Bird of Paradise Growth?

[Hiker4twenty]

I think my BOP of finally starting to grow, but I want to be sure. Sorry, I don't have a pic, but can explain. At the tips of each branch it recently started turning white and the polyps are white instead of purple. Everything else looks just fine and normal like it has for the past month and a half. The rest of the polyps have unbelievable extension so I think it's ok. When this particular coral grows are the growth tips white?

All water params are within range as I tested last night. Flow has not changed either.

 

[yote]

I'd think that would be new growth.Sounds like it any how.

 

[Hiker4twenty]

I'm almost certain that's what it is. I looked at it this morning before the lights came on and I can see the tips splitting so I think it's new growth.

 

[yote]

And you aint posted pics YET !!! :D

 

[Hiker4twenty]

Sorry Yote, no pics yet. The splitting on the tips are very hard to see because its so darn fuzzy.

 

[Hiker4twenty]

Finally got a chance to snap a few pics so everyone can see what I'm talking about. Is this new growth or bleaching? All of my other SPS are doing just fine and look normal.

 

[ccCapt]

It's hard to tell for sure, but I think it it's bleaching. I don't have that particular species, but new growth can start out white but usually the polyps that far down aren't white. If you check the growing tips on any of your other SPS, you'll see what I mean. The newest polyps can be white, but they get colored up fast as the tip continues to grow.

I would try maybe taking it off the frag rack and put it in lower light.

 

[Hiker4twenty]

That's what I was afraid of Larry. I'll try to put it down lower and see how it does. What can cause them to bleach? My Alk dropped a little low to 7dkh and I've been slowly raising it over the past few days. I've also recently started dosing in the past two weeks and that's when this started to happen. Coincedence?

 

[Hiker4twenty]

Here's what it looked like on May 24th

 

[ccCapt]

It could be the swing in alk or too much light. This is 1 of those things that make keeping SPS so hard. Sometimes things happen and you really have no idea why. What you don't want to do is make alot of changes because if they do fix the problem, you can't be sure which change you made did the trick.

 

[Hiker4twenty]

I sent the pics to Kelvin, the guy I got it from, and he said its more than likely too much light. His lights aren't as strong as mine and is about 18" away from the his lights. I have mine under 234W of T5's in a 29g tank only about 8"-10" from the lights. I'll try moving it down and see what happens in the next few days/weeks.