browning milli

schoch79 · 02/15/2010, 09:12 AM

Ok so I got a frag of blue milli about 1-2 months ago which has in a short period of time turned brown on me. I've tried moving it up in the tank (now near the top under 250w 14k halides), started dosing kalk, and started to make sure I keep up on water changes better. I've always tested my water and all the params come out where they should be. Nitrates always near 0 (high as 5), alk and calcium a little low but now spot on since kalk, I don't test for phosphates as I hear that test is a wasted test, and SG at 1.026. Since I've been trying to keep up on things religiously I got a little bit of green in the tips but thats it. Polyp extension is pretty good too though all the polyps are brown too. Assuming everything is where it should be how long should I expect for this milli to color up again or at least stop being a brown color?

schoch79 · 02/15/2010, 12:51 PM

Nobody?

Toddrtrex · 02/15/2010, 01:47 PM

What size tank?

What do you all have in it -- fish wise.

Are you using RO/DI water, if so, what is the TDS?

schoch79 · 02/15/2010, 02:03 PM

Ok so to answer your questions, its 24 gallon aquarium, only 2 juvenile clownfish that get fed very little(lots of pods), and yes ro/di 0 tds. All that said, and not to be rude, how long would it take if all parameters were where they were supposed to be? Only reason I ask is so that I could just wait for it to color up again before I go trying to mess around with things more than I need to prematurely. Just looking for a timeframe here. It went brown I'd say within a week or two after bringing it home. Should I expect the same time frame to color up or longer maybe 1-2 months?

CBehr · 02/15/2010, 02:12 PM

IME sps take several months to color back up once your conditoins are good as opposed to browning out in a few days/weeks.

schoch79 · 02/15/2010, 02:25 PM

Ok thank you very much. At least I know what to expect. I was expecting much sooner than that and was confused why things don't seem to be getting better too fast.

Toddrtrex · 02/15/2010, 02:28 PM

What lights do you have?

If it has been 2 months I would say that that is too long and something is amiss with your tank that is preventing it from coloring back up.

schoch79 · 02/15/2010, 02:39 PM

It has been 2 months since I put the frag in. I'd say maybe a month or so since trying to fix the problem. The frag is growing and has even encrusted onto the rock so I know that it's not on its way out but I just want the color. I'm not sure what brand of bulb it is but its a 250w 14k DE halide bulb. It came as the stock bulb in a CURRENT fixture. Also like I said it does have some color on it but just a little. It has green tips now. It was originally blue all over.

sjfishguy · 02/15/2010, 06:20 PM

Do you run GFO? Sounds like you have enough light, so I would put my money on phosphate.

schoch79 · 02/15/2010, 08:02 PM

I do not run GFO. I guess it's worth a try. The thing is its an all in one aquarium and having any kind of reactor is hard to do. Do you think maybe using some of that phosphate filter pad may help?

sjfishguy · 02/15/2010, 09:06 PM

Yeah, I would try the pura filtration pads. They have GFO in it, the thing is you may have to replace them quit frequently until you get things under control.
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_viewit...content=MN3313

schoch79 · 02/15/2010, 11:26 PM

Ok cool. I was thinking about doing that but decided not to at first cause I just didn't think that was the problem.....I have no problem at all with nuisance algae and my chaeto hardly grows at all. I will try it though.

02/15/2010, 09:12 AM	#1
schoch79 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: hegins,pa Posts: 1,071	browning milli Ok so I got a frag of blue milli about 1-2 months ago which has in a short period of time turned brown on me. I've tried moving it up in the tank (now near the top under 250w 14k halides), started dosing kalk, and started to make sure I keep up on water changes better. I've always tested my water and all the params come out where they should be. Nitrates always near 0 (high as 5), alk and calcium a little low but now spot on since kalk, I don't test for phosphates as I hear that test is a wasted test, and SG at 1.026. Since I've been trying to keep up on things religiously I got a little bit of green in the tips but thats it. Polyp extension is pretty good too though all the polyps are brown too. Assuming everything is where it should be how long should I expect for this milli to color up again or at least stop being a brown color? __________________ We'd better get back, 'cause it'll be dark soon, and they mostly come at night... mostly.

