Why purple tips on acro ends?

deepseadan

New member
Lately I've been getting some brown acros in the hope they change into something amazing. Several of my new brown acros now have dark purple tips, or new purple growth. Is purple a dominant color or just more common on brown acros. If not what does purple mean. My other acros have all kept their original colors. I have high par reflectors (cayman sun), 250 watt radiums on lumatek ballasts. I use coral pro salt, water changes frequently (15% weekly), and have .01 po4, 1 ppm no3. Like I said before, my other acros and monti's all keep their original colors, even on their tips.
 
all corals can turn brown so i wouldnt say it is a dominant color. it may just be the natural color of that piece. you should also consider the idea that the colors morphed as it is a common occurrence from tank to tank.
 
Color is dependent upon several factors. The two most critical are light and nutrients. An excess of nutrients will cause brown coral. Likewise, a shortage of light will cause brown corals.

SPS coloration comes from pigments related to photosynthesis. Zooxanthellae, a dinoflagellate, is the primary source for supplying "energy" to the coral. Coral need this symbiotic dinoflagellate to survive. However, an excess (see causes above) turns SPS brown, because that's what color zooxanthellae is. Other pigments (violaxanthin, xanthophyll, lutein, etc) have a secondary role in biological processes (nonphotochemical quenching, among others), yet contribute more to the vibrant colors we desire.

It's a balancing act, really. You need to balance light and nutrients to limit zooxanthellae to allow the other pigments to be visible, yet, you need to ensure there is enough zooxanthellae present to support coral growth and development.


What are you using to test po4 and no3?
 
I may have worded my first post badly. I meant that either friends have been giving me their all brown acros, or I've been purchasing $5 brown frags in the hopes they change into something super colorful. Not having issues with SPS turning brown. If I buy a red, blue or green acro or monti, it stays that color, and the tips don't change color. Although if I acquire an all brown acro, (a few so far), the tips change to purple. Why purple?
 
I may have worded my first post badly. I meant that either friends have been giving me their all brown acros, or I've been purchasing $5 brown frags in the hopes they change into something super colorful. Not having issues with SPS turning brown. If I buy a red, blue or green acro or monti, it stays that color, and the tips don't change color. Although if I acquire an all brown acro, (a few so far), the tips change to purple. Why purple?

I apologize, misread your post.

Is the physical structure of the corals that are turning purple the same? Or are they all clearly different species of acro?
 
I apologize, misread your post.

Is the physical structure of the corals that are turning purple the same? Or are they all clearly different species of acro?

They are different species of acros. It looks like the purple is definitely new growth on both. Both were completely dark brown to start. The brown keeps fading, but no real color on the existing (old growth) skeleton is really showing yet. Just dark purple tips and very light brown.
 
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