light coral colors

[reedman]

Kevin (or anyone else who can help),

My tank is doing well and I have great polyp extension, growth, all that. My parameters seem to be in line (Ca 400, Alk 8 dKh, Mg 1250, Sal 1.025). Good lighting (250W MH 14K + VHO), and good flow (3000 gph in a 75 w/ 2 seaswirls for random flow). I have a lifereef skimmer that is sized for a 250 gallon tank that pulls out skimmate (light color since I skim wet) daily. I empty the cup every other day. I feed daily or every other day with blender mush of shell fish, cod, nori, and vitamins.

Now my question: My corals are pretty light in color. I just don't get that deep color that I see in other tanks. Especially true in the case of blues. I have a tort that is kind of greenish up to the tips with the tips being blue. This same coral (a frag of mine) in jlehigh's tank is deep blue like I would expect out of a tort.

Any ideas what is causing the light coloration? Is this just an indication of low nutrients? Is there anything I can do to deepen the colors?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give (or links or any other info).
-Reed

 

[dnjan]

Hey Reed - any chance you could post side-by-side specs of yours and jlehigh's tanks? Lighting (including depth to the specific coral and depth to bottom), water parameters, substrate, etc.? Also, (for curiosity), ORP readings (with either a newly-calibrated probe or the same probe in both tanks) would be interesting. And salt mix (plus non-standard supplements) used.

This could even turn out to be Science!

 

[kevinpo]

Hi Reed,
I believe that lighting is the factor in your case especially the Tort. I had 2 Oregon Tort specimens in the same tank 2" apart one was about a foot lower than the other and the color difference was very noticeable. They almost looked like two different corals. The lower one was greenish with blue tips while the one that was very high was dark blue. I also have several specimens of A. Yongei located in the same tank but at different distances from the light source. They range from dark green to bright yellow. I have another Acropora that ranged from green with blue tips, purple with blue tips, teal with blue tips, to all baby blue, depending on how much light it receives. If possible move one of the light corals to another location (in the same tank) that has much different lighting. On average it takes 14-21 days to change color.

What bulb and ballast combination are you running?

HTH,
Kevin

 

[gqjeff]

I would also consider feeding the tank a bit more for a few weeks.. I have seen this time and time again with the better skimmers and feeding less these days.. Feed every day and I am sure that will help a BUNCH.. I run a VERY low nutirent tank "16 months zeo" and I feed my fish daily so the corals don't lighten and look pastel instead of the deep hues we are striving for.. Kevin is right on about the torts though.. Lighting is a huge key for there coloration.

Jeff

 

[jlehigh]

Hmm Well comparing our tanks would be somewhat futile because they are very different, but I do know Reed recently switched to the 14K lights from 10Ks and overall the tank looks better but the color of the tort has not shown much difference.

It's worth noting that Reed's Tort grows WAY faster than mine, while mine holds the deep blue/purple coloration.

My tort is about 15 inches down in the tank, in a high flow area. I get about 1/2" of growth per month. It is in the mixing point of a 400W 10K Reeflux and a 400W 12K Reeflux.

Reeds water clarity is VERY good whereas mine is not so good, so I don't know how much the light comes into play.

 

[reedman]

Thanks for all the replies.

My tank
Lights - 14K hamilton
Ballasts - HQI (blueline)
Distance - 6" down
Salt - IO
Color - greenish/blue
Growth - fast

John's Tank
Lights - 10K/12K reeflux
Ballasts - HQI
Distance - 15" down
Salt - IO
Color - dark blue
Growth - slow

Backwards from what I expected and what Kevin suggested....but this is reefkeeping

I will try upping my feeding for a little and see what happens. I would be thrilled if this is the byproduct of very low nutrients. I hope that's the case.

I think I can frag a piece off to move into another area of the tank to see what happens. Personally I think all of my corals look light/pale in color, but then again, I am my harshest critic too.

 

[gqjeff]

I think you will be happy after upping the feeding... What do you test on salifert? Should be clear if really low nutrients. Also maybe see if you have a local reefer in your area with a Hanna meter for testing your actual PO4. Anything under .03 will give you excellent results and the best chance for really colorful SPS.

A huge factor with lighting is what reflector both of you have. If one has a spider and the other has a Lumanarc that alone will make a huge difference..

Also please list all params Ca, dKH, Mg, Salinity and temp.. With IO I wanna see what numbers you are running.. I ran it for 13 yrs but no longer run it for SPS tanks as the numbers were always out of whack for near NSW levels.

Jeff

 

[reedman]

if you have a local reefer in your area with a Hanna meter for testing your actual PO4

If someone in the area has one of these, they sure haven't stepped up. We may, as a club, get one to share.

A huge factor with lighting is what reflector both of you have. If one has a spider and the other has a Lumanarc that alone will make a huge difference..

you know...that is a big difference between our tanks. John has the LM3's and I have the spiders. Might be the push I need to get the LM minis for my tank

So I test 3 primary things on a regular basis (Ca, Alk, and Mg....all salifert). I maintain Ca at about 400 and Alk at about 8 dKh with a calcium reactor and the Mg is about 1300 (sometimes have to put in some epsom salts to boost this a little). I've tested PO4 with a titration test kit a few times, but it's always zero and that really doesn't tell me much anyway.

