My T5 55g tank....and coral lightening

[The Grim Reefer]

Re: Color fading

Re: Color fading

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7509361#post7509361 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MGB
I too have four 36" T5's over a 50 gal tank and although the light is pleasant to the eye, almost all my corals have washed out as far as color goes. I have a finger coral that appears healthy and grows, but is completely stark white, compared to the healthy pink look it had when first introduced. I don't know who manufactured the bulbs, they came with the Current light fixture, and have Current printed on them. It becomes very frustrating, because the tank checks out very healthy, but I've stopped placing any new corals in there, because of the results. Growth and expansion are satisfactory.

Personally I don't think it's intensity, I'm not buying the brighter than MH idea, more a question of spectrum and which bulbs are being used. I think we need a little more knowledge on our bulb options, because apart from the bleaching the T5's seam to work great.

MGB

In the case of current you probably aren't brighter than MH.

How old are your lamps? I would try D&D lamps rather than the current and see what you get. I had a finger leather that had really nice color under T5's and a Fiji Yellow that looked stunning.

I did have to move the yellow down a bit but that was because it wasn't staying open very much, the color looked great.

 

[Horace]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7508449#post7508449 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by The Grim Reefer
Last I read Iwan was only using like 1 element of the Zeo stuff, did he increaee that?

That tank is not Iwans Its GQJeff's who lives only about 20 mins from me. I actually get to see this one IRL Plus Jeff speaks english which makes things easier lol

 

[The Grim Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7510817#post7510817 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Horace
That tank is now Iwans Its GQJeff's who lives only about 20 mins from me. I actually get to see this one IRL Plus Jeff speaks english which makes things easier lol

I seen the colors and thought you had posted pics of Iwan's tank. Nice colors. Iwan just uses part of the Zeovit stuff, the food I think.

 

[DitchPlains2]

Grimm

Grimm

How' 36X8 bulbs Tek5 over a 55g?? I am running that, and getting good coloration in my opinion, an dthe color keeps getting better, that's the thing thats baffling me about everyone else's experience here. My colors ARE GETTING BETTER. Albeit, there was a fall back in coloration the past 2 1/2 weeks when my tank temp averged 84, not good for corals at all, but with no a/c and no chiller in site and misesly fan doing diddly, I have to say I am proud of my corals.

I love t5's for numerous reasons, I have one quesiton, I am running mine close to the water surface less then 3 inch, and receveing splashs which have marred my reflectors a bit, I have cleaned them and not sure if the allumnium is ruined or just need a special cleaner. It's minor spots, nothing terrible but looks like a glass from the dishwasher minus the uhh..... Cascade...lol

thanks
David

 

[dvanacker]

Ditch...I have the same problem with my ICECAP SLR's.

I've tried a few things...CLR and the like. What works best is an aluminum wheel polish. I used Mothers brand.

 

[Jacob D]

Ditch,

What is your photoperiod? What bulbs are you using, and what ballasts? Since you are one of the few with positive comments I'm just curious what your lighting setup entails.

Also would you care to comment on any of your other tank params?

Salinity?
Ca?
Alk?
Phosphates?
Nitrates?
Additives?
Sandbed?
Bioload?

 

[DitchPlains2]

hey guys

hey guys

Dvanacker, hey thanks man, good advice! I will try it, if not I have Mass metal polish....a little salt creep never killed nobody! lol

Mothra,
My photoperiod is 12hrs, 1st 2hrs 2b+ 1Actinic, next 8hrs 2 10k's 16500k 2B+, then last 2hrs are the same as first 2hrs. Oh on your other point, sadly I don't test anymore, I gave up on testing only if I have a huge problem. ie: hair algae, but since I run BB that doesn't happen. I go by polyp extension, if they don't show up, i do water changes til they do. I run phosguard 247, change monthly, I run ozone 1/2hr a day to help skim. that's pretty much it. I over skim a lot, my TUNZE 9015 is rated for a 400g tank, I have a 55g.

Basically,
I try to stick to this schedule, but it's not always the same usually blues on at 9am, then 11am whites n 1 more blue, then 7pm whites off, blues on, and off to bed. no moonlights.


Cheers
David

 

[The Grim Reefer]

The wheel polish is about the best solution to the stains.

 

[sidog1]

hmm, just read this thread. very interesting. my pink lemonade is not so pink anymore, meaning the polyps turned white. i'm going to lower it or move my lights up and see how it does. thank goodness for reef central and threads like this.

 

[dvanacker]

Well you wont be getting much more info out of me on the subject as last weekend I had a small leak with my top off after I set-up my new basement sump/frag tank and seriously droped the SG. I thought I was in big trouble......well I was but not as bad as I had thought. The problem was I was in a rush all weekend to get it going and Im on the road for work mon-thurs so when I got back my saltwater tank had been converted to fresh. I lost 4 acros. Clams, Digi's, Milli's, hairy acros and LPS, Softies fish and shrimp all lived.

