bleached and budding?

[karimwassef]

I got a few frags a few weeks ago, but had to go on a business trip.

I have a very bright, very high flow tank - I always ask if these frags are used to intense light before getting any, but it's relative, I guess.

I should make a habit of putting them all the way at the bottom, but in my pre-travel rush, I didn't.

I came back after two weeks and some are doing great! One didn't make it (fell in the sand :( )..

But one bleached white, but has full polyp expansion and is budding new tips out.

That's a first for me - bleaching indicates stress. Can a coral put out new tips while under light stress?

[M007]

But one bleached white, but has full polyp expansion and is budding new tips out.

That's a first for me - bleaching indicates stress. Can a coral put out new tips while under light stress?

I've personally seen SSC do it but it could still go either way. Usually if it it gets fried PE is the first to go followed by burnt tips. Should be interesting to watch.

[karimwassef]

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/40146B2C-895E-4360-B877-577AE6790D24_zpshe1p6hbw.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/40146B2C-895E-4360-B877-577AE6790D24_zpshe1p6hbw.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 40146B2C-895E-4360-B877-577AE6790D24_zpshe1p6hbw.jpg"/></a>

When I got it, the branches were perfectly smooth.

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/725D5A6B-E093-4675-BCC4-5F9EE8BD6C4D_zpsdpvvuu7x.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/725D5A6B-E093-4675-BCC4-5F9EE8BD6C4D_zpsdpvvuu7x.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 725D5A6B-E093-4675-BCC4-5F9EE8BD6C4D_zpsdpvvuu7x.jpg"/></a>

There's a different coral just behind it, but I think you can tell the difference.

[M007]

Looks like light shock to me, give it some shade or leave it and take a risk. With that kind of PE it could very well adjust nicely.

[karimwassef]

It was a creamy brown. The tips are turning green now.

Most of the polyps glow green under UV, but the tips are green under halide.

[SoloGarth]

Well the polyps are expanded in an attempt to capture food and make up somewhat for the loss of zoox. I have rarely seen one recover from being that bleached. Usually they starve before they can repopulate the zoox. Looks like the tips have some pigment so maybe that will be enough for it to make it through.

[karimwassef]

It looks better every day... turning a little tan in some angles.

And the latest buds are at the top tips - splitting in two.

[karimwassef]

Here it is at night under UV

The bright spots are new buds

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/A2B17A56-C443-4872-AE80-F31DB534859E_zps0izbsaqh.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/A2B17A56-C443-4872-AE80-F31DB534859E_zps0izbsaqh.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo A2B17A56-C443-4872-AE80-F31DB534859E_zps0izbsaqh.jpg"/></a>

I count 14 that haven't come through yet

[karimwassef]

Turning a little tan or is it my imagination?

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/B40D1E8F-5FD8-4F11-A24F-76AC56EAEE65_zps6enipr4o.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/B40D1E8F-5FD8-4F11-A24F-76AC56EAEE65_zps6enipr4o.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo B40D1E8F-5FD8-4F11-A24F-76AC56EAEE65_zps6enipr4o.jpg"/></a>

[karimwassef]

little more color...
<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/0DD74D66-6688-4E3F-B493-3EB1E8C258B8_zpszdrznqol.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/0DD74D66-6688-4E3F-B493-3EB1E8C258B8_zpszdrznqol.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 0DD74D66-6688-4E3F-B493-3EB1E8C258B8_zpszdrznqol.jpg"/></a>

[karimwassef]

found a picture of it new

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/9E235E5C-A3E5-406E-9247-DDD37B1E4289_zps1mvbd13o.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/9E235E5C-A3E5-406E-9247-DDD37B1E4289_zps1mvbd13o.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 9E235E5C-A3E5-406E-9247-DDD37B1E4289_zps1mvbd13o.jpg"/></a>

[karimwassef]

Getting more tan. Here it is from the front

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/A1800128-98C0-43B4-B426-CFB7BEE4D9E0_zps2fzfef3i.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/A1800128-98C0-43B4-B426-CFB7BEE4D9E0_zps2fzfef3i.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo A1800128-98C0-43B4-B426-CFB7BEE4D9E0_zps2fzfef3i.jpg"/></a>

And from above, it's a lot more brown
<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/ABB5D640-ED5B-484B-8D44-832828C1B864_zpsfaqcs8ij.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/ABB5D640-ED5B-484B-8D44-832828C1B864_zpsfaqcs8ij.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo ABB5D640-ED5B-484B-8D44-832828C1B864_zpsfaqcs8ij.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/76C11E41-9863-4E2A-8A79-DC94A443B3E4_zps4xqmfjcc.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/76C11E41-9863-4E2A-8A79-DC94A443B3E4_zps4xqmfjcc.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 76C11E41-9863-4E2A-8A79-DC94A443B3E4_zps4xqmfjcc.jpg"/></a>

It's top right

[whitrose02]

Neat! Looks like be bounced back all on his own.

