Acropora changing color

[Timothy Tom]

I recently installed a 250 Watt double-ended HQI light in my 150
gallon reef. I have noticed that quite a few of the Acropora frags
that I have obtained are changing from their original color (yellow
and purple) to a green fluorescent color. The new color doesnt look
bad, but I am disappointed to lose the original coloring. All the
frags I have obtained were grown under 400 watt MH, prior to being
placed within 10 inches of my 250 watt HQI bulb. All frags appear to
be extending polyps, and are exposed to intermittent current. Further
I can see that the frags are growing at the bases. Does the color of
Acropora frequently change, and will the original color return if the
lighting matches the conditions it was originally grown under?

[Chief Ephor]

hi.
I agree with KC.

FWIW, all my green acrops turned purple or brown in past two years, and I
have real hard time keeping green color except _A. yongei_. I switched from
blue-filtered 6500K to 20,000K, and it may has to do with either color,
wattage, or both.
bye -ck-

[Jim Bash]

Saturday, September 20th, at 1pm is the next CMAS meeting. Janet
Nestlerode and Beth Hinchey, aquanauts on the underwater research lab
"Aquarius," will present "20,000 mm Below The Surface: Living Under
Pressure in Aquarius." They will tell us what it's like to spend 10 days
50 feet under the Atlantic, and 10 hours each day in the water doing
research in hopes of finding a way to retard coral bleaching.

All our meetings, except for Special Events, are held at the Schaumburg
Library. We meet in the Rasmussen Room North, on the second floor, at
1:00pm, unless otherwise noted. Visitors are always welcome to regular
meetings. More information and directions to the Library are on the CMAS
web site: http://www.cmas.net

Hope to see you September 20th!

Jim Bash

CMAS membership chair
Chicagoland Marine Aquarium Society (CMAS) http://www.cmas.net

[Timothy Tom]

"Chief Ephor" > wrote in message >...
> hi.
> I agree with KC.
>
> FWIW, all my green acrops turned purple or brown in past two years, and I
> have real hard time keeping green color except _A. yongei_. I switched from
> blue-filtered 6500K to 20,000K, and it may has to do with either color,
> wattage, or both.
> bye -ck-

Just as an addendum, I have had a brown montipora in my tank (VHO
only) for about a year and a half. It was a very fast grower, but was
not very colorful; brown. After installing the MH light, I started to
notice the tips appeared a bit pink, but thought that perhaps it was
just reflections on the coral. Well there is no doubt now. All the
pieces of the brown montipora that are exposed to the MH are indeed
growing quite a nice light pink color. At last, a pleasant color
change!