What's going on with my tank and acropora's?

[benningtondt8]

Every time i buy a colony of acropora soon after or a day or two after it is introduced the colony starts some kind of excretory or feeding response. The problem is that its like its feeding on itself. After a day or two it has bleached. I was very careful in my acclimation, and all my parameters a satisfactory. When I introduce frags of acropora this does not happen only when colonies are involved. Does anyone know whats going on, and if so can it be stopped? Any suggestions would be great as another is slowly wasting as I type.

 

[smtank]

Everyone is going to want

Tank age
Lighting
Parameter listed please
Filtration yadayadayada.....

And anything else you can add like images, tank inhabitants........ As much info as you can provide to solve this unusual puzzle.

 

[benningtondt8]

The tank is 2 years old.

Parameters are

Temp-77.1
Nitrate-0
Phosphate-0
Calcium-460
Alkalinity-9
pH-8.2
ammonia-0

I have two 250watt metal halides(14k) with four actinic t5's. As far as filtration goes I have a 150 reef octopus skimmer and a bag of phosban. Changes bulbs 6 weeks ago. Had some bleaching then but had stopped. Its hard for me to describe it any other way than that the colony is eating its own tissue. Dipped coral in some coral revive.

 

[smtank]

Does this look like what it is doing?
Are these wild colonies?

 

[benningtondt8]

Yea thats pretty much what it looks like, and I do believe that this is a wild colony.
What is it?

 

[joker295]

wild colonies are hit or miss in a reef tank, i have the same problem before

 

[smtank]

Those are mesenterial filaments.

Still debate on what purpose they serve. Defensive mechanism, feeding mechanism or a reaction to stress.

http://reefkeepingfever.com/article1.htm