how do YOU get those amazing colors?

[nemofish2217]

This is for all of you out there that have beautiful tanks which i envy. my tank is realtively new.... 2-3 months, and i see all of these beautiful tanks in which the corals have amazing color... my blue mushrooms and red and green zoanthids (the only corals i have so far in the tank) just look so so. they are growing, but their coloration tends to be more brownish... i have a refugium, excalibur skimmer, and about 45 pounds of live rock in my 47 gallon. My bioload is 5 turbo snails, about 30 nassarius(sp), and about 5 reef hermits. i also have two percs. IS THERE SOME MAGIC TRICK TO GETTING AMAZING COLORS? i should also add that i do about a 25% water change bi-weekly. i dose kents liquid calcium and buffer 3-4 times a week. I feed my fish once every other day. My lighting is a single corallife 10k 150 HQI pendant. Thanks in advance for the help.

Water param.
ph: 8.2- 8.3
Calcium: about 390 ppm
Alk: about 8.5 dkh
Nitrates: .2
nitrites: 0
Phosphate: .1
Ammonia: 0

 

[nemofish2217]

water movement right now is mag 7 return(2 foot tank) with two return nozzles, and right now one SEIO 800gph powerhead. I have the SEIO pointed towards one of the returns for turbulence(sp) and then i have the other return directed behind the rocks to prevent build up of crap

 

[zukihara]

I think people who get amazing color and keep it are very skilled at the big 3--lighting, flow and water quality and benefit hugely from the stability they have been able to achieve. Multiply all those positives by Time and you get amazing results.

That's my humble opinion fwiw.

 

[Ti]

flow, light and clean water

 

[nemofish2217]

im pretty sure that my lighting is sufficient....but should i switch out the 10k for something else, say a 14k? i am running no actinics but the color is still nice right now....not very yellow at all...very crisp and white

 

[zukihara]

I switched from 10k to 14k and I was much happier. Should also help the coloration over time if all the other variables are good.

 

[Sindjin]

I am running 10ks but switching tonight to 14ks.... to help with the coloration!

 

[twon8]

i suggest a vho actinic, they really make zoas look good. You will be stunned how much it alone can make things glow. I have an excalibur also, haven't used it in two years. It didn't work that well. a 14k might not be a bad choice for lighting.

 

[manderx]

kalk and carbon.

 

[nemofish2217]

yeah, i wasnt sure about the excalibur....but it actually seems to be pulling a lot of crap out....i empty the cup about twice a week...and the stuff is gross... as far as vho's. i love them but my tank is an open top so they aren't really an option....i think that i will eventually switch to 14 k.

 

[Tammy3770]

just go 20k

 

[nemofish2217]

i had 20 k xm's on my 90 before and they just seemed a little too blue for my taste... i would rather not have them if they are going to look that blue. i dont know if pendants are less blue or not

 

[twon8]

set up an auto-top off with kalk. it will add to stability and you won't have to dose the two part.

 

[nemofish2217]

im not sure how to set up an auto top off, can you maybe explain how? thanks

 

[heuerfan]

Re: how do YOU get those amazing colors?

Spend an amazing amount of money and you will

 

[fish1219]

I recommend you add some VHO atinic lighting. URI makes the best atinics. The 10K bulbs are great for growth.

 

[DrBDC]

All of what is above is true but don't forget the picking/purchasing of colorful corals. At first, the freebies and the ones you get from frag workshops with your organization are usually on the duller side. As you buy new ones and sell off the older ones you can get some great colors. Just like picking decor of a room. Another thing that can make colorful corals brown is high phosphates.

 

[nemofish2217]

i was gonna go by the LFS and see about picking up some PhosBan and putting in my overflow box....does this stuff work well? any experiences?

 

[DrBDC]

I brought mine down a lot using it from 1-2 down to .1 using phosban. I run mine in a phosban reactor so I don't know about using it passively.

 

[jasper24]

Like folks have said. Pick your corals carefully. There are great colors out there just be patient and do not buy something less attractive hoping that it colors up. I was amazed at how my corals appeared when I switched from a 10K to 14K Phoenix. The colrs went from ok to very nice under the 14K.