Although I must say the ones I lost were the biggest and my favourite.....first time I killed a coral. I could have been worse but I still feel terrible. I thought I was gonna see those corals grow out to be monsters.

Anyway the rest of my stock is now really bleached and recouperating......so I can't really give any feedback. I have knocked my daylights back to 5hrs and blues run for 11hrs.

I will be getting some new pieces to replace those and fill the frag tank...but Im still saving........boo hoo

 

[The Grim Reefer]

That sucks man!!!

Your right, could have been a lot worse.

 

[DitchPlains2]

dvancker

dvancker

Although I must say the ones I lost were the biggest and my favourite.....first time I killed a coral. I could have been worse but I still feel terrible. I thought I was gonna see those corals grow out to be monsters.

Dood! I am so sorry that sucks. I had a huge mille colony RTn on me recently for no good reason, it sucks, but you rebuild. Take it slow, nothing good happens in the hobby quickly, as the same is in SCUBA, unless u like vertigo, something I don't want to experience again.

In time I will frag my monster green digitata, when I do, I can send ya some.

take care
David

 

[CeeGee]

dvanacker,

sorry to hear about that. Hang on to those bleached corals they may pull through. I had an incident last year where my temp dropped into the low 60's and I didn't lose a thing. One of the SPS's that turned solid white and I thought for sure to be dead is now turing purple again with polyp extension 24/7.

 

[dvanacker]

CeeGee....the corals are still there until they get covered in algae. My slimer might pull through. Man she is white but there is green where the some of the poylps should be.

 

[dvanacker]

Just thought I'd give an update. I only lost one coral completely. Im happy about that. My slimer is making its way back and the only other acro that was majorly effected I was able to frag. All others are recouperating fine.

As for the lightening of the corals....I think it may have been a combo of low nutrients and high light (also maybe that it wasnt getting enough of the blue spectrum) ....also the fact that my system is only a year old.

So my lighting consists of 10hrs of just blue+ and 5hrs for the the aquablue white lights. I have an aquarists feeling that this will be an improvement.

 

[Jacob D]

Good to hear most of you stuff survived!

I still don't think it's an intensity issue, at least not too much intensity. Wrong spectrum makes more sense. Think about all the MH users who suppliment with T5 blue+ bulbs, I have seen several nice tanks with no fading colors using that lighting scheme.

Thinking back to when I first noticed this problem it was when I switched my daylight bulbs for aquablue. I'm considering running (4) blue+ and (2) sunlight and seeing how things look after a month.

 

[Horace]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7564958#post7564958 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mothra
Good to hear most of you stuff survived!

I still don't think it's an intensity issue, at least not too much intensity. Wrong spectrum makes more sense. Think about all the MH users who suppliment with T5 blue+ bulbs, I have seen several nice tanks with no fading colors using that lighting scheme.

Thinking back to when I first noticed this problem it was when I switched my daylight bulbs for aquablue. I'm considering running (4) blue+ and (2) sunlight and seeing how things look after a month.

You may be right....I decided to go with the tried and true method of getting the colors you want and that is MH. While T5s are great too, I really want my tank to SHIMMER . I will be keeping some T5s (probably 3) to run actinics. I think Im going to go with the Phoenix bulb and use 3xSuperActinic T5s as supplements. I think the Phoenix has a large enough spike in the blue spectrum so I wont need any B+ bulbs.

 

[DitchPlains2]

Horace

Horace

I ran the Phoniex 150 HQI'S 3 of them over my 55g 150watt versions. I loved the blue color, but the heat intensity was nuts, maybe better to have run one 250 watt for same amount of par and coloration. I love my T5's but I won't blame the t5's for my corals color. The reason I say this is simple. I don't have an autotopoff, I don't have a dosing pump for kalk n alk. I do this all manually, or when I feel like it. So besides toping off. Which is about 1.5g a day for me, I try to keep up, but its not a regimented cycle to keep it stable like the ocean. As far as water changes, well 3 months and not a change yet, hopefully this weekend. I have not alage growing, at all besides coraline. I do run ozone on a timer with a montior, thats the only automation I have besides lighting ofcourse. If you read the tank threads of the guys who keep amazing corals, their all automated .

cheers
david

 

[Horace]

Dave, I think it is safe to say that T5 simply cause "different" colors than MH. For whatever reason, the colors are much more pastel. Take a look at Iwan's tank. His tank is widely accepted as one of the finest, if not the finest T5 tank out there. His corals progressively got more and more pastel in color over time. His newest pictures show this in a big way. While his tank is still AWESOME, those colors are not what I am after. I am after deeper/richer colors. Take a look at his green slimer in peticulor...its pure yellow, not green any longer . top left....

 

[Jacob D]

His corals progressively got more and more pastel in color over time

There may be something to that. It could be caused by other factors too, such as his zeovit-like approach. Still his colors are 'not that bad', judging by the pic. His tank is amazing.