Faded colors in my BB reef! (pics included)

[Conceyted]

you know my experiences are quite similar. I am running all of the same as you are except I have 2x ushio 10k 250w SE bulbs over a 90g. Also running 3x 48" vho super actinics. I seem to lose more green and purple than anything else. Most of my frags come in dark green and end up light green or yellow. My lights only sit about 6" off the water, and I run kalk in my auto topoff which keep calcium levels at 420. I am ok with how my tank looks, but its discouraging when you see some sps tanks with brilliant colors of ALL colors in the spectrum and not just blues pinks etc. If you find the answer to your problem please post for the rest of us. I would love to get down to the bottom of it.

 

[fishdoc11]

Do you mean DE's just give bad color, or that I need to try a different bulb? I was thinking of trying Phoenix 14Ks instead of the Reeflux 10K, but I just changed bulbs about two weeks ago.

Some combos IME do give bad color and some, from other peoples experiences give good color. What type of bulbs did you switch from? If they were different I would wait a little while and see what happens with the new ones. May not be the problem at all but since you seem to be grasping for straws I thought I would relate what happened with my little BB tank
Chris

 

[REEF-DADDY]

I've seen this 100 times. Too much light too little food. Just consider how much light is reflected by brand new starboard or a glass bottom.
raise you lights, feed more and keep it simple.

 

[rutz81]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8349023#post8349023 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lobster



I've seen this suggested, yeah. What bothers me is its a black box. I havent seen anybody say why remote DSB works. The idea of barebottom is supposed to be control over parameters, and the minute I add a black box to it, I might as well go back to a DSB (which is inevitable if I dont figure this out).

If the "black box" gets the job done then why question it? It is a very cheap and simple fix, assuming it works. And it's not like having an actual DSB in your main tank at all. When your main tank DSB fails, it is a lot harder to change the sand out, when the Remote DSB becomes exhausted, very simple, dump the bucket, start again. I know I have chimed in with this opinioin before on another thread involving this same problem, but, I have just been very happy with the results it provided me.

 

[sfsuphysics]

You compare all those to "before" pictures or mother colonies, so they came from tanks not your own, you might want to compare to the lighting parameters of those tanks and adjust accordingly, many growers tend to use 20000k bulbs to bring out colors, if you go to 10000k bulbs they most probably will change coloration.

 

[drock59]

I am running 14k phoenix. Come to think of it, i switched from BLV 20K to the phoenix about the same time as colors returned.

 

[reefworldaq]

Hai Ddrock59, are you use phoenix in DE or SE. Thank's

 

[Lobster]

I ordered a Phoenix 14K bulb today, just to compare at least.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8349472#post8349472 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by REEF-DADDY
I've seen this 100 times. Too much light too little food. Just consider how much light is reflected by brand new starboard or a glass bottom.
raise you lights, feed more and keep it simple.

Hmm... feed more? Like more than I mention in the OP? Im adding as much food as the fish will consume -- any more seems like pollution, no? I'm still wondering if my skimmer just pulls out food so quickly its not in the water long enough to do any good...

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8349657#post8349657 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by rutz81
If the "black box" gets the job done then why question it? It is a very cheap and simple fix, assuming it works.

I agree, but I'm not ready to give up on my BB tank just yet. When I add something that I cant explain, I think the point of BB is moot and I may as well just go DSB and add a fuge, etc. Im either going to operate in the grey area or not, know what I mean?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8349721#post8349721 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sfsuphysics
You compare all those to "before" pictures or mother colonies, so they came from tanks not your own, you might want to compare to the lighting parameters of those tanks and adjust accordingly, many growers tend to use 20000k bulbs to bring out colors, if you go to 10000k bulbs they most probably will change coloration.

Thats true, I'll see if I can get more info and there at least for comparison.

 

[King-Kong]

As long as your fish are being well fed, and creating plenty of amonia/amonium based wastes to help feed the bacteria, your corals should be getting plenty of food.

A 3 hour photoperiod is a bit unorthodox. As others have suggested, play with it and see what happens after a few weeks.

 

[REEF-DADDY]

Let me take soem time to explain.
My friend(noschwag) was in the same situation as you. EXACTLY. He would gasp when he saw me feed my fish full sheets of nori, 6 cubes, you name it. He finally caught on and added a bunch more fish to his tank. The change in his corals took some time as they adapted but they finally look great. Do you need more fish/food likely not, but imho your on the right track, I would not lower your bio load or how much you feed. Maybe raise your lights a hair, keep your params in check and let nature take its course

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8352473#post8352473 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lobster
I ordered a Phoenix 14K bulb today, just to compare at least.