[karimwassef]

Fully recovered, I think. Goldish brown with green tips and buds. Branches getting thicker.

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/C3B49161-00DB-4F47-9209-7A116D7AC957_zpsnoenja7o.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/C3B49161-00DB-4F47-9209-7A116D7AC957_zpsnoenja7o.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo C3B49161-00DB-4F47-9209-7A116D7AC957_zpsnoenja7o.jpg"/></a>
I was hoping it would use its energy to push out more branches. Instead, it started getting thicker branches and bigger fuller polyps. It's very bushy now. Here it is when I first got it:
<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/9E235E5C-A3E5-406E-9247-DDD37B1E4289_zps1mvbd13o.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/9E235E5C-A3E5-406E-9247-DDD37B1E4289_zps1mvbd13o.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 9E235E5C-A3E5-406E-9247-DDD37B1E4289_zps1mvbd13o.jpg"/></a>

Any idea what drives new branches vs. reinvesting in its core? Could the light bleaching have made it want to become more robust?

[kevin_e]

No, it is likely that the "high flow" you said you had in your initial post promoted the thicker structure.

[SoloGarth]

yeah high flow = thicker branches and more encrusting. I am dealing with this now. Only a few of my acros are growing up rather than encrusting huge sections of rock.

[karimwassef]

How about the bushier polyps? It looks like there's more polyps and they are physically larger than they used to be.

[SoloGarth]

Yeah I'm not sure about that. I certainly have crazy polyp extension on my acros ~1/4" in some cases. Not sure if that's flow or something else though. Also not sure if I would describe it as "bushy" haha

[karimwassef]

You see the pic before and after. What would you describe it as?

[SoloGarth]

You see the pic before and after. What would you describe it as?


No I meant I wouldn't describe mine as bushy. It's too hard to see the polyps well in the pics above. Looks like more polyp extension to me. I don't believe there is a definitive answer to why corals have greater or lesser polyp extension although it's generally viewed as a good thing.

[karimwassef]

Ok. Four months have passed

It's right in the middle here.

Looks like it's settled to a golden color with green tips

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/95BB2D21-918F-432F-B7E8-3446BCD2E04A_zpsjocxleuq.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/95BB2D21-918F-432F-B7E8-3446BCD2E04A_zpsjocxleuq.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 95BB2D21-918F-432F-B7E8-3446BCD2E04A_zpsjocxleuq.jpg"/></a>

[stingman]

Looks great!

[karimwassef]

Thanks. I guess bleaching is a reaction to stress but not necessary a sign of weakness or death. All the budding branches have developed fully so the coral is ~ 2x in size now.

It's a very different color compared to the original dark brown overall. I think the bleaching was a step in the direction of adjusting to my tank's light, temperature and flow.

[karimwassef]

Here's another example of violent change acclimating to my tank conditions...

The purple coral on the bottom left (Stylophora or Pocillopora)

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/753BB826-DEB1-4DF7-9ABA-7B79E61B833E_zpswblnxf23.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/753BB826-DEB1-4DF7-9ABA-7B79E61B833E_zpswblnxf23.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 753BB826-DEB1-4DF7-9ABA-7B79E61B833E_zpswblnxf23.jpg"/></a>

And here on the top right
<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/4A58A603-EB53-4948-9B2B-7E9B74727B5B_zps8jwy6qaq.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/4A58A603-EB53-4948-9B2B-7E9B74727B5B_zps8jwy6qaq.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 4A58A603-EB53-4948-9B2B-7E9B74727B5B_zps8jwy6qaq.jpg"/></a>

Started like this
<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/12FC3480-F6AD-4B01-874E-79C0C9919307_zpsqan5ta0u.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/12FC3480-F6AD-4B01-874E-79C0C9919307_zpsqan5ta0u.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 12FC3480-F6AD-4B01-874E-79C0C9919307_zpsqan5ta0u.jpg"/></a>