Shorter photoperiod = better SPS color?

[dwillingm]

I have given up on trying the 10K lighting. It was way too yellow for me. I am back to the 20K XM.

I have had good sucess over the last 6 weeks in bringing back alot of the purples and blues in my acros... I changed so many factors though so I am not sure what is responsible. Here is the list of all the things that I have changed.

1. Got a refractometer and changed SG from 1.028 to 1.023 (hydrometer was giving me incorrect values and salinity was too high for a long time). Steve Tyree advised me that high SG would cause corals to lose color.

2. Lowerd KH from around 14 to 10.

3. Increased tank circulation from 20 tanks per hour to 40.

4. Started doing smaller 5% water changes twice a week, instead of 20% twice a month. Also switched from IO to Tropic Marin Pro.

Fishdoc, Your frags from the frag pack are doing great! All of them are thriving and most have already made a nice encrusting base.

 

[spankey]

I also have noticed corals changing colors. I have actually seen first hand that a coral might not even end up what it used to look like and look somewhat even better. I found that once my tank stablized and ran more consistant, my corals colored up more. Here is a pic of my tank to show you how colors can change. If you look at the blue tort to the left of the photo, look to its right. See the long stalked acro that has a nice deep green base, and then goes to deep purple tips. That was an actual frag of the blue tort on its left. I have no idea why it changed colors but it did. I have had digi's that had purple polyps and the polyps turned brown on me. Now they are all purple again. I say keep the tank stable and you should see your colors all come back!! Good luck and happy reefin'.

 

[spankey]

Oh yeah, I am running 20k 150w HQI bulbs over this tank as well. Incase that helps.... Not alot of lighting for this tank and my sps seems to be fairing quite well?

 

[salt-rookie]

So..The CIRCLED coral and the one to the right are both Blue Torts? The circled one is the prettiest tri-color, I've ever seen! Very Nice!

 

[MCsaxmaster]

There is alot of conflicting info on the effect of nutrient levels on Acropora. Maybe different species of acropora react differently to nutrient levels.

Very likely IMO. Corals in different genera/families sure do.

Also FWIW Weast keeps fairly high nutrient tanks(Ecosytem, cryptic zones etc...) compared to the ones lots of people are running now(large skimmers, BB etc...) I have seen several people post in the this forum that they had a hard time getting his frags to keep their color. Just an observation.

A critical distinction that is almost never made in the hobby is the form 'nutrients' are in in and aquarium. If they are available as ammonium, nitrate, and orthophosphate, having 'high nutrients' is likely going to be very bad for the inhabitants. If these are available mostly as certain noxious dissolved substances then 'high nutrients' is likely going to be very bad. If the nutrients are available as fine particulate material then the inhabitants will be very well fed and much healthier. In terms of DIN and DIP reefs are very nutrient poor, but in terms of organic material and particulate material available on a daily basis they are very nutrient-rich.

cj

 

[salt-rookie]

Define what is classified as "High Nutrient"?

 

[spankey]

Thanks, but no the circled one is a frag of the blue tort to the frags left not the right. The one on the right is a green mili....
Weird isn't it...

LOL...

 

[trueblackpercula]

maybe that's a hint as to keeping corals. How about this maybe the frags absorb the color of the plugs that they are placed on or Like other animals do in the wild they adapt to there surroundings.
Just my 2cents
Michael

 

[Serioussnaps]

Hey zapata....did you switch over to T5's ...looks like it in your galleries...thought you ran 250's

 

[Serioussnaps]

uh...sorry for the hijack....my bad