GARF Bonsai Placement

[byrdman81]

I have a frag of bonsai that I've had for quite a while
But just moved it to my forty breeder a few months back. I have it about five inches from water surface under six bulb t5 nova pro fixture and it's been there whole time. If u check my build thread you can see the growth it's had over the coarse of a month but at this time it's fading to a lighter purple. The pe is still there it just seems alot lighter. All other frags are doing good with no signs of fading. Do these coral need to be away from light a little bit to keep color?
Sg is 1.027
Alk is 8dkh
Ca is 450
Mg is 1500(coming down from byropsis treatment)
Nitrates were less than five on Hagen test kit
Phosphates were .03 on salifert kit. Other results were taken from salifert and elos kits. I'll try to get a pic when lights come on here soon

 

[joker295]

have you tried to lower you sg a little bit.. seems a little high to me.. i have mind in the middle of my tank with 250w mh 20k and is a nice purple

 

[byrdman81]

I plan on lowering back down but a difference of .001 shouldn't be that detremental I wouldn't think.

 

[MammothReefer]

What are you using to test, and swing arm can be off by a fair bit same with your refractometer if you don't calibrate it regularly. .027 could easily be .029.

But as far as placement. My garf when I got it was DEEP DARK purple. Over time it browned, then lightened up in the center had some purple around the edges. I've been slowly moving it into lower light trying to find that perfect spot. There is another thread somewhere floating around between page 1-5 where everybody discusses placement

 

[byrdman81]

Measured with refractomoter calibrated with sw solution. The salinity was 1.028 and I have been lowering it over couple days.

 

[byrdman81]

I would try to move it but it's started to encrust rock. It seems
After it started to grow it paled out. For a while it had awesome pe before it took off growing

 

[byrdman81]

I have moved the bonsai to a lower part in the tank will see what happens in the next few weeks.

 

[ricksreef]

what's the update on your bonsai, I have the same problem with mine. I purchased it from Atlantis one of the nicest I've ever seen, but over the span of a couple months it has lost its color very pale now. I have it under 6 54w-t5 4 of them blue+ and 2 GE 6500 Atlantis kept them under 400w 20k halides, everything else in my tank is doing fine all the parameters are great just my bonsai seems to be fading almost white but the new growth on tips of branches and edges where it's incrusting are blue and it doe's seem to be growing

 

[rocke_reef]

I have mind on top. How is the flow in your tank?

 

[reef-newbie-11305]

good question.... just picked up a frag today..... knowing where to place it is my question too....

any pictures of you guys? how long have you had yours? is it a slow grower or what?

 

[rocke_reef]

here you go..

 

[camostore]

wow got a few stars in there!!

I just moved mine lower also to try and get color back

 

[rocke_reef]

I don't think you have to move it down, I think you should look it you flow.

 

[re-fin-away]

here is mine. I have it about 20" below my t5's. The color is good, but I have never had very good polyp extension.

 

[Av8bluewater]

Bumperoo.
Pale bonsai here.
Just moved mine down a little, it was mid tank under 8 bulb sunpower.
24" tall tank.
It started to color up a month or two ago for unknown reasons then started to pale again.
I think my nitrate was too low so got it up to .5 -.75ppm and I think it started to color up then reversed.
I've tried various KZ supps like Potassium iodide but can't spend money to do that long term. I think it did help but needs it every day according to bottle.
My potassium tests 420 and iodine tested good. I'm confused.

 

[alexx2208]

Bumperoo.
Pale bonsai here.
Just moved mine down a little, it was mid tank under 8 bulb sunpower.
24" tall tank.
It started to color up a month or two ago for unknown reasons then started to pale again.
I think my nitrate was too low so got it up to .5 -.75ppm and I think it started to color up then reversed.
I've tried various KZ supps like Potassium iodide but can't spend money to do that long term. I think it did help but needs it every day according to bottle.
My potassium tests 420 and iodine tested good. I'm confused.

It doesn't need to be dosed daily, but their recommended dosing is the easiest starting point to keep the levels at a constant. I would say if you have a ton of complies you may even have to dose more, but if you dose weekly and test more often, I have found that to be cheaper.

 

[xtlosx]

I am having the same problem. I was given a large'ish mini colony, that is in my sand that lost most of its purple. It is starting to ever so slowly get it back. PE is good, nice bright green polyps. I took a frag and put it half way up in my tank and that has better purple, not great but better. I'm struggling to keep color with this one. Wondering if its getting TOO much light..