pale tricolor

[sedorusc]

I have no idea why, but I can't maintain the color of my tricolor. Purchased from blue zoo aquatics with good color. Has grown onto the rockwork well and seems to be the only place I get a hint of purple. My tank equipment is listed below. I am 99.9% positive it's not redbugs.

Tank parameters
Sg 1.025
Ph 8.0-8.4
Cal 420
Alk 8.3
Nitrates 0.2
Ammonia and nitrites 0

 

[sedorusc]

Did clip off a couple branches and move them around in the tank to see if that helps.

 

[mike_cmu04]

Did you acclimate it to your lights?

 

[Mark 75g]

How long ago did you buy the frag. I bought 2 tri colors from the LFS about 2 months ago and they lost their colors the next day in my tank. They are now just starting to color up. I have mine in high flow and high up under 250 14k phoenix with SuperBlue T5s.

The LFS had them under 400 20k. Their placement was actually farther away from the bulb than mine and they said that could have something to do with the color change.

My mh are closer to the water because I have a hood and they said it probably is getting much more light than what thiers did so it will take a while to acclimate.

I bet Blue zoo runs 400w but their lights are higher off the water than yours.

 

[fishsuse29]

If everything else in the tank is doing good i would try moving it up to a higher light area. When i got mine form the LFS it was all browned up I started it at the bottom and moved it up. When it was lower in the tank I got small light purple tips. Now its directly under my 150w MH about 4 inches below the water and the entire branches are almost all deep blue/purple.