A new reef arises
- Thread starter iwan
- Start date
Hi Frank,
I posted the key factors some month ago in another thread.
I repost it here again. It's written short and easy.
Here is a summary about colored stone corals
I wrote an article about that for a french magazine here are some important parameters:
Colored stone coral: A wish of all stone coral friends.
The care of stone corals is possible since few years.
It was made possible by knowledge of the needs and the development of technological facilities which can satisfy these needs. Every stone coral holder knows that the keeping of these beautiful animals is bound to certain prerequisites. Sufficient light, few nutrients, supply with trace elements and calcium.These are well known facts.
Much has already been discussed and published about this.
But what exactly influences now the colors?
Why are stone corals colored?
Stone corals have the ability to build chromo proteins (Pocciloporine).
These pigments determine the colors. The symbiosis algae (zooxanthellae) don't determine the color.
As higher the density of the symbiosis algae is, than darker and browner the colors are.
But what influences the colors?
The quality of the incident light:
Light quantity and radiation spectrum. Corals need light!
The available nutrients in the water:
Too many nutrients cause an increase of the zooxanthellae. The result is a covering of the colors.
The diet condition of the corals:
Corals with limitations don't use the available energy to build pigments.
The genetic competence to build up colors:
Some corals do not have the genetic competence for the coloring.
They also cannot get "colored" under optimal conditions.
Wrong opinions:
I like to do away with the common wrong opinions in this place.
The zooxanthellae give the coral their colors:
Wrong!The zooxanthellae (symbiosis algae) fulfils other functions. They are responsible for the brown ground shade. This means: More symbiosis algae results in a covering of the colors. We have brown corals.
Trace elements bring color:
Incomplete statement! The observation that a dosage of trace elements improves the colors has nothing to do with the primary effect of the color formation. One assumes that the production of pigments (chromoproteins) goes about metabolism processes of the coral. Trace elements are components of enzymes without which color pigmentation cannot be carried out.
So does the coloration become rock javelin by trace element bonus?
If the coloring increases after a trace element bonus, then has been a lack of trace element before.
That explains the observation that many tanks a dosage of trace elements do not increase the coloring. If sufficient trace elements are available, then no increase of the chromoprotein synthesis is reached by an additional application.
Few nutrients = colored corals:
The statement: ââ"šÂ¬Ã…"œColored corals can be reached by reducing nutrients! If you reduce nutrients youââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ll get best colors!ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ is incomplete. A reduction of the available nutrients results in the decreasing of the zooxanthellae density. The synthesis of chromoproteine isn't concerned by it at all. Spectral shares of the light put the formation of pigments into walk! The light quality, (the intensity of the radiation, the spectrum and the light duration) is responsible for the formation of chromoproteins.
The coral needs energy for the formation of pigments. It makes sense that a coral only put this energy into the production of color giving pigments if it has met its basic requirements sufficiently. The formation of color is a "luxury good". A hungry coral won't waste valuable energy for the synthesis of color constituents. [/B][/
Henry Bowman
Reefing since '87
Iwan,
Thanks for joining us again. In the above listed information you mention addition of trace elements and low nutrients. Are you using Prodibio or Zeovit ? and or what trace elements do you use in your tank?
Thanks for joining us again. In the above listed information you mention addition of trace elements and low nutrients. Are you using Prodibio or Zeovit ? and or what trace elements do you use in your tank?
Hello IWAN...
I´m posting this from Mexico... your newest tank and the older one looks very very good.. I love them!!
Here in my Country, some of my friends are using ZeoVit... Prodibio items and/or Fauna Marin products...
80% of them get good results with those products...19% no has use them never and their corals are brownish... but in my own case... I dont use them... no ZeoVit... No Ultralith (Fauna Marin) and no Prodibio... and got a good results in my aquarium...
I have 2x 250w Hamilton 14K, 1x 400w Radium 20K and 2 VHO superactinics... I do water changes every 3 weeks and only use AminoAcids... I get a really beautiful colors in my SPS's... but not bright colors than yours...