02/15/2010, 12:51 PM	#2
schoch79 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: hegins,pa Posts: 1,071	Nobody? __________________ We'd better get back, 'cause it'll be dark soon, and they mostly come at night... mostly.

02/15/2010, 01:47 PM	#3
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	What size tank? What do you all have in it -- fish wise. Are you using RO/DI water, if so, what is the TDS? __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

02/15/2010, 02:03 PM	#4
schoch79 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: hegins,pa Posts: 1,071	Ok so to answer your questions, its 24 gallon aquarium, only 2 juvenile clownfish that get fed very little(lots of pods), and yes ro/di 0 tds. All that said, and not to be rude, how long would it take if all parameters were where they were supposed to be? Only reason I ask is so that I could just wait for it to color up again before I go trying to mess around with things more than I need to prematurely. Just looking for a timeframe here. It went brown I'd say within a week or two after bringing it home. Should I expect the same time frame to color up or longer maybe 1-2 months? __________________ We'd better get back, 'cause it'll be dark soon, and they mostly come at night... mostly.

02/15/2010, 02:12 PM	#5
CBehr Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Ephrata, PA Posts: 588	IME sps take several months to color back up once your conditoins are good as opposed to browning out in a few days/weeks. __________________ 1st time w/o a tank in 10+ years. Planning 65g..mainly fish, maybe a few LPS/Softies

02/15/2010, 02:25 PM	#6
schoch79 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: hegins,pa Posts: 1,071	Ok thank you very much. At least I know what to expect. I was expecting much sooner than that and was confused why things don't seem to be getting better too fast. __________________ We'd better get back, 'cause it'll be dark soon, and they mostly come at night... mostly.

02/15/2010, 02:28 PM	#7
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	What lights do you have? If it has been 2 months I would say that that is too long and something is amiss with your tank that is preventing it from coloring back up. __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

02/15/2010, 02:39 PM	#8
schoch79 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: hegins,pa Posts: 1,071	It has been 2 months since I put the frag in. I'd say maybe a month or so since trying to fix the problem. The frag is growing and has even encrusted onto the rock so I know that it's not on its way out but I just want the color. I'm not sure what brand of bulb it is but its a 250w 14k DE halide bulb. It came as the stock bulb in a CURRENT fixture. Also like I said it does have some color on it but just a little. It has green tips now. It was originally blue all over. __________________ We'd better get back, 'cause it'll be dark soon, and they mostly come at night... mostly.

02/15/2010, 06:20 PM	#9
sjfishguy Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Delray Beach, FL Posts: 2,212	Do you run GFO? Sounds like you have enough light, so I would put my money on phosphate. __________________ Rich nanoTOTM May '08 29 years saltwater, 19 years reefs Current Tank Info: 65 mixed reef

02/15/2010, 08:02 PM	#10
schoch79 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: hegins,pa Posts: 1,071	I do not run GFO. I guess it's worth a try. The thing is its an all in one aquarium and having any kind of reactor is hard to do. Do you think maybe using some of that phosphate filter pad may help? __________________ We'd better get back, 'cause it'll be dark soon, and they mostly come at night... mostly.

02/15/2010, 09:06 PM	#11
sjfishguy Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Delray Beach, FL Posts: 2,212	Yeah, I would try the pura filtration pads. They have GFO in it, the thing is you may have to replace them quit frequently until you get things under control. http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_viewit...content=MN3313 __________________ Rich nanoTOTM May '08 29 years saltwater, 19 years reefs Current Tank Info: 65 mixed reef

02/15/2010, 11:26 PM	#12
schoch79 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: hegins,pa Posts: 1,071	Ok cool. I was thinking about doing that but decided not to at first cause I just didn't think that was the problem.....I have no problem at all with nuisance algae and my chaeto hardly grows at all. I will try it though. __________________ We'd better get back, 'cause it'll be dark soon, and they mostly come at night... mostly.