Maintaining color in wild acros

[Akwarius]

I bought a couple of wild colonies that ended up color shifting drastically in my tank. The first was mint green with orange tips and orange polyps that turned plain green with brown polyps. The second was cream with pink polyps and pink corallites with pink tips ending in lavender blue that turned into light green with peach polyps and pale peach tips. Any way to get the colors back or am I stuck?

 

[slapshot]

Its tough. I won't buy wild colonies any more because of it. Some will color back up in awhile, most never do. either turn green or brown. It is all about the light IMO. Some need 10k to hold color other need 20k. You have to know where they were collected, depth Etc. Information we never get.

 

[xmjxflipx]

ur pretty much risking 50/50 when buying wild colonies.....theres no guarantee itll be the same color nor survive but ive had good results when ive bought wild colonies from good vendors...ive bought a couple from bluewatertropics and DFS live aquara and they have pretty much been on the money for color as long as their is not significant shipping stress or drastic change in temp during shipping.

 

[Akwarius]

Ah, thats really depressing. These colonies were some of the largest and nicest I've ever seen. Now they're the ugliest thing in my tank.

I put some frags from the mother colonies in my frag tank under a halide to see if that does the trick. So far not so good.

 

[dakotasreef]

I wish there was a secret. If there is let me know too. I have had some keep their color and some do exactly what your descibing. It could be lighting temperature, tank temp, nutrients, flow and who knows what else. I have gotten wild colonies with almost the exact same color pattern and some maintained their color while others lost and changed colors.

I also feel as if certain types of sps hold their color better than others.

 

[Akwarius]

Any specific examples of sps that hold color from wild to captive? Does it have anything to do with pink tips?

 

[FaviaFreak]

other than good flow, proper lighting, proper acclimation and stable water parameters it's really just a crap shoot...some wild colonies will surpass your expectations while others never get that punch of color they had when they came in fresh from the reef. All we can do as hobbyist is provide the best we can for them and keep our fingers crossed :angel:

 

[swannyson7]

At least you got it to survive... every wild colony or frag of wild colony I've ever gotten seems to RTN within a couple days of being put in my tank. :sad: Stick to the aquacultured pieces. They may be pricier, but well worth it IME.

 

[Troylee]

Agreed.... I will not buy any wild specimens anymore unless I see it in the lfs for a couple months holding it's color....
I have 4 or 5 currently and while the color does come back a tad it will never look like it did the day you bought.... I have a strictly sps reef that I run as a ulns and I can't keep them...:( it sucks but it is what it is....:@:'eiekeksyzjaisjskdlrkdjdj..

 

[bar2reef]

ive had pretty good luck with maricultured acro's but haven't tried to many wild acros...I try to stay with aquaculture or mariculture

 

[dakotasreef]

I have a pink milli w/ blue tips that has held it's color and actually gotten better. I also have an orange milli w/ lavender blueish tips that has held its color and has amazing polyp extension.

But at the same time, I have a maricultured milli that is reddish/pink w blue tips that lost its color and is slowly coming back. It has regained some of its blueish tips and is tan/red. But who knows what the end result will be.

I do not know if there is any trick to it at all. But If you get a good deal on a piece and you expect it to change then its not a big deal. I personally would not pay top dollar for wild or maricultured because of that specific reason. I like taking the chance that I might end up with something no one else has.