Do you smell toast?
 

Tell me honestly, is this Blue Stag completely toasted? It looks NOTHING like it did when it first came.

The day it arrived:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-k...28c%2529-1.jpg

Today:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-y...9-no/Toast.jpg

Evidently my phosphates are very high. This happened so subtly that I only caught on a week or so ago after my phosphorous checker arrived. I did a huge WC (big by my standards; close to 40%), brand new GFO (I didn't rinse this time but it eventually cleared up). They are now <0.1ppm and I have modified some feeding habit.

I don't think it gone. It has just browned up.

That looks like one of our blue torts. If it is, that guy likes a lot of light, If nutrients are in check I would slowly move it to higher and higher light. It will get its baby blue back in time.

are the pictures reversed?

how it looks to me too:)

Nope they aren't reversed. The blue is how it came and the brown is how it is now. It can't really get any higher without putting it next to the bulbs. Maybe two or so inches higher.

Seriously though. Is it not enough light? A couple of 250w HQI halides and a couple 54w T5's should give enough light almost anywhere in my tank shouldn't they?

Would phosphates do this?

Yes. Rinse your food. :biggrin:

That won't brighten up but new growth will.

Give it some time. It will colour back up.

yeah not uncommon for new pieces to brown out especially if theres nutrient differences in the two systems.

keep on your parameters and stability and it will color up.

Well I moved it as close to the light fixture as is possible in my aquarium and phosphates are falling. (not fast enough)

Hopefully it comes back. How could I tell if it was completely gone?

It'll turn a nice pretty white color.
And can someone explain how to get it to brighten up? I only see new growth nice and bright when a coral browns out. For the most part anyways

+1

Typically once a coral gets what it needs, the whole piece will color up. I had a piece brown out in the back of my frag tank, once I put it back into a good spot in the DT, it turned bright blue again within a week or two.

Can't say for all sps but my ssc goes brown then bright then brown lol I think in my case its phosphates .

I have a blue mille and Oregon tort that
Went snot brown and are bright now:)

Not sure why exactly but beats white lol

Kind of same topic so not trying to hijack.
So Brad did the base of your SPS kind of brownout under your LEDs? I noticed mine do that and they never did that under MH. Which makes me think there's not enough ummmm I dunno, spread I guess with LED:confused:

No, the LEDs kept the SPS constant from base to tip. Just a slight loss in overall tone. Even at the lower areas of the tank.

Well mine are much different color at the base. Not all, only the really big colonies. Thought it was from lack of light. Dammit I hate testing water.:lol:

some of my colonies are huge, and solid color from bottom to top. But I had 6 units running at 100/100/96, so maybe brighter than yours?

Well I took a really good look and i'm thinking it's just the shade. Tried taking a pic but with a stupid rounded front I just cant get a good pic. I'm just overthinking I guess.

as others have said, it is definitely NOT toasted. It clearly has flesh on it. Polyps even. This means it can still feed and photosynthesize so it's definitely not dead (yet). It is likely just stressed either due to improper (or just different from what it's used to) chemistry or lighting. The browned out portion may NEVER colour up, but once it gets established its new growth should have its original colour in it.

Here's a blue stag that I got last year. It was a beauitful blue when I brought it home. Then it completely browned out within a week. You can clearly see how nasty brown it was. Kinda like yours. But it wasn't dead. It was brown and didn't grow much for nearly 9 months. But it wasn't dead. Then finally it started to throw up new growth. As you can see here, it's new growth is a nice blue that was its original colour. It continues to grow new blue branches while its base remains brown.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7368/9...9a73414d_o.jpg

Anyway, this is very common with all SPS in general.

Thank you everyone for your input. I'm glad to know that it is not dead and that it is continuing to grow. I've moved it up to the highest rock in my system, so if it's a light issue that's the best I can do for it. I'm taking steps to reduce my phosphates as quickly as I can without damaging the livestock.

Hopefully it will come back better than ever :D

Who said it might be light? I moved it to the point where only one half is getting intense light from right under the bulb and you can clearly see where half of it has recovered blue coloration. I cropped it big time, I looked like I was whoring for Canon.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-w...9-no/50-50.jpg