck me as unique. The Saltwater guy there called it a "tri-color" and I bought it.

Well, fast forward two weeks and it barely has polyp extension (they are bright yellow) and is turning slightly brown from the base up (the one left in the store has completely turned a brownish color).

Did I buy a bleached, unhealthy SPS? Or is this a known coral that may just be unhappy? All the rest of my SPS are doing great.

any ideas? Params are great

 

[jammoye2]

that looks dead to me.

 

[krazysps]

I hate to say it but that thing is dead, zero pe.

 

[64Ivy]

Looks pretty bleached to me. The good news is that it's possible for bleached corals to recover, although it usually takes some time. Just place it on the bottom and in good, random water flow. Keep your parameters as stable as possible (given they are within normal NSW levels) and resist the urge to bother it unless it is clearly dying. Hopefully the brown you see is the zooxanthelle on its way to reestablishing itself.

 

[Bigmike]

I hate to say it but that thing is dead, zero pe.

"Well, fast forward two weeks and it barely has polyp extension (they are bright yellow) and is turning slightly brown from the base up"


It's just super bleached and unhappy probably from shipping. Looks like a wild colony to me, start it low in the tank and let it go brown then move it up in the tank till its happy again. It may recover eventually and it definitely wont stay white in color.

 

[flyyyguy]

its not dead, but you are going to have a tough time making it hold on

many wild caughts end up looking like that. Be prepared, once you start to see tissue sloughing, whack that sucker up and see if you can save a few pieces

One nice thing about it, is you have no idea what the coral could end up looking like

As Ivy said, low and lots of flow. your goal is to get it to turn brown first and foremost


ps- I type slow. woudlnt prolly have answered if I read mikes post. lol

 

[Rskillz]

Cool, thanks for the help guys, I'll give it some time and see if it turns around:bounce3:

 

[Rskillz]

Oh, so low light and high flow for now? Or high light and high flow?

 

[dvanacker]

Low light is the important part.

 

[flyyyguy]

Low light is the important part in healing a bleached coral.....high random flow is the important part to keep any recently caught wild colony from rtn'ing on you

 

[Brian Chong]

That looks just like this one. The lfs calls it a bonsai tip acropora because it grows in separate clusters. The glow is incredible under actinics, a real showpiece for a green coral.

 

[Brian Chong]

btw, this piece was 275. I hope urs makes it.

 

[allsps40]

Plus 1. Low light high flow. Feeding it will help as well.

 

[JamesJR]

I think it is already on its way to recovering. I would leave it alone.

 

[BeanMachine]

btw, this piece was 275. I hope urs makes it.

How can you tell when his is bleached? I dont think so man.

Wow you paid 275 for a wild green acro colony? I hope that thing is huge.

 

[Brian Chong]

It was a colony at a lfs display tank. People pay hundreds and even more for tiny lil chalice boogers and when you consider the price for many sps frags nowadayz, its not exorbitant.

I've had bleached white acros turn brown and then color up before. If Rskillz's tank is thriving, which he claims his is, there will be a good chance it will recover.

 

[jc-reef]

If you look closer at the photo provided, you can see a row of the yellow polyps along the face of the encrustment of the coral (lower right corner of photo). I agree with the others it looks a bit bleached/stressed, keep low in tank with good flow and may have a good chance for recovery. Plus, if that coral has been in there for 2 weeks (as the OP stated) and was dead, there surely would have been algae growing on the bare skeleton.

 

[Bayliner]

Plus, if that coral has been in there for 2 weeks (as the OP stated) and was dead, there surely would have been algae growing on the bare skeleton.

Exactly what I was thinking the whole time I was reading this thread....
You still may have a chance with this one,

Good Luck
Cam

 

[Patrick12]

I have seen coral in the wild and at a top shelf reef vendor that was white like that. Most times it does mean just what has been cited above, but there are some corals that are alive and growing that have zooxanthellae that give a whitish appearance. The key is to watch for decent polyp extension.....especially at night. The odds are that it is a coral not doing well, but there are exceptions and I want you to keep that in mind before you just chuck it. If you see algae starting to grow on the branches........you can then be certain that the end has come.

 

[noobtothereef]

yep, super low light and lots of flow, almost all of my first acros looked like that and thought they needed as much light as possible, i kept placing them at the top and killing them, after i learned the correct way of acclimating them i havent lost one since light acclimating sps. that was one of the single most important things i have learned with sps, just because it says high light on the care sheet doesnt mean place it directly under a 400w mh right when you get it. Drop it don and let it get some color too it, once its nice and brown start raising it up in the tank, do it slowly, it will take weeks or even months too see color changes in them.