Yellow Tonga Toadstool how to regain coloration?

[andersGS]

I've had this yellow toadstool for a couple of years, got it as a small frag from a buddy.

It has been yellow for a year or so, but during a transport and temporary(4 months) holding in a small not well maintained tank it has lost it's color. It is now just a pale yellow'ish color, almost greenish.

My nutrition values are a bit too low. NO3 is almost undetectable and PO4 is around 0,06 ppm. I know PO4 is in the high end, but I don't think it is too bad and I don't consider it the reason, since other corals show no sign of high PO4.

The low NO3 is from an incedent with biopellets which sucked the system dry of nutrition. My desired level is around 1-3 ppm, which I believe is OK for a toadstool.

Growthwise it has been great, it has grown very well, but the color is really lacking.

What should be my next step in order for it to regain color? Nothing? Should I just wait? Or are there some needs I am not meeting?

Thanks!

 

[andersGS]

Btw. the current setup has been running for 6 months.

 

[nexusnight]

patience is key, maybe try feeding it and make sure its in a good spot for light. the yellow leathers look best under much more light than any other leathers i find

 

[andersGS]

patience is key, maybe try feeding it and make sure its in a good spot for light. the yellow leathers look best under much more light than any other leathers i find

Hi, yes I know But still after +100 days you would think enough time has passed.

I have never specifically fed my Sarcophytons, never found that necessary - but i do feed my corals with plantonic food. So they should get what they need.

Since I wrote the thread I have been thinking why it lost its color, and i came to think about my lighting. The Mazarra's should definately give enough light but thay are rather bluish in color temperature(high kelvin).

So just for "fun" I tried lowering the kelvin and voilá..

To the left: standard 100 % on all channels.
To the right: Low kelvin setting blue channels on 30 % or so.



I guess next step is to add a couple of 10K T5 tubes over to get the color showing again

 

[nexusnight]

wow thats quite the diff. mine is mainly under blue plus bulbs. i run 6 blue plus 1 coral plus and one purple plus

 

[andersGS]

Yea, I was quite surprised too - had not expected it to show such a difference!