Secondary torch color lost

[markus902]

Hi everyone,

4 months ago I bought a NY knicks torch, it had nice blue tips and the orange stripe. With thick tentacles.

I first had it in high flow and high light, but after a couple weeks it lost the orange stripes and the tips are more white and pointy and the tentacles are thinner and crumpled.

I moved it in lower light and medium flow to see if that does anything.

The thing is, the coral is not unhappy, good extension, not bleached and slowly growing, got almost a new head now.

Im feeding zooplankton at least once or twice a week.

Do you think the orange color is permanently lost or, can I regain the color and thick tentacles again? If so, how. It would be a shame if not.

Thanks!

 

[Coralreefer1]

The coloration in corals and clams especially come from zooxanthellae, a photosynthetic algae that has a mutualistic relationship with them. There are different strains of zooxanthellae that produce a myriad of colors in coral tissue and clams mantles. Corals will often times dispel one zooxanthellae for another that best suffices the coral at that time and under those conditions. Corals and clams will also expel zooxanthellae as a last ditch effort to stay alive, hence the term bleaching.
So the answer to your question is yes, the orange color can come back if conditions are stable and ideal.

 

[yongwooi]

You can try dip it in Restor for 2hrs once a week. I have an acantho that completely bleached out but regain all its color back from doing this.