How do I keep yellow acros YELLOW.

nwpowell0481 · Mar 4, 2014

So I picked up a gorgeous yellow acropora colony about a year ago. It has stayed yellow the entire time I have had it. The coloration of all my other acros has stayed consistent but in the last month the yellow colony has started to lose its color in the flesh(turning more of a purple) but not in the polyps(still yellow). It still has good polyp extension and there has been noticeable growth the entire time I've had it in my tank. I've been able to cut a couple frags for friends and those have grown back as well. I've talked to several local reefers about it and the have had similar issues with yellow acros as well. I'm wondering if yellow is just a hard color to keep or if there is something my system is lacking to maintain the yellow coloration. Any thoughts???

Just in case anybody is wondering my parameters are: Alk 8.2dkh hanna Cal 455 hanna Mag 1365 Salifert Salinity 1.025 refractometer Nitrates 15ppm and phosphate .02 Hanna and salifert I run led lighting over my tank and the yellow acro is about mid level with others of the same type. Approximately 8-10 inches below the water surface.

I appreciate any helpful comments.

EW_Fish · Mar 4, 2014

Guide of SPS coral coloration (make them more vivid, bright)

nwpowell0481 · Mar 4, 2014

EW_Fish said:
Guide of SPS coral coloration (make them more vivid, bright)

That was a good read. Thanks!

EW_Fish · Mar 4, 2014

Your welcome.

TUSI · Mar 4, 2014

yellow is the hardest to keep. Its the guidline to all colors. I could never keep it good luck

nwpowell0481 · Mar 4, 2014

TUSI said:
yellow is the hardest to keep. Its the guidline to all colors. I could never keep it good luck

I've been told it was the hardest to keep by several people which kinda made me proud that it remained bright yellow for so long.(Im about a month away from the year mark.)

spspirate · Mar 5, 2014

Get your self the Pink Lemonade.

Tahoe61 · Mar 5, 2014

Intense lighting, extremely low nutrients!

Rob&Gab · Mar 5, 2014

yellow is so hard. :/ my girl has 1 yellow SPS right now It is doing fine high light, But it looks like it might shift.

evolved · Mar 5, 2014

Tahoe61 said:
Intense lighting, extremely low nutrients!

Pretty much, but extremely intense lighting too.

Jay6363 · Mar 5, 2014

I have three yellow corals in my tank one of which has been getting a slight green hue in it.... All are high in the tank

Good luck

bct15 · Mar 5, 2014

If your yellow acro looks green there is 1 of 3 things going on, from my experience.

1) High nitrates, phosphates, or iron...this will cause the acro to turn green. To fix this, lower nutrients.

2) High amount of blue light. If the light spectrum is too heavy in the blue end, it will make a yellow acro look greenish. Think what happens when you mix blue and yellow together. To fix this, adjust spectrum more to the red end. Or move the coral higher up, there is more red light the higher up, and the coral might appear more yellow.

3) The third thing is related to the second, it is possible the coral is to far back from your viewin point. When you are looking through water you are looking through mostly blue light. So the farther something is back, the more "blue washed" it will look. Again, you mix yellow and blue you get green. To fix this move the coral closer to your viewing point.