GARF Purple Bonsai Question

[rick4him]

I've had this coral for about a year, under 150 watt hqi and 2 x 65 watt acetic bulbs. As you can see in the picture it's up high in the tank. I'm curious to find out to those of you who keep this coral how it is doing, and if the placement is ok. You can see it is encrusting nicely, but not growing very tell upwards. Also I'm curious how you think the coloring of it is doing.
You can see the part of the coral that is growing (the newest part) of the base is a deeper purple. By the way, I am running a 150 K Phoenix gold bulb and 2 x 65 watt actinic bulbs.


_DSC4832 by RickwSmith.com, on Flickr


Unknown by RickwSmith.com, on Flickr

 

[scrapz]

purple corals usually require a ton of light to get that deep color. It's ready to start branching out. looks good to me, phosphates could be a little lower by looking at the rock next to it.

 

[Urchinhead]

Note that (as I mentioned elsewhere) your MP is directing its flow right at the coral which will cause it to encrust instead of branch.

 

[dixiedog]

Looks great to me.

 

[joker295]

For some reason mind is in med/low light and i have the dark purple.. And the other one i have in high light is a lighter purple

 

[reefjunkie42]

mine is branching like crazy. in 2 mos

 

[reef-newbie-11305]

mine is branching like crazy. in 2 mos

any pictures of the crazy 2 month growth?

 

[flyyyguy]

high light makes most tricolors, including the garf lose some of the deep purple for me

I tend to keep them mid to lower in my tanks

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

In a weird way, try to think like an acro. I don't blame the garf. I wouldn't waste any energy growing up when I can just crawl along this rock and still get the same amount of par from the lighting.

I would say to try to move the acro down a few inches. It seems really high up but that might be how you are getting that nice purple color.

 

[ryshark]

I agree with the people saying it gets better color lower in the tank. Mine did at least, as you can see in my avatar, it is on the sand bed. My lights are more powerful than yours though, so I wouldn't go that low in your tank.

 

[mcoomer]

See, I'm seeing exactly the opposite of ryshark and it sounds like I have a very similar setup. I'm running two radiums in Lumenmax Elites with three Tunze 6105's and an MP40 and I recently had to move my GARF up about 10-12. In the two weeks since it's noticeably darker, regaining the purple color that I bought it for. It really can be a crap shoot so if the coral isn't doing what you want it to, move it. Not drastically but make some change in the amount of light that it's receiving or the flow that it's situated in. Something will make it happy and cause it to take off.

Mike

 

[ChicagoReefOne]

I have exactly your light set up and kept a Garf bonsai, I'd STRONGLY suggest just leaving it be-- 150W plus the PCs is just enough for it, a lot of the posters are rocking 250W plus supplements. Moving it down did not agree with mine.

I'd also suggest reading back on the threads about the Bonsai, from what I've read this one sends out a huge base before going vertical, which it's just about to start doing. That was also my experience with my piece, it spread a huge base and once the branches started it went vertical quickly.

If you're getting growth, which it looks like you are, just let it be--it's doing what it's supposed to do.

Just my opinion,

 

[dean1977]

I agree with Chicago, true GARF should encrust like crazy before branching. It looks great.