Novice Question about Zoos

[Annarae]

I bought Purple Death Zooanthids about 6 months ago, I had them in a 20L with power compacts and they looked purple. I moved them to a 75 with MH and now they look brown. The actinic compacts in the strip with the new Metal Halide bulbs are extremely old and really don't do much of anything at all. Would better actinic bulbs or retrofitting t5 bulbs in to the strip help?

Thanks, Anna

 

[J. Montgomery]

Yes, replacing the bulbs would probably help everything look better (it typically does). The overly broad generalization is that power compact (compact fluorescent) bulbs should be replaced every 6 months and metal halide bulbs should be replaced every 12 months.

Though it doesn't guarantee that you'll get the palys going back from brown to purple. Placement within the tank can also affect their color, since different places can get different amounts of light. The type of bulbs you use can also effect color . . . there are multiple variables so its hard to predict how it'll change.

 

[WayneY]

like Josh said, placement means alot. When I have my purple deaths low in my tank they get big and brown. When I moved them to the top they got purple but smaller. So I put them midway and now they are purple and big

 

[Annarae]

Thanks guys! I have no idea how old those power compact bulbs are since I bought the strip used, fairly certain they have never been replaced though. Right now the purple deaths are on the bottom but I'll be fixing that this evening as well as looking in to light options

 

[ade]

i don't have any actinics on my cube and mine look bown also.

 

[Doc's69]

same here mine are brown and in the middle of the tank w/ new DE 250 W MH and power compact bulbs of which need changing and will very soon. I hope