Lightened SPS colours

[tamama]

I bought some SPS from someone and the coral looks much deeper in colour in the tank.

After I introduce the SPS into my tank, the colour seems to lighten. The blue is not that intensed blue any more and same for other colours. I am wondering if there is something wrong with my light or water parameters.

Nitrate/Nitrite: close to 0.

PO4: Not tested but I am running rowaphos and a refugium with cheato. Little green algae observed in the tank.

Using TLF A+B:

CA: 380

KH: 9.3

H2Ocean salt: 1.023

I do dose the TLS sea element sometimes.

May I know if I raise the KH to 12, and CA to be about 400+, the colour will be intensified?

[braincoral]

Increase ur ca and ur salinity

[sherman]

Is your tank light the same or close to person who sell your the coral?

[bezz]

My personal experience when running LED lights and low nutrients (PO4 & NO3 = 0) if KH > 9, SPS colours start to pale out.

This is probably due to the strong intensity of the light and not enough nutrients for the SPS.

The details are better explain in the Red Sea Reef Care video series found below. Ignore the advertisement for the Red Sea products, listen to the facts about reef maintenance. I think Red Sea is a good reference as they seem to have done their homework thru scientific research. Anyway, I hope the videos are as educational for you as they are for me

[bezz]

[bezz]

[bezz]

[bezz]

[tamama]

Is your tank light the same or close to person who sell your the coral?

Yes, I am running 4x24W DE lighting at the sides. All ATI blue plus and 1x250W MH light 14k BLV bulb. Lighting wise is similar. T5 on for 8 hours, MH 5 hours inbetween.

My personal experience when running LED lights and low nutrients (PO4 & NO3 = 0) if KH > 9, SPS colours start to pale out.

This is probably due to the strong intensity of the light and not enough nutrients for the SPS.

The details are better explain in the Red Sea Reef Care video series found here:

http://www.redseafis...ex.aspx?id=4417

I do dose TLF strontium, idione with a dosing pump with half of the instructed amount. Sometimes a few drops of potassium. However, I do have a over size skimmer. I am feeding the coral with oyster eggs once or twice a week. Is there a way for me to measure optimal nutrient level?

Thanks to all. =)

[honkit]

I suggest you stop dosing strontium and any other addtives for the time being and feed your fishes more frequently. Do this for 2 weeks and observe if your sps coral colours darken.

[sanhas]

Just wondering If the colour fading happens on a particular colour(eg. blue) or all types of colour of the sps?

[tamama]

I suggest you stop dosing strontium and any other addtives for the time being and feed your fishes more frequently. Do this for 2 weeks and observe if your sps coral colours darken.

I think it may not be due to the addictive, because before I even dosed them, the SPS colour already not intense. I dosed idione bcos of burnt tips and strontium for fatter polyps. Maybe I will increase a bit of feeding and see how it goes.

Just wondering If the colour fading happens on a particular colour(eg. blue) or all types of colour of the sps?

Yes!!! I have no issue with green, red, pink, purple. I just can't get it blue and yellow. When the blue sps was bought and just introduced into the water, I already saw that it is not so blue. It is a bit brownish blue. For the yellow, it will turn to greenish yellow, and more towards greenish.

[tamama]

I suggest you stop dosing strontium and any other addtives for the time being and feed your fishes more frequently. Do this for 2 weeks and observe if your sps coral colours darken.

I thought excessive nutrient will brown out the corals?

[honkit]

I thought excessive nutrient will brown out the corals?

What I mean is gradual increase of feeding but not to the point of spiking your nutrient levels to a level where sps corals turn brown.

[Aquafauna Supplies]

May wish to check with Madpetz if they still have stock for Fauna Marin Color elements. Heard from users that blue will intensify in 3-4 days.

Cut down on your iodine dosage too. If you raise your kH to 12 I would think that your burnt tips issue will get worse.

[tamama]

I did go to Madpetz and got some advice from Ken. I see how it goes. =) Thanks for all the help.

[bhtteo]

[Jamie @ Vertex]

As already mentioned, your corals are essentially hungry. Aminos and letting the nutrient levels ride a bit would help. The Alk is actually too high in my book. Over 8 dKH is asking for trouble, especially in low nutrient systems.

The change in pigments may be due to change in water chemistry or spectrum. The first is strongly influenced by trace elements, with iron often ruining yellows and browning blues. Remember, blue is a non-fluorescent pigment and relys on ambient light for its colour. Available nutrients play a big role in blues. Also, strong white light will tend to bleach them. Most strongly blue corals come from deeper water (under 5 meters, more often in the 10 meter area). With ULNS they always become paler. Part of their colour depth is the zooxanthellae.

hope this helps,

Jamie

[tamama]

Thanks Jamie for the detailed explanation.

[tamama]

I adjusted the salinity