 

[gqjeff]

You are on the right track with keeping the params were you have them.. Another thing you can do is add Mg granulate at about 10-15% on your calcium reactor media.. That REALLY has helped me maintain mine since I started using it 14 months ago.. Yea there is a HUGE difference in those 2 reflectors.. You are dealing with the best and pretty much the worst as far as MH reflectors go.. I ran spiders for 8 yrs and then switched out to RO 1's and it made a HUGE difference.. I have even thought about going with the Minis myself they are so much better then the RO 1's and these are VERY good IMHO..

Jeff

 

[jlehigh]

I can virtually guaruntee I have more Po4 in my tank

As far as the reflectors go: If you look at Sanjays reflector analysis it's clear the L3's have a larger overall distribution BUT Reed's tank doesnt really warrant that amount of coverage. I need 24-30" of coverage, but the Tort is high in his tank and very near the center of his reflectors which is where the high intensity is.

I'm curious to see what a slow increase in feeding does for the corals. Though I wouldnt make large changes right away and risk upsetting the biological balance.

 

[gqjeff]

Ok now lets talk about flow in these tanks? I have torts also and I run 4-400 xm20k off m59 for great par with an IC 660 running 2 vho super actinic and 2 t5 blue+.. I am adding another IC 660 this weekend and I will be the first in the country to test out a new T5 bulb. I will let everyone knwo about it very soon as I was contacted and asked to try them out. I have noticed though the higher the tort the bluer the color.. The lower the tort the more flouresence and greenish branches with blue tips... I have high flow also running 2 penductors off an Iwaki 70 with 2 6100 tunzes and a wavebox.. I used to run 4 6100 but took 2 out when I got the wavebox which is a VERY cool toy also hehehe....

Jeff

 

[dnjan]

Reed - you are running 250w lights , correct?

 

[dnjan]

Yea there is a HUGE difference in those 2 reflectors.. You are dealing with the best and pretty much the worst as far as MH reflectors go.. Jeff

Can you point me to any data showing that spiderlites are some of the worst reflectors available?

The big problem I see with spiderlite reflectors is when people distort them away from their originally-designed shape during installation.

 

[reedman]

Don,
yep. I run 250W 14K Hamiltons

Jeff,
For flow we both run high energy tanks. I have an AM3K on my closed loop and 4 outlets. 2 are on seaswirls, one points straight down the back of the tank and the other is a static return in the middle that intersects the seaswirls as they pass by causing very chaotic flow.

John runs an OM 8way and has great flow. Plus he now has 2 penductors. ridiculous flow. Remember though that I have a 75 gallon and he has a 240.

 

[dnjan]

Any information on intensity at 6" under 250's versus intensity at 15" under 400's?

 

[jlehigh]

Any information on intensity at 6" under 250's versus intensity at 15" under 400's?

You will find these readings in Sanjays reflector analysis but only for 1 or two types of bulbs and the measurements are not taken under water.

As much fun as this is looking at the different harware set-ups (we both have sweet tanks ) lol I think the answer lies more in the biology, and not the technology.

There are TONS of people keeping Blue torts blue under 250W MH lights.

The flow, was an excellent area of focus. We both have quite allot lb for lb..

 

[fishermann]

Reed are you running a felt sock on your system? just curious as I used too and my corals were light colored and since getting rid of it they are a lot darker.

 

[reedman]

Reed are you running a felt sock on your system? just curious as I used too and my corals were light colored and since getting rid of it they are a lot darker.

I only run the felt socks when I blow off the rocks. Oddly enough, John runs them alot more than I do. Go figure.

Thanks for all the inputs folks. Keep it coming if you have any other thoughts on what I can do to get my corals to darken in color (not to brown though )

 

[gqjeff]

Can you point me to any data showing that spiderlites are some of the worst reflectors available?

The big problem I see with spiderlite reflectors is when people distort them away from their originally-designed shape during installation.

Don, spider light are def the worst compared to flat sheet metal for a reflector.. Thats why they are so cheap. I am not syaing they are horrible just the cheapest answer to a reflector that works.. They do not compare to RO1 or LM3 or lumamax reflectors. They for one do not have ends so A LOT of light excapes out the end that does not get reflected back to the tank.

 

[gqjeff]

I only run the felt socks when I blow off the rocks. Oddly enough, John runs them alot more than I do. Go figure.

Thanks for all the inputs folks. Keep it coming if you have any other thoughts on what I can do to get my corals to darken in color (not to brown though )

Filter socks should have nothing to do with coral color.. I ran them on this tank for 14 months and just took them off 2 months ago after reworking my sump to control micro bubbles. http://photobucket.com/albums/v467/gqjeff/jeffs reef/

I still think more feeding will be beneficial for your sps colors.

Jeff