What do you think about mantain nitrates in a low level?¿ (not zero but not upper than 2ppm).. this will help to maintain something like "food source" for corals?¿... The "soft lighting" like VHO or T5 intensify the coloration in SPS?¿ The aminoacids do all the job between the lighting?¿
Greetings from Mexico to all...
Victor H.
I´m posting this from Mexico... your newest tank and the older one looks very very good.. I love them!!
Here in my Country, some of my friends are using ZeoVit... Prodibio items and/or Fauna Marin products...
80% of them get good results with those products...19% no has use them never and their corals are brownish... but in my own case... I dont use them... no ZeoVit... No Ultralith (Fauna Marin) and no Prodibio... and got a good results in my aquarium...
I have 2x 250w Hamilton 14K, 1x 400w Radium 20K and 2 VHO superactinics... I do water changes every 3 weeks and only use AminoAcids... I get a really beautiful colors in my SPS's... but not bright colors than yours...
What do you think about mantain nitrates in a low level?¿ (not zero but not upper than 2ppm).. this will help to maintain something like "food source" for corals?¿... The "soft lighting" like VHO or T5 intensify the coloration in SPS?¿ The aminoacids do all the job between the lighting?¿
Greetings from Mexico to all...
Victor H.
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
If your corals are brown, its usually due to one of three things from what I have seen...
1. Tank is too new/ too many organics in the water. An ammonia/nitrate spike can quickly cause corals to lose color. This is often followed up with some die-off or bleaching if too much. Phosphates can be the problem too. I often see this with established tanks that are moved... all that stirring up of organics in the sand and detritus can really cause all hell.
2. Too much light. You know, lighting in this hobby has improved in efficiency, in particular in the last 5 years. The odd thing is that our 'cookie cutter' lighting suggestions for a given size tank... or our perception of what is really needed, hasnt changed to reflect this. 8 years ago, a couple 250wattSE bulbs with a crappy flat reflectors, magnetic ballast, and 'new-at-the-time' 10,000K bulbs were the norm for say... a 75g tank.
Since then, we have seen massive improvements in the lighting area. The bulbs are about 20-30% brighter per watt, the reflectors are 2-3x better at getting the light into the water, and the ballasts (along with bulbs) are built to provide higher outputs with a longer lifespan. Yet we still suggest dual 250wattHQI bulbs for a 75gallon tank!!! Lol. AND with a 12 hour per day photoperiod. No wonder corals can brown out.
Browning out due to too much light (rather than too little) looks different. The coral's polyps are usually retracted (so they dont burn), and the coral's pigments turn brown to block out rays.
3. Too little light. Too little is easy to see, and easy to correct... just dont make any dramatic changes to correct the problem, or it will be like sticking a redhead on the beach... burn baby burn. The polyps are extended, brown, etc. the coral may look brown, but its more in the polyps... the actual coral surface may still have good coloration, or start to bleach. This is different from when you have too much light because the base color with too much light is usually brown first.
tatoofr, if you tell me more about your setup, I could tell you more about what I would suspect.
1. Tank is too new/ too many organics in the water. An ammonia/nitrate spike can quickly cause corals to lose color. This is often followed up with some die-off or bleaching if too much. Phosphates can be the problem too. I often see this with established tanks that are moved... all that stirring up of organics in the sand and detritus can really cause all hell.
2. Too much light. You know, lighting in this hobby has improved in efficiency, in particular in the last 5 years. The odd thing is that our 'cookie cutter' lighting suggestions for a given size tank... or our perception of what is really needed, hasnt changed to reflect this. 8 years ago, a couple 250wattSE bulbs with a crappy flat reflectors, magnetic ballast, and 'new-at-the-time' 10,000K bulbs were the norm for say... a 75g tank.
Since then, we have seen massive improvements in the lighting area. The bulbs are about 20-30% brighter per watt, the reflectors are 2-3x better at getting the light into the water, and the ballasts (along with bulbs) are built to provide higher outputs with a longer lifespan. Yet we still suggest dual 250wattHQI bulbs for a 75gallon tank!!! Lol. AND with a 12 hour per day photoperiod. No wonder corals can brown out.
