Getting that color??
- Thread starter allsps40
- Start date
gary faulkner
New member
That's what I have been told also, or read on one of the forums; 6 hr. for MH, maybe 1 hr. before and 1 hr. after for suplimental lighting. My super atinics start one hour before the MH and run until one hour after they shut down so 8 hr. atinics and 6 hr. MH.
HTH
HTH
allsps40
New member
Yes but it is over a few hours and is only about 1-1.5 degrees, nothing to worry about at all.
I cut back the light by 2 hours see if this helps.
allsps40
New member
Wow over 200 posts now, this thread is getting big. Just another up date. I have reduced my MH time from 8 hours to 5 hours. I have also removed my GFO reactor from my sump to increase nutrients a little more, still 0 no2 and 0 po4. I now only have my skimmer running the system. I may run a BB fuge if my no3 gets to high, no sand this time. Sps growth is still good, better I think since stopping vodka. My glass is staying cleaner for longer. I am still fighting CCA in my sand and a little on the LR, but its is under control for now. Still no major changes in sps color. I go a new cool acro frag that has some cool multi colors I will try to get a good pic of it. I see a slight hint of green in my RP. My ORA bottle brush lost all its blue in the tips, great PE though. I am still feeding the same until I see a need to reduce feeding. Going to give it some time and see if anything improves. Question. I am going to get a 175w SE MH. Does anyone think that will be better to use than my 250w? I will be using a Phoenix 14k in in most likely.
Jabrams
Active member
I don't think it's the light. I have a 250w over my 14g and I have better colors. My Hawkins enchinata from Ora is blue, not just the tips, yours appears brown with some green highlights. You should also get the blue out of this coral with intense lighting and good water chemistry.
If you want colors focus on what you put into the tank.
What salt mix do you use and what do you add to the tank?
If you want colors focus on what you put into the tank.
What salt mix do you use and what do you add to the tank?
clowndude
New member
I think he got enough light. I think we were just suffering from the carbon dosing blues. I can swear my sps are already looking better after about a week. Only other thing is I started using lugols iodine. After I run out of Instant Ocean salt I'm probably gonna make the switch over to Reef Crystals or Salinity Salt. Guess it's a waiting game at this point to see if the changes I made make a difference. I will know for sure in a month or so.
allsps40
New member
I use DD H2Ocean. I dose 1 drop of Lugols daily and Kalk in my ATO. I was using Reef Crystals but I dont like the new formula and I had issues with it mixing really brown. Water quality and chemistry has never been an issue, my Ph could come up a bit thats about it. The old stuff was good. My Hawkins is looking a bit better now, green base and blue/purple tips. I will get up some new pics.
clowndude
New member
:hmm2:
I thought about getting a bag of dd-h2ocean and trying it out. What is your cal/alk out of the mix?
I thought about getting a bag of dd-h2ocean and trying it out. What is your cal/alk out of the mix?
allsps40
New member
10 with kalk top off. Ca is 460 and mag is 1350.
jimmy frag
New member
have just finished reading your thread, has been fantastic. i am on my 4th week with vodka. i started becase i cant keep my nitrates down. did you get a DI for your RO unit yet. this could be a big part of your lack of pop in the color of your sps
dzhuo
Active member
Instead of thinking 8ppm is not bad at all, trying to convince yourself it's not good at all. It surprises me that you continue to try to find other factors to blame might it be Zeovit, bacteria, lighting, nutrient, pH, flow etc but your problem might be right in front to you the whole time and yet you aren't taking action to address it. You are adding 8ppm of unknown into your tank. This 8ppm of unknown might not be able to removed by skimmer, bacteria or other biological or chemical process which means it could continue to accumulate in your tank. Even if this wasn't your issue yet, it might eventually be. Adding DI is a simple, inexpensive and effective preventive measurement, I have no idea why you refuse to believe this is the issue and yet complain about having algae issue.
On other hand, your corals do look a little better so that's a good sign.
Breakbeats2334
New member
Food for thought
Food for thought
From my first time seeing a fish tank 5 yrs ago my father would go beserk if he had TDS of 2 or higher... to say you have 8ppm of tds isnt that bad at all would most likely indicate that its your problem right there. Rodi systems are pretty cheap and easy to use. They're very few tanks ive seen with out a rodi system in place that have amazing color pop. An Rodi unit is relativity cheap compare to investing in any other sort of equipment such as gfo new skimmer new lighting ect but that's just food for thought.
Food for thought
From my first time seeing a fish tank 5 yrs ago my father would go beserk if he had TDS of 2 or higher... to say you have 8ppm of tds isnt that bad at all would most likely indicate that its your problem right there. Rodi systems are pretty cheap and easy to use. They're very few tanks ive seen with out a rodi system in place that have amazing color pop. An Rodi unit is relativity cheap compare to investing in any other sort of equipment such as gfo new skimmer new lighting ect but that's just food for thought.
allsps40
New member
Well I have been using the RO unit since the start of this tank. The color issue is something that has been more of a problem in the last year. Yes the filter and membrane on the RO are new. The CCA is also something that has developed in the last year or more. It is not a huge problem at all, small patches here and there but is got out of control on me once. It came in with my Chaeto but was never a problem for a long time, then it went crazy. I will be adding a DI here soon, looking for one at a good price. I know people that feel 10 ppm TDS is ok and that is when they change their filters out at 10 TDS. I have given it thought that this could be part of the problem. I was thinking maybe it the lights because I have one acro the is very pale at the top and in the shaded spots it has great colors, it is pretty high up and gets a lot of light. I also have a small frag of it at the bottom and it has good color.
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gary faulkner
New member
Is that the river in Africa I been hearin bout? J/K:bounce3:
gary faulkner
New member
Sometimes a sense of humor helps more than anything else. When I had a crash it took what seemed like forever to get over it emotionally. I think I was actually depressed about it. Go figure.
