General Acro/Milli Advice

[jbisDVM]

Just looking for some general advice here. Tank is just over a year old and has been very stable for months now. I slowly stocked up with some acros that have been in the tank now for about four months. I’m not sure if it’s because I bought some very “hairy” millis or if there is something I can tweak, but in general my acros seem very drab in color. Mostly brown polyps and not a very colorful base. They are all encrusting nicely and starting to sprout upward, but they look nothing like the variety of colors I see a lot of tanks have. My Oregon Tort has stayed a beautiful blue, but some pieces like the acid trip, seem to have so much fuzz that it covers up the skeleton and makes it look so dark. It’s almost like I’m proud there’s such great polyp extension, but at the same time, I feel like it’s what’s making them look so brown. Is this just because of the type of coral I bought?

Some specs on the tank:
pH 8.2-8.4
Salinity 35ppt
Ca 450
Mg 1380
Alk 8.2
Nitrate 5-7
Phos 0.08-0.1
Dosing AB+, phyto and Amino acids

Here are pics. First two of the tank as a whole. Others more close up of some of the acros I’m talking about.

 

[jbisDVM]

 

[jbisDVM]

Not sure if pictures are being posted? Just in case someone asks about lighting, this is my par spread.

 

[Reginald Reefer III]

It takes months at times for small frags to color up to a true color. It's not usually until they are fully encrusted and start sending up offshoots from the original frag that colors start to really pop.

Since all of your majors look fantastic, what micros do you dose if any (Fluoride, Iron, Chromium, etc.). That's getting into the very nitty gritty at that point, but I would be very happy with that was my tank.

 

[jbisDVM]

Close up

 

[jbisDVM]

More

 

[jbisDVM]

It takes months at times for small frags to color up to a true color. It's not usually until they are fully encrusted and start sending up offshoots from the original frag that colors start to really pop.

Since all of your majors look fantastic, what micros do you dose if any (Fluoride, Iron, Chromium, etc.). That's getting into the very nitty gritty at that point, but I would be very happy with that was my tank.

I appreciate that. I do monthly ICP and use Red Sea four part. Plus separately I add Fluorine, Iodine, Vanadium and Manganese. Doses adjusted based on ICP.

 

[Reginald Reefer III]

You're killing it - keep that up and wait for the small frags to mature.

 

[Science/G]

Some acros just show better in white light.

 

[Arkayology]

Just keep things stable and it will pay off.

 

[JonoH]

Give them time - I find in my tank they can take up to 6 months to settle and colour up.

Any new growth should start showing the colour through.

 

[IntrinsicReef]

Everything looks really good. I am going to agree and say keep on. The light may be a bit dim to fully color up light hungry milles, but I would be hesitant to mess with your success. If you aren't happy with colors as they turn into colonies, maybe increase light slowly.

 

[jbisDVM]

Everything looks really good. I am going to agree and say keep on. The light may be a bit dim to fully color up light hungry milles, but I would be hesitant to mess with your success. If you aren't happy with colors as they turn into colonies, maybe increase light slowly.

Will do. Yeah it’s hard (I’m finding out) in a mixed reef. I’d love to push a little further but I’m afraid my Zoas, acans and shrooms will be angry with me

 

[IntrinsicReef]

Will do. Yeah it’s hard (I’m finding out) in a mixed reef. I’d love to push a little further but I’m afraid my Zoas, acans and shrooms will be angry with me

As the Acros grow into colonies the will create shade below them. I like to place low light corals in the shade where they may not get direct light from above, but will get light at an angle.