Green SPS frags losing green!

[swigen]

I have a 50 gal mixed reef tank with a number of soft and lps frags as well as a few SPS frags. Being relatively new still to the hobby, I started my SPS collection with frags of easy SPS species including green birdsnest, pink birdsnest, and ponape green/purple birdsnest and a purple rimmed green monti cap. I placed all near the top of the live rock within 4 inches or so of the water surface under my recently purchased wavepoint 4 x 48 in T5 HO fixture. For bulbs I have 2 stock sun wave, 1 stock blue wave, and 1 geissman actinic. When I bought the frags, the ponape birdsnest, green birdsnest, and monti cap had very bold green coloration under the halides the store owner kept them under. After a few weeks in my tank, although all frags showed good polyp extension and growth, they had lost alot of the green color they had when i bought them. I tried replacing one of the sun wave bulb for an extra actinic but that didnt do much but make my tank too blue for my liking.

Is there any way to regain the vibrant green colors? Thanks for your help!

 

[ToadSprocket]

tagging along

 

[northbay-reefer]

I think your corals are coloring and lighten up due to the position closer to the lights, also I don't think your light have enough of the blue actinics spectrum to bring out the flourescent of the green color, maybe replacing one of the stock sunwave with an ATI blue plus bulb to see if the green color will jump out more. You might like the blue of the ATI blue plus better than the actinics.

 

[swigen]

I did have three actinics with one white bulb for awhile and it really didnt help much but I havent tried a blue bulb so ill look into that, Thanks!

 

[TimG]

Have you checked your calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium levels?
I had a green acro loose its color because my calcium fell too low. After adjusting the levels, the coral recovered and colored back up in a few weeks.

 

[sfexplicit]

I've lost the green in my Ponape birdsnest also. Was one of my very first sps corals. I thought that since I was running T5's I had to keep it really high up in the tank. After almost completely bleaching it white I placed it on my sandbed. It's been 4-5 months and it continues to grow and is finally regained it's color. Just my personal experience of course.

 

[swigen]

I do think I have a low alk problem right now that I've been slowly correcting. I guess, like sfexplicit, I've also been underestimating the power of the T-5's. I think since they've been in place for almost 2 months now and are growing, I'll leave them and work on keeping my water quality high and stable. Hopefully, that will do the trick. Thanks for the help!