Browning out due to too much light (rather than too little) looks different. The coral's polyps are usually retracted (so they dont burn), and the coral's pigments turn brown to block out rays.
3. Too little light. Too little is easy to see, and easy to correct... just dont make any dramatic changes to correct the problem, or it will be like sticking a redhead on the beach... burn baby burn. The polyps are extended, brown, etc. the coral may look brown, but its more in the polyps... the actual coral surface may still have good coloration, or start to bleach. This is different from when you have too much light because the base color with too much light is usually brown first.
tatoofr, if you tell me more about your setup, I could tell you more about what I would suspect.
tatoofr
New member
Thank you everyone.
I have a 120 g reef.
For lighting I have 3 175 MH. Reeflux 10k, 12. ushio 10k
4 T5 54 watts, Aqua blue, blue +, fiji purple, coral light by zeovit.
Cal. 450
Alk 8-9 dkh
Phosphate O
Nitrate 0
I use prodibio. the nitrates were at 25 but after 4 months are down to zero.
Aqua c ev 120 protein skimmer.
Rowa in a reactor.
Hope this helps, thanks Frank
Oh , I forgot the tank has been set up for 8 years and has a plenum. No algae at all.
8 anthias,
2 clownfish
1 sailfin tang
2 leopard wrasse.
1 chub angel
1 friedmani
1 watchman goby
I have a 120 g reef.
For lighting I have 3 175 MH. Reeflux 10k, 12. ushio 10k
4 T5 54 watts, Aqua blue, blue +, fiji purple, coral light by zeovit.
Cal. 450
Alk 8-9 dkh
Phosphate O
Nitrate 0
I use prodibio. the nitrates were at 25 but after 4 months are down to zero.
Aqua c ev 120 protein skimmer.
Rowa in a reactor.
Hope this helps, thanks Frank
Oh , I forgot the tank has been set up for 8 years and has a plenum. No algae at all.
8 anthias,
2 clownfish
1 sailfin tang
2 leopard wrasse.
1 chub angel
1 friedmani
1 watchman goby
Last edited:
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
Hmmmm.... brown. Thats odd because you seem to have alot of light. I know that mine will only brown if its kept in too low of light... it seems that the higher in the tank it gets, the pinker it gets.
Was it always like this, or just since the Prodo/Zeo treatments?
Was it always like this, or just since the Prodo/Zeo treatments?
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9670314#post9670314 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Gen21
Hello IWAN...
I´m posting this from Mexico... your newest tank and the older one looks very very good.. I love them!!
Here in my Country, some of my friends are using ZeoVit... Prodibio items and/or Fauna Marin products...
80% of them get good results with those products...19% no has use them never and their corals are brownish... but in my own case... I dont use them... no ZeoVit... No Ultralith (Fauna Marin) and no Prodibio... and got a good results in my aquarium...
I have 2x 250w Hamilton 14K, 1x 400w Radium 20K and 2 VHO superactinics... I do water changes every 3 weeks and only use AminoAcids... I get a really beautiful colors in my SPS's... but not bright colors than yours...
What do you think about mantain nitrates in a low level?¿ (not zero but not upper than 2ppm).. this will help to maintain something like "food source" for corals?¿... The "soft lighting" like VHO or T5 intensify the coloration in SPS?¿ The aminoacids do all the job between the lighting?¿
Greetings from Mexico to all...
Victor H.
Hi Victor,
there are different ways to success.
Prodibio is one, zeovit is one and many others results also in nice colored corals and healthy animals.
The best thing is: "don't touch a running system!"
And if you think that you have to optimizing some parts, do it slowly and step by step.
The advantage of a T5 lighting is: you have no shadow places and your corals receive more light.
hahnmeister
In Memoriam
Can you post a pic of the coral. Sorry to sidetrack guys, but this might be interesting. Im a bit of a birdsnest mogul, and Ive had my share of experiences with them. IMO, they are very hardy, and it amazes me when people have trouble with them. I suppose they may just be having some trouble with a set of conditions I havent ever had myself yet, but still... I have seen certain ways to color them up better than others.
Similar threads
