)
I have. And here's the rub: the wild reefs that display those pastel like colors are bleaching.
Makes for a great photo, doesn't it?<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7364685#post7364685 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by E-A-G-L-E-S
Gary....what could you possibly not like about a blonde naso? awesome fish, in a large beautiful tank...boy that is just wrong?
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7094604#post7094604 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by iwan
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.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7141716#post7141716 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by iwan
Thank you!
I have started with fragments. The growth rate is 3 cm/month.
The pictures show a comparison of the tank. Image 1: initial phase with few stone corals. Notice the reference corals.
The current situation:
