Correlation between Coral color and placement?

[Maxx]

I'm curious...
Is there a link between coral placement and coloration? Meaning, does a lighter colored coral require more light, or less light? Should a lighter colored coral be down lower in the tank or higher?

Nick

 

[CarlaW]

Are you talking about a wild colony or a frag? I usually try to keep a book close by to tell what the corals natural location was. The more we frag corals, I think we may be changing their characteristics. Frags seem to adapt to our systems better than a wild colonies do. I know that I have lighter colored corals high in the tank and low in the tank. It could be a trial and error type of thing, depending on your lighting and current conditions.
Did any of this make sense????

 

[Maxx]

It did Charlie. I understand that frags will be different as they will adapt to conditions in our tanks much more easily than colonies. However, I'm talking about aquacultured colonies in this instance.
I just purchased 7 small aquacultured colonies, the largest being approximately 1.5 inches in diameter.

Nick

 

[Scooterman]

Aks Mikey, He knows everything!

 

[NaH2O]

Nick - I believe genetics of the coral will have some say in what happens. The pigments/proteins in the coral would be mapped out genetically, and based on the lighting and nutrients available will influence what you see. The pigments will absorb one wave and will emit a different wave, which is what we see. So, depending on lighting I think this may change up a bit. I believe Mike touched on this in the Let's Talk About ~Lighting~ thread. In my mind there is more to it than coral placement. Different factors will all influence what we see in the coral. I really feel that the genetics of the coral set the stage, then the lighting and nutrients available have a factor in the colors we see.

So, I would say that a lighter colored coral doesn't necessarily have a higher placement requirement. It might end up being trial and error. As your tank matures, the corals may change in coloration anyway, as the nutrients become less available.

 

[mojoreef]

Most pigments are genetically coded, as long as aminos are available (which they are through bacteria and simular) it becomes a "as needed" and which one will dominate based on the light supplied.


Mike

 

[Maxx]

I'm glad this has sparked an interesting conversation....
What I meant was this....

I just purchased several small aquacultured corals (about 1.5 inches in diameter, max). 3 of them are lighter in color. I have been hearing conflicting stories about how lighter colored corals should be placed in higher (more intense) lighting. Is there any truth to this, or should I just acclimate normal like?

Nick

 

[mojoreef]

Ok I dont understand what a lighter coral color is, so need some help thier. As per acclimation you want to start the acclimation at where the coral came from, So a frag from a hobbists tank running x wattage at y depth and so on. If the corals came from the wild or wild aquaculture, then start them low in the light column and work them up to higher locations.

Mike

 

[Maxx]

gotcha.

I knew the answer to this.....just thought maybe you had a genius answer that I was unaware of.

Nick

 

[jlehigh]

You know Nick I purchaced a light blue gomezi blue colony a several weeks ago that was under 400watt 20k SE's. I placed it 8-10" under my 400K DE's and the blue was very subdued and almost white, so instead of placing the coral higher in the tank I put it all the way on the bottom at 30". Over the course of 3 weeks the coloration darkened and now is a magnificant Blue with Purple tips.

Ultimately I agree the determining factor is where the coral came from, but just thought I would share an experience. I don;t know how folks even with our sweet gallery can determine the correct genus though...

Mojo or anyone else: Do you use any rule of thumb indicators for determining Coral Genus in the search for identifying the correct (natural) conditions???

I think I will start a seperate thread on this..

 

[NaH2O]

Link to the thread after you start it. Here is a thread I did on Identifying Corals. What I found interesting (you'll see quoted in the first post), is Veron says that aquarium raised corals will often take on unusual growth forms, like that in deep water, which makes identification a difficult task.

 

[bc_slc]

Interesting post guys. I have a question. If you start a coral low and move it up, what is your endpoint?

I have a coral that was neglected and inherited from a fellow reefer. It is an acropora of some type and when I got it, it was mostly brownish with some pink/orange to it, but pretty drab. I moved it to the new tank and put it in a pretty neutral position in my 30" deep tank (directly under 250w DEs). It is now growing, and originaly lightened in color quite a bit, and I thought I was bleaching it out but it has continued to grow pretty quickly and its tips have become a bright pink.

I am at a loss, need more light, need less light? And lastly, how long do you let it settle in before determining it needs to be relocated up or down?

 

[mojoreef]

Mojo or anyone else: Do you use any rule of thumb indicators for determining Coral Genus in the search for identifying the correct (natural) conditions???

You know its pretty tough, I tend to go with broad catagories and then take their natural habitat and go with that for what to give them in regards to light, flow and so on. Here is an example

Ok looking at this coral and its coralites I would say its either a granulosa, or lorpies. I then go to our coral gallery and read that its natural habitat is mid to upper reef slopes. That tells me that it gets medium to strong flow but not direct. It also tells me that its probibly sitting down in the water column a bit, 30 feet maybe. For corals from this habitat I tend to put them on the bottom of the tank to start with and then move them up to about mid height and make sure they get medium flow but not direct. From here I watch how the corals color up. If the coral begins to darken in colors and become fully covered I will leave it where it is, if it Stays lighter I will move it back down.

Anyway thats kind of a rough idea on how I do it.

bc_slc I would leave it where it is and allow it to full adapt to the conditions you are providing for it. After it has been in your tank for awhile and continues to progress well you should be able to move it up anywhere you wish


MIke

 

[bc_slc]

how long do you wait - how long do you let something sit and adapt in a position before you relocate it? a week, several weeks, over a month?

Mat

 

[RockyHeap]

I'm not aware that light intensity alone makes the color differences........you wouldn't believe all the bright colors (and dull ones too) on reefs in nature......

I've scuba dove down to 150 foot deep (now thats a deep tank!) and even under ledges in caves at that depth in almost total darkness there are still brilliant colored hard/soft corals, sponges, and even plants like callurpa and halmedia.

 

[mojoreef]

Mat I usually wait a few weeks to a month.

Dead on rocky, deep soft corals and anenomes can be even more colorful then SPS. Their color comes from simular pigments, but are used in different ways. Thier pigments are maintained by the foods they eat. drawing aminos and protien pigments from the prey they capture.


Mike

 

[mojoreef]

Oh and trace elements to


Mike