Stress causes acros to change colors?

ValorG · Sep 16, 2015

What do you guys think may cause acros to shift colors when exposed to stress or near death? This was originally a strawberry shortcake which browned out and my friend acquired it. Has then colored up with this cool tye dye effect and I picked it up. You think the colors will last? Will frags keep the colors? I have cut a frag to see if that grows to a regular shortcake.

Pete polyp · Sep 16, 2015

Mine looked like that and then died.

Myka · Sep 17, 2015

IME, SSC stresses very easily. Mine did a coloring very similar to that at one point. It browned out to poop color when I transferred my tank, and it took about 8 weeks to start to regain color. I think your piece will revert back to a typical SSC color eventually.

rovster · Sep 17, 2015

Yeah the tye dye look is transitional. Looks cool but doesn't last.

ValorG · Sep 19, 2015

dang, reading all of this I'm disappointed I picked this up. Thanks for the info guys.

Pete polyp · Sep 19, 2015

ValorG said:
****, reading all of this I'm disappointed I picked this up. Thanks for the info guys.

Why? That's one nice shortcake colony!

Piranhapat · Sep 19, 2015

What kind of lights did your friend had on them. Believed too much light caused red color and no green on strawberry.

Pete polyp · Sep 19, 2015

Piranhapat said:
What kind of lights did your friend had on them. Believed too much light caused red color and no green on strawberry.

In this case I don't think light was the problem. My shortcake turned purple just like the op because it was stressed.

jackson6745 · Sep 19, 2015

Mine looked like that before it died also. It's not a good look, that's for sure.

ValorG · Sep 20, 2015

Piranhapat said:
What kind of lights did your friend had on them. Believed too much light caused red color and no green on strawberry.

It was under orphek leds. Large fixture.

Pete polyp said:
Why? That's one nice shortcake colony!

Well I already have a nice shortcake colony and I paid almost collector price on this. Thought it was special :x

jackson6745 said:
Mine looked like that before it died also. It's not a good look, that's for sure.

aww, well so far i dont think its gonna die cuz the green is coming back to my displeasure lol. I like this look

Pete polyp · Sep 20, 2015

Guess it's time to sell some frags huh?

rossco · Sep 20, 2015

All is not lost, regarding its health. My ORA Shortcake looked like that as it colored up after browning out. It regained proper shortcake colors and is doing well now.

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Diesel · Sep 20, 2015

Something is stressing it out.
If other corals in you tank are fine I would give it a dip in the Bayer.
Flow, light has to do a lot with it too.
If look close to the base of your coral I see some white tissue, that also can be transportation damage but that most cases is at the tips.
IMO I will look to all possibilities here.
Dip, and dip again, move it in a different flow area or look into the light subject.
Not sure what lights you running and the par it gets.
I had good luck with fragging a large piece oft and setting it apart, with a week I saw encrusting and it colored back up in about a month.

rovster · Sep 20, 2015

In my experience the tye dye look is transitional when a coral is improving in health not declining. I've seen this numerous times and I never lost any of the corals that displayed this.

hatfielj · Sep 22, 2015

Nothing to worry about man. Its totally normal for acros to shift around colors at first while they establish themselves in your tank. Give it time, stable, good conditions and the colors will come back nicely. At this point the best sign of good health is polyp extension. Just maintain good husbandry and don't accidentally add any pests (make sure you quarantine all new additions). It will look great in a few months!