Performing PO4 experiment relating to SPS color/growth
- Thread starter greengeco82
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bif24701
New member
JonezNReef
Member
I find it quite interesting when someone takes the time to experiment around and finds out if something helps, hurts or has no effect on a problem we all run into.
+1 on that! Looks like I might need to change what Im doing so I can get that kind of growth LOL
Bagabaga
Member
I'm really interested in this topic because it seems we chase numbers a lot and some tanks aren't stable enough to produce reliable results. I had a short spurt where I noticed my growth, then paeans went haywire from an alk overdose so now I'm recovering again, manual 2 part dosing is hard. Wish I had an auto dosing system.
Since it takes weeks to months for corals to make new fluorescing and chromo proteins I think you should keep running this experiment a while longer. But if you're really trying to get bright colors corals make fluorescing proteins and put them above their zooxanthellae in response to light levels brighter than the zooxantheallae want.
greengeco82
Reefer
Do you care to elaborate? With complete respect, I have no idea what you are referring to.
greengeco82
Reefer
The last coral along with a few others in my tank seems to go through a cycle of burnt tips. Its very obvious in the Day 21 picture. Its been happening 6+ months. Seems to happen about every 10 days. Then recovers nicely, then burns again. Not sure why, but NO3 is between 30 and 40.
First, you're seeing if you can make your corals brighter. It takes corals awhile to make new or additional fluorescing proteins so they look brighter. Instead of running your experiment for just a few weeks I think you should consider running it for several months.
Maybe this will help clarify why corals make thier fluorescing protiens, there are at least 4 primary purposes.
1. Photoprotection When the light is too intense for the zooxanthellae the fluorescing oragnelles are placed above them shading them, reducing the amount of light they recieve. As the light levels increase the coral makes more proteins intensifying the colors.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v408/n6814/full/408850a0.html
https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/4244/1/4244_Salih_et_al_2006.pdf
2. Photoenhancement. If the light is not bright enough for the zooxantheallae to work at optimum photosynthetic effeceincy the fluorescing organelles are located behind them with respect to the light source so they receive increased light levels.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v408/n6814/full/408850a0.html
https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/4244/1/4244_Salih_et_al_2006.pdf
(With ULNS methods starving the corals makes them look brighter because the zooxanthellae numbers are restricted reducing thier brown componet to the corals coloration.)
3. As antioxidants. The fluorescing proteins are used to neutralize the free radicals caused by photosythesis.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26873319_Coral_Fluorescent_Proteins_as_Antioxidants
4. As an Immune response. Fluorescing proteins are used by the corals immune system to deal with parasites.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/25470724?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
greengeco82
Reefer
Thanks Tim Fish for the clarification. This is new info for me. cant change the intensity, but I can increase the duration of lighting. I have my halides running for 7 hours. I could try bumping that to 8 or 9 hours.
greengeco82
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Optionman
New member
Performing PO4 experiment relating to SPS color/growth
My contribution to the discussion. Recently added (2/5/17) SPS frags. My phosphates run roughly .5 (Hanna) and nitrates 50 (Salifert). no algae issues. My Alk has always run high (10-11) (Hanna)
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My contribution to the discussion. Recently added (2/5/17) SPS frags. My phosphates run roughly .5 (Hanna) and nitrates 50 (Salifert). no algae issues. My Alk has always run high (10-11) (Hanna)
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bif24701
New member
Now my question is what method would produce the brighter colors? Protector enhancement?
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Yes. In theory, a combination of high light, with generous uv component (corals really wanna protect symbiont from that) and low nutrients to keep the symbiont from growing much will give you lots of fluorescent proteins, and not much brown symbiont to dull the color.
But it's debatable whether that is actually good for the coral host, even in theory - set aside the practical difficulty of balancing the tightrope.
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greengeco82
Reefer
Day 31
Day 1 by [url=https://flic.kr/p/UeJ929]
Day 31 by
[url=https://flic.kr/p/Taf2gZ]
Day 1 by [url=https://flic.kr/p/UimX1D]
Day 31 by
[url=https://flic.kr/p/SLHeVQ]
Day 1 by [url=https://flic.kr/p/T4KkaV]
Day 31 by
Since the last update, I increased lighting from 6 hours to 8 hours a day. When I had low nutrients in the past, everything would bleach out. Now corals seem to be taking the increased lighting with no ill effects.
Day 1 by [url=https://flic.kr/p/UeJ929]Day 31 by [url=https://flic.kr/p/Taf2gZ]
Day 1 by [url=https://flic.kr/p/UimX1D]Day 31 by [url=https://flic.kr/p/SLHeVQ]
Day 1 by [url=https://flic.kr/p/T4KkaV]Day 31 by Since the last update, I increased lighting from 6 hours to 8 hours a day. When I had low nutrients in the past, everything would bleach out. Now corals seem to be taking the increased lighting with no ill effects.
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