Question on SPS and their color

[TitansFan]

Some of you guys/gals have some beautiful SPS. What do you think are the most important tank params/components to keeping their colors, especially caps. Some of my caps just don't have the color they once use too. Is it lighting, certain levels (phosphorus, nitrate, nitrites, calcium, alk, ph ect). A numbered list of most important down is kinda what I am looking for here.

Thanks

 

[cee]

If you find out, let me know. You're likely to get as many opinions as you get responses.

Dave

 

[TitansFan]

bah you were one of a few I was waiting on a response from

 

[cee]

OK, I'll try. I find montis more tolerant of poorer water quality than acros in general. They do like brighter light, but you can overdo it (I have, bleaching a few). However, having said that, I think water quality is more important than lighting. Low PO4 and nitrates are important, but first you gotta have stable Ca, alkalinity, Mg, and potassium (not discussed much but important IMO). pH swings can be tolerated, as long as they are reproducible. Nitrites should always be zero, but an established tank shouldn't have a problem with that. Once all that has been achieved, feed the corals (fish poo works good, as do several products). Sorry, no "ranking", just some "rambling". I find I'm never satisfied and always strive for better, but I think if I ever was content, I would lose interest in the hobby. HTH.

Dave

 

[Mobikob]

What he said, just add good flow to all that.
Mobi

 

[cee]

Yeah, a couple of Tunze 6100s don't hurt. I'm surprised fishdoc hasn't chimed in, he has some awesome-looking SPS. He gets colors in some frags I've traded with him that I can't, and visa-versa. Every tank truly is different and goes through phases for unexplained reasons. I bet if you set up a tank identical to mine, with the same corals, your results would be totally different.

Dave

 

[TitansFan]

ahh what a cop out.. let me sum up what you guys said.. "keep all your levels good" No you did bring up one thing I have never tested for nor thought about which is potassium. If I do enough water changes though i would expect I shouldnt have to worry bout it too much. Ok a couple more things what about temp? I have read some that higher temps produce more growth and colors. Also what about leathers sharing the same water? I just picked up a beautiful Palau Sinularia from Knox. I placed it near a frogspawn and it shortly showed unhappiness. None of the SPS have showed signs but they are abit further away.

Wow isnt that the truth - "I find I'm never satisfied and always strive for better, but I think if I ever was content, I would lose interest in the hobby"

"I bet if you set up a tank identical to mine, the same corals, your results would be totally different." That actually would be a unique experiment. Would be hard to do though.

And yes I am waiting on Fishdoc's opinion

 

[cee]

You can't test for potassium...yet. A test should be out soon, though.

Dave

 

[fishdoc11]

My ears are burnin' :lol:

IMO, like Dave, caps are pretty easy to color up. Greens do tend to be more green under 10K's and atinics(a lot of 420nm) and purples and purple edge corals seem to color up better under bulbs heavy in the 450nm range like 20K's.

IME sps in general will brown out with phosphate levels over 0.05 ppm or so and I have had nitrates up to 10 ppm with no noticable change. Caps tend to color up well even in higher nutient conditions....up to 0.1 ppm or even higher.

IME leathers and euphylia don't get along well close to each other with the leather usually shrinking up(of course yours could just be still getting used to it's surroundings). I would move one or the other to give them a good distance between them.

Did any changes in the tank(ie lighting) correspond to the color change?

Also what are your params?

Chris

 

[Mobikob]

Oww, my arm hurts stop twisting...:lol:
Ok now that the textbook answer is out there, here is what I always keep high on the list.

Keep Alk, and Ca at a constant with very little swing.
keep nutrients way down
little flucuation in sg and temp.
strong flow and intense lighting.
and lastly feeding corals.

I know it seems too simple, but if you knew how little maintenance I do on my tank you wouldn't believe it.

Basically, I try to aim for STABILITY in my reef. that way the inhabitants can become comfortable within their environment and thrive. you will notice that rapid growth and intense color will not come around until you have all the variables in the right position, and keep them as constant as possible. once you get everything aligned it will just take time for things to color up.

Mobi

 

[TitansFan]

Thanks guys. Sorry FishDoc here are my params:

phophate = 0
nitrite = 0
nitrate = 5
ak=7.4 dKH
calcium=400 ppm
temp= 78-81(max)
pH= 8.09-8.3
sg= 1.024
lighting is listed in my tank specs below. No change in the lighting. The halides are ran from 12:30pm until 9:30pm. BluePlus T5's ran from 11:30am-10:30pm. The lights are about 8 inches from the water with the cap being about 8 inches from the top of the water. Flow I have a seio 650 toned down abit and a seio 1100 almost all the way down. Return pump does add some flow. Angela gave me abit of chaeto last night. I don't have a fuge yet. So, for now it sits behind my rock work.

Well when you start typing these out some things pop out. I guess I need to get my pH swing under control. Would this cause though a loss of color? Mobi you do state stability being a large factor. Could I drip some Mrs. Wages at night to help this? I was dripping the kalk regurlarly but noticed levels were really ok and, it wasnt needed. Oh as far as feeding I feed once a day alittle bit of Angela's famous fish mush. Only fish in the tank are a copperband Butterfly and Royal Grama. Oh, and elmo the skunk shrimp.. can't forget about him.
Thanks for any help.

 

[c_stowers]

I don't think your pH swings are a problem. I have similar swings with good color. I would focus on getting rid of those nitrates if I were you. You may want to try cleaning up your substrate a bit.

 

[cee]

Your phosphates are likely not zero, but the resolution of the test kit is what is limiting your ability to test in the low range where it affects your SPS colors. Also, what's causing your nitrates to be so high? I agree, you should find out and get that under control.

Dave

 

[Pickupman66]

I remember reading somewhere that the test kits we use ofr Phospante only register organic phosphate, and you can still have it in the inorganic form and the test kit wont read it but it can still cause trouble in the tank.

 

[cee]

That plus to read to three significant digits after the decimal requires a kit like the Hanna colormeter or Merck kit.