Hmm... feed more? Like more than I mention in the OP? Im adding as much food as the fish will consume -- any more seems like pollution, no? I'm still wondering if my skimmer just pulls out food so quickly its not in the water long enough to do any good...



I agree, but I'm not ready to give up on my BB tank just yet. When I add something that I cant explain, I think the point of BB is moot and I may as well just go DSB and add a fuge, etc. Im either going to operate in the grey area or not, know what I mean?



Thats true, I'll see if I can get more info and there at least for comparison.

 

[maoiwowie]

Hey Lobster... i rarely chime in anymore with my opinion on other people's tanks, but looking at your photos i feel for you. I currently have a 30 gal with 500 DE watts (10K and 20K) of light sitting about 6 inches above the water line. The lights go on at 330 pm and turn off at 1230 AM. This tank is only 20 inches tall and the water line is 3 inches below the top of the tank. I feed my fish 3 times a week if i remember, which consist of a 6 line, some other wrasse, and a pair of clarkiis. I skim aggressively with a tunze 9010 and have 2 tunze 6100s for circulation. My sps colors are good, not great (i dont think we are ever satisfied) but are continuously improving as this tank matures. This tank is connected to a remote quasi-30galDSB . Good luck!

 

[Wiskey]

Bomber is also running 50/50 VHO along with the attinic.So if i remember correct he's using 220w 50/50 -220w attinic.little bit of difference there.

Bomber has a 10 foot tank, with 8, 4 foot, 110W VHO bulbs, totalling 840W for the full photoperiod, he just uses the MH for 2 hours.

Whiskey

 

[wrassie86]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8353305#post8353305 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Wiskey
Bomber has a 10 foot tank, with 8, 4 foot, 110W VHO bulbs, totalling 840W for the full photoperiod, he just uses the MH for 2 hours.

Whiskey

Ah, see i thought the last time i talked to him (few months ago)he was only using 440 watts vho,thanks for the correction.No wonder he was so interested in my find for cheap VHO bulbs

 

[Lobster]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8353305#post8353305 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Wiskey
Bomber has a 10 foot tank, with 8, 4 foot, 110W VHO bulbs, totalling 840W for the full photoperiod, he just uses the MH for 2 hours.

Whiskey

Whatever happened to him anyway? I really enjoyed reading his posts... he has a great perspective on the hobby that helped me see past reef fads.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8352576#post8352576 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by REEF-DADDY
Let me take soem time to explain.
My friend(noschwag) was in the same situation as you. EXACTLY. He would gasp when he saw me feed my fish full sheets of nori, 6 cubes, you name it. He finally caught on and added a bunch more fish to his tank. The change in his corals took some time as they adapted but they finally look great. Do you need more fish/food likely not, but imho your on the right track, I would not lower your bio load or how much you feed. Maybe raise your lights a hair, keep your params in check and let nature take its course

Ah I see. Well, hopefully its just a matter of time then. I definitely have seen improvement already since increasing the fish load. Coming from so many years (10+) of DSB tanks, it feels a little wrong to feed so heavy, but now that I've been at it a few days I can at least say theres been no negative effects so far. Visitors comment on how the water is "fish floating in air" clear.

 

[old salty]

An APF600 on a 50g tank? I use one on a 125 with a 50g fuge and this skimmer isn't even close to being maxed out.

 

[homesidereef]

lobster how old is your tank??? I feel a mature, and healthy reef tank = great looking corals. :smokin:

 

[my2girls]

IMO it's not the lights. 150 watt halides are not that bright. Feed your fish and let the Deltec take over. You are a victim of D.O.S.S. (Deltec Over Skimming Syndrome). That skimmer is rated for like 260 gallons (I have the same one on a 75g). I too have been battling light corals. Nothing worked until I really fed my fish. The trick is to keep the nuisance algae under control when feeding a lot.

 

[Lobster]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8355643#post8355643 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by old salty
An APF600 on a 50g tank? I use one on a 125 with a 50g fuge and this skimmer isn't even close to being maxed out.

Yeah, this smaller tank is just a sort of prototype tank I am using to try BB method in and grow my frags out. Within a year, I plan to upgrade to something around 200G. No use setting up a huge tank for a bunch of 1" frags.