Pink and Blue Mili not polyping, but not dying

[Clownguy]

I need some help. I got a pink and blue milli frag several months ago, and it was doing fine at the store, but since I got it home it has not polyped at all in fact it looks like the flesh is pulled in as tightly as is could and the pink has turned to brown and the blue is still light blue. I have moved it in my tank for both high and low light and high and low flow. Any suggestion would be help full. Thanks

Chris

 

[Ed Hahn]

Chris,
Out of all the SPS I have traded. The milli was the most sensitive for me. Sometimes a person will blow into the bag. Yeah a little CO2 for your fish or corals as it goes out the door(not good). I learn to watch for this now. I hope this did not happen to you.
That was what happened to me several times. Temperature stress maybe?

 

[Ed Hahn]

Here are somethings that work for me when getting a coral. You may already know this, but here is for the newbies.

Always ask the lighting your coral came from, what size bulb (400, 250, 150,metal halides, Flourestants,) The Kelvin of bulbs that coral came from (20K-6.5K). The coral location in tank(what flow).
Always locate your coral from the bottom of the tank if you are not sure and gradually move it upward.
Other things to consider when adding corals is keeping it away from other corals. Some Softies can irritate your coral or kill it, sweepers from other corals (LPS). Too close to another SPS, SPS secretes inerts and kills coral that it feels is a threat or wounds it. Its a constant war under water, we just do not think it is. Survival of the fittest.
oops, Corals sometimes do not respond for up to 30 days due to transport shock.

 

[kevinpo]

Hello Chris,
The first thing that comes to mind is that a fish may be occasionally nipping at the coral. They don't always cause visible damage such as tissue loss but just polyp retraction. The long flowing polyps can be very attractive to fish. If you look at the coral after the lights have been off for a couple of hours the polyps should be extended. This would be a sign that is is being irritated by an animal such as fish, crab, etc.
Water chemistry can also be a factor. Acropora millepora likes stong flow and light. Other parameters to check are:
Calcium 400ppm.
Alkalinity 3.0meq/L (8.3 dKH).
Magnesium 1200ppm.
SPG 1.024-1.026

HTH,
Kevin

 

[SueT]

most of my millepora corals love high light and good random flow. I will notice if one is not extending it's polyps and it's usually either being blocked from flow by a nearby coral growing out or lighting being shaded. Most of mine are always polyped out lights on or not. It's always said that polyp extension is not a sigh of good health but in millepora's it's a sign to me they are not happy about something when withdrawn.

 

[Clownguy]

Thanks for your responses,
Kevin my parameters are in your guidlines
SueT I have tried this milli in many places and nothing seems to help, but I will try to move it on more time.

Chris

 

[Clownguy]

Well Guys,
I forgot that I had just did a big water change yesterday, new baby so I forget everything, so I checked my parameters again and her they are.

PO4 = .25
NO2 = 0
NO3 = 0
pH = 8.3
Ca = 425
Mg = 1350
dKh = 7.4

I have never had phosphate in my tank before. I wonder if my membrane on my RO was going bad would account for this or a new food I am feeding, or salt. my earlier test results were only from last week. I don't know why they would flare up, but I have noticed an algae bloom this week. Any suggestions.

Chris

 

[SueT]

Chris, new babies are a good excuse to have memory problems. lol.. Do you run and phosphate remover, IE, Phosban, ROWAPhos etc??? You might check into it if your not..