Cracker's 'colouring up' thread.

[Salty Cracker]

Okay, so a week or so ago I started experimenting in getting the colours up on a few sps, as well as seeing if I can up the growth rate. 

I have seen increases in the number of growth tips, and I -think- I see an improvement in colour already.  Basically I upped the alk dosing, added aqua vitro 'fuel', and increased the feeding to 3x per week.  Here are 4 corals I am watching closely.  I'll see if I can post updated photos every week to see what's happening with them...

 

[Salty Cracker]

Oh and because of the way I had to insert my new 'red planet' frag, I can't get a good pic of it, but it's starting to get absolutely crazy colours...and green new growth by the looks of it.  Gotta love aquacultured frags.  I was worried that one would brown up being new to the tank.  I'll see if I can get a good shot of it somehow.  I really need to get one of those top-down photo boxes.

 

[teebone110]

Nice pics..When you stated that you bumped up your alk  and I saw your millies, the first thing I thought was that you had some burned tip action going on there?

 

[Salty Cracker]

I'll have to find a pic, but all of those are new tips, like brand new. My alk was at 8.2 dKH, I raised it to 8.9 dKH over the past 2 weeks, I don't think I burned anything, however, it's definitely something I'll be watching too

Seriously, the things have just sort of exploded.  That green millie has been sitting there doing nothing for 6 months, just doing a little encrusting.  I sort of gauge a healthy tip as one with a good polyp in it.  A burned tip would be white, but no polyp and a non growing tip has a darker colour and a much smaller polyp. 

Here is the original frag of pic #3.  I'll dig up a more recent pic here shortly.

 

[Salty Cracker]

Ah here we go, about 1-2 months ago.  Same frag, look at how pale it looked.  It had some growth, but not whats there today.