color enhancement tips needed

[keith sprague]

im more worried about color than growth.so i need info about and products or any suggestions to get my SPS glowing. all parameters are good lighting is about 4 watts a gallon. otherwise every thing is ok.just wanna kick out more color.any suggestions are appriciated

 

[neoalchemist74]

What size is your system, describe your lighting system, i.e. :total watts, MH,PC,T5 or combo. also what are your water params.and what kinds of corals are you stocking.

 

[Chato2701]

We have problems with color too, still waiting to figure out what's gonna work. I'll be following this thread to see the answers. Good Luck!

 

[HANDYANDY]

have the same prob

have the same prob

watching this post as well

 

[neoalchemist74]

need more input

 

[jbanks]

What size is your system, describe your lighting system, i.e. :total watts, MH,PC,T5 or combo. also what are your water params.and what kinds of corals are you stocking.

+1 without this info, it's hard to be of assistance.. Also, the watts per gallon method of measuring light is not a good form of measurement for light on your tank. There are way to many types of light that can vary in intensity with the same amounts of wattage..

 

[buy_baff]

+1 on more info but based on what you have told us so far I would say 4w per gal is not enough IMO.

 

[keith sprague]

We have problems with color too, still waiting to figure out what's gonna work. I'll be following this thread to see the answers. Good Luck!

ya know whats funny the coral might really not have a problem its probally me LOL. really im just trying to give them a boost without a lot of addatives in my tank. but im gonna try feeding oyster and roti first .ill update

 

[keith sprague]

40gal breeder 45 gal totat vol. MP10 vortec plus 2 rios. coralife pro hood 150w 15k XM bulb.W/ dual attinic. PM redline scimmer.plus natural sunlight bout 4 hrs in the morning.SPS love it. light wise my growth is really where i like.IMO right on.actually color isnt really that bad but i feel like i need a little more,it could be my light sprctrum.i was gonna try T5's but just love halides.i dont really wanna stick dual halides on there either due to heat and for this size tank i belive its way to much light.plus i also use sun light.only gotta pair of clarki clowns.maybe i need to feed ya think????

 

[keith sprague]

may need more POOP?

 

[smokenax]

+on poop

 

[neoalchemist74]

Donno. more poop usually means more brown:fun2:No really, more nutrients feed more zooxanthelae which results in a browner color, thats why the low nutrient systems work so great for extreme unnatural colors. They feed only suplimented bacteria and vitamins, aminoacids and elements in extremely controlled levels.

 

[keith sprague]

Donno. more poop usually means more brown:fun2:No really, more nutrients feed more zooxanthelae which results in a browner color, thats why the low nutrient systems work so great for extreme unnatural colors. They feed only suplimented bacteria and vitamins, aminoacids and elements in extremely controlled levels.

i just started oysterfeast and roti this week ill see how it goes.im not into the poop thing.i like my tank clean and nutrient free as possible.plus trying out T5s soon also.

 

[cloak]

i just started oysterfeast and roti this week ill see how it goes.im not into the poop thing.i like my tank clean and nutrient free as possible.plus trying out T5s soon also.

Isn't oysterfeast and rotifers just another form of poop? Your still going to have to find a balance, whether it's this, or that.

 

[cwegescheide]

I don't mean to come accross as rude but don't you guys read a lot of threads on here? There are millions of threads on here on this very subject. Its the best way to learn and have a successful reef tank. I'm always reading old threads on here in many forums, this one and the Chemistry forum are my two favorite ones. Do yourself a favor and read, read, read. You can stumble across some really great information on here AND give yourself more confidence you are doing the right thing instead of just doing what a couple people suggested on here.

Happy reefing :thumbsup:

 

[neoalchemist74]

I don't mean to come accross as rude but don't you guys read a lot of threads on here? There are millions of threads on here on this very subject. Its the best way to learn and have a successful reef tank. I'm always reading old threads on here in many forums, this one and the Chemistry forum are my two favorite ones. Do yourself a favor and read, read, read. You can stumble across some really great information on here AND give yourself more confidence you are doing the right thing instead of just doing what a couple people suggested on here.

Happy reefing :thumbsup:

Hows that going to help us flex our super reef muscles!:hmm6:

 

[dvmsn]

I think that another often overlooked answer to this question is to get more colorful corals I know that sounds like a smart alec answer but it is often true. When I was running an sps tank there were certain corals that would be pretty and others that would stay ugly no matter what. I would recommend trying an ORA coral like a pearlberry or a red planet. Both of those look nice if you give them good care across a wide range of tank conditions. If those don't look good, you know you have an issue. I would also say that a 15k xm on a 150 ballast is on the very low end of the par scale.

 

[sedor]

Everything that could possibly be known about reefing is probably discussed somewhere here on the board, but its good to ask the questions over and over because it gives us something to talk about, and also when you are researching a topic for the first time your likely to follow something when you ready 150 threads telling you how to do it as opposed to just one. Lets say i'm researching "should I put a mandarin in my brand new tank" and I come across a thread that says absolutely not and another that says well I did it and my guy is still fat and happy. This doesn't help much, but perform that search and you will come across one thread after another saying don't do it and people are likely to listen.

Sorry about the rant. I'm not trying to call you out CWE, just sharing my opinion.

 

[sedor]

Oh ya, and about coral colors...no nitrate/phosphate means no food for the corals, which results in bright colors. Its all about finding a good mix between the two so they are happy and not pale, but also not stuffed and brown. Look into dosing a carbon source like vodka, or setting up a fuge.

 

[keith sprague]

I don't mean to come accross as rude but don't you guys read a lot of threads on here? There are millions of threads on here on this very subject. Its the best way to learn and have a successful reef tank. I'm always reading old threads on here in many forums, this one and the Chemistry forum are my two favorite ones. Do yourself a favor and read, read, read. You can stumble across some really great information on here AND give yourself more confidence you are doing the right thing instead of just doing what a couple people suggested on here.

Happy reefing :thumbsup:

cwe
FYI i read non stop info on here it can go on forever.however besides spending precious time trying to learn about and establish my little dream tank,i run my own buisness and have two boys i take care of also 4 and 6 years old.so when it comes down to reading those MILLION threads your talking about.sometimes there just isnt enough hours in the day.apparently this thread came in either handy or not for many people the #'s dont lie.many people looked at this thread that are probally in the same situation as myself.so if there is a thread on PROPER edicate for RC please send it to me so i dont waste many peoples time like we just did with these sinceless posts we just put up. sorry for wasteing your time everyone.....and sorry CWE for not useing RC correctly.