corals lost colour after installing new MH lamp

[Eivind]

I have a 90 gallon reef aquarium with a 20 gallon sump(has been running for about 4 YRS).The tank contains about 70% SPS and 30% soft corals.
I used to have a 250w MH + 2 x30W osram 67 .
Decided to change to a new MH (2x250w + 30w dulux blue).
At that point I was not aware that you had to acclimate the corals to the new stronger light,and after just a day or two,I experienced that the SPSs started to loose colour.
I then lifted the lamp a bit higher above the aquarium,to gradually lower it against the aquarium.
Some of the colooration came back,but not all.
I have now had the lamp for about a year,and are still struggling with poor coloration.
Water parameters seems to be ok,but to make sure,I have started to change 10-20 gallons of water weekly(natural sea water,as I live very close to the ocean,and have access to clean water).
I am using an aquamedic calcium reactor with CO2 injection(with PH controller and magnetic valve),and a Deltec APF 600 for skimming.
For circulation,I have two Tunze trubelle stream 6000 with 1095 controller.
As a return pump from the sump,I have an aquamed 3500 return pump.
Water temperature during daytime 25 degrees celsius , 23-24 during night time(not using a heater).I have mounted 4 PC fans blowing across the water surface,to keep the temperature of the water at 25 degrees(works really well).
My aquarium has a aluminium frame,and I have started to think that maybee it is the frame who is causing a problem?
Have anyone had any bad experience with alu frame aquariums?
Can I expect the coloration to get back to normal again after such a long time,if the problem is being corrected?

Really apprecitate any kind of feedback!

Eivind

 

[mojoreef]

Did you change the Kelvin ratings on the bulbs to?? Ie: went from 20K to 10K or something simular??


Mike

 

[Eivind]

Mike,
Thanks for your quick reply!
I changed from an aqualine busche 13 000K to a Bresslein 10 000K.
I also have removed the two Osram 67,so the aqurium is a little less" blue "now then it used to be.
But I have also added a couple of new green Favias 5-6 months ago,just to see what happened,if they kept their colors,or if they faded ,and turned brown like most of the other corals,and they did.

Eivind

 

[Elmo18]

I would place the other MH bulbs back, the AB 13k bulbs and wait it out and see what happens, assuming all other water parameters are the same.

Best,
Ilham

 

[Eivind]

Ilham,
Thanks for your reply!
I dont want to be rude,and say I disagree with you,but I i am not sure if this should really matter that much?
But I will try to change one of the bulbs tomorrow,and see what happens.

Eivind

 

[mojoreef]

Eivind I cant find any wave charts on the 10K so I am not sure of the color they produce. What Elmo is trying to do with the experiment is to see if its a case of the new bulb not having enough of a color spike in the kelvin to bring a pigment to dominance, or maybe the bulb has to much par and is causing a reduction in pigment or the opposite.

Make sence??


Mike

 

[Elmo18]

Eivind I cant find any wave charts on the 10K so I am not sure of the color they produce. What Elmo is trying to do with the experiment is to see if its a case of the new bulb not having enough of a color spike in the kelvin to bring a pigment to dominance, or maybe the bulb has to much par and is causing a reduction in pigment or the opposite.

Make sence??


Mike

What Mike said

Best,
Ilham

 

[Eivind]

Thanks for your replys!
I have tried to upload the spectre for the 10K.

 

[Eivind]

this is the 13K i used before

 

[mojoreef]

Its hard to tell with out the side bars telling us what the levels are per color, but at first look the 10K does have a pretty big spike in the yellow zone. Can you find the par reading from both bulbs and maybe a wave chart (as above) with a level chart on the left side??


Mike

 

[kevinpo]

Hello,
Favia corals are not very susceptible to changes in lighting spectrum IME they usually keep their color. They will turn brown when there is not enough light intensity in the proper spectrum however. PAR is often used to describe and as a unit of measure of the spectral output of aquarium bulbs. While many brands and types of bulbs will sustain coral life the field narrows considerably of those that provide great coloration.

Regards,
Kevin

 

[cwegescheide]

For what its worth I had 10K Ushio 250W SE's and Vho actinics. i just recently got a Giesemann 250 HQI 13K w/t5 actinics and i noticed the color is more white, leaning towards blue. I have also noticed better colors in my corals already and its only been a few weeks.