best additives for sps color?

Chemical stability (Alk, Ca+2 and Mg+2)
Low PO4 and nitrates
Good lights (14,000-20,000K color)
Good random water flow
Fish Poo!
Quality SPS frags

From my experience if you stay with the basics and keep it stable the color will be there.
 
No I have not drank it. but I have performed the sniff test.

PS. once again, do not blame me for your lack of info ! Zeostart2 is one of the only Zeovit products that they tell u whats in it, CARBON SOURCE !!! what are carbon sources ? ethanol in vodka (no I am not sure of the brand Zeovit uses, I have heard grey goose though, they seem classy) vineager (no I have not seen MR. Pohl shopping for it) and sugar ;)


I really hope this one was a joke or just to break my .... lol

Allmost, chill brother. Of course it was a joke. When you post on RC as much as you do, people end up wanting to bust your balls. Welcome to the internets.

All we're talking about on this thread is what additives work for coral color. No need to make this some sort of personal zeovit crusade. We all know zeovit works, but for those not using the method, we need to discuss what supplements help SPS color in traditional berlin systems (and modifications thereof).
 
thanks Banker, I get what you mean :)


its funny, how same ppl that used to laugh at me 2 years ago when I said fish poop is actually a nutritional food for SPS are now agreeing it is lol but as u said its the net so I should chill out.
 
What he said^ you I have learned that we all need to chill, look and observe and keep what you like and toss out what you think will not be the best in your case. Question,
I have noticed my blueface and the pesky flame picking at my frags could this cause discoloration and the loss of PE I once had? They seem real interested when they are new they occasionally pick at the zoanthids.
 
WOW!! so much response and so much love hate!! i didnt think i would have started all of this! We all love our corals so cant we all just get along!
 
So if anybody still remembers the first question...maybe i will just go with 150w 14k any suggestion on best bulb mfg? also for anyone who hasnt gotten the memo uvl lighting is now making bulbs with built in reflectors!!! big for me with 18 watt pc actinics but im very interested to know if anyone has tried any of the oter bulbs with built in reflectors? i know this isnt a lighting forum but for intensity for my sps? cause i already have poo in the tank!!!
 
So if anybody still remembers the first question...maybe i will just go with 150w 14k any suggestion on best bulb mfg? also for anyone who hasnt gotten the memo uvl lighting is now making bulbs with built in reflectors!!! big for me with 18 watt pc actinics but im very interested to know if anyone has tried any of the oter bulbs with built in reflectors? i know this isnt a lighting forum but for intensity for my sps? cause i already have poo in the tank!!!

UVL has been making bulbs with built in reflectors for a while now. A lot of VHO bulbs have had built in reflectors for years.

When Grim Reefer ran some tests they did better than a bulb with no reflector but with a good reflector they still got hammered. The external reflector is still the best way to go but if you can't, then the built in reflectors are a good way to go.
 
I use no supplements or foods at all and I am very happy with my coloration. In fact, when I have used supps, I have done more harm that good (interms of growth) without any help to coloration. That may be a function of the quality of the product used, but it has been the case with me repeatedly.

So, my approach is:
1) Water quality - Good skimmer, frequent water changes
2) Stability - ATO for Kalkwasser addition
3) Good Lighting - 250W MH + Supplements
4) Flow - the more the better (min 45-50 X tank volume)
5) Fish poo - I tend to stock on the heavy side and filter harder to compensate. This produces good supplies of "coral food", but prevents the accumulation of excess nutrients.

And, BTW - when I say "stock on the heavy side" - I currently have (in a 75):

4 Oci Clowns
2 Bangaii
2 Damsels
1 Engineer Goby
1 Tang
1 Lyretail Anthia (so I feed a little heavy too)

And I plan on adding a few more. But, with my skimmer, etc, I have no nussaince algae to speak of (other than some pesky valonia) .
 
Brightwell Koral Color, Reef Snow and Coral Amino.

Was skeptical but it's surprinsing me.

Skimming it's working more but it seems that corals can get enough before it's over.
 
I am a constant skeptic...but I can definitely report Brightwell Potassium has improved my blues. It was evident after a couple days of use. Just my .02.
 
Change your lights to more blue!

i would tend to agree with this statement.


More blue than 20k with actinics? Is that possible? :) Do you feed your corals at all? I like using coral frenzy and oyster eggs to help with color.

not all 20k bulbs are the same. 20k is just a marketing number IMHO. if you go around and look at tanks with 20k under different brands you'll see a range of "white to blue" color lights even under the same ballast. not that i'm any lighting expert but i personally don't like ushios 20k's when i saw them at a lfs. i don't think they make colors "pop". i use EVC 20k's and they make corals "pop" the moment i changed the bulb. Sanjay did a bulb spectral comparasion chart and the brands helio and evc had the "best" blue imho. i think they are the same bulb under different brand names to be honest. change to the evc, you might already have what you're looking for but you just haven't turned on the lights to see it yet!
 
Best additives for coral color is the amount of light and the spectrum of color. Bottle additives dont really do much for you in a typical system.
 
Best additives for coral color is the amount of light and the spectrum of color. Bottle additives dont really do much for you in a typical system.

In the context of the thread, this is a ridiculous and grossly overstated OPINION.

Some people have stability. These people are looking for the supplements to take what they have with what they can do and push it a little past that point. Not all advice is actually advice.

Anyway, like a few others stated, once you have good lighting, flow and stability, take a look a the KZ supplements. My favorites are:

- Pohl's Xtra, this stuff is the magic juice for SPS colors.
- Coral Vitalizer fluffs up the PE after a couple weeks beyond anything I have ever seen.
- Bio-Mate, this is more of a nutrient control product, but my corals have gotten nicer and nicer ever since I started using it. I am VERY impressed with the results.
 
Last edited:
..

..

In the context of the thread, this is a ridiculous and grossly overstated OPINION.

Some people have stability. These people are looking for the supplements to take what they have with what they can do and push it a little past that point. Not all advice is actually advice.

Anyway, like a few others stated, once you have good lighting, flow and stability, take a look a the KZ supplements. My favorites are:

- Pohl's Xtra, this stuff is the magic juice for SPS colors.
- Coral Vitalizer fluffs up the PE after a couple weeks beyond anything I have ever seen.
- Bio-Mate, this is more of a nutrient control product, but my corals have gotten nicer and nicer ever since I started using it. I am VERY impressed with the results.

To clarify... My answer to this post was completely opinion. But so are all the other post here. Except for a select few, no one here at reef central is a scientist and conducts actual experimnets with color enhancing products. Its all opinion from fellow reefers. And half the time people add so many things at once they dont even know what is making their tank react in a certain way. My experience with color enhancers like AA is that most of the time they dont work. Generally you can great colors from SPS by honing in the basics like lighting, flow, correct water parameters. In regards to color it is my opinion that the proper lighting will bring out colors best. Anyone with a stable/established tank that has poor coral color should almost certanly look at lighting to be the culprit. Trust me when I say you dont need any of the extra snake oil crap marketed towards the SPS crowd to have TOTM colors. All just my opinion.
 
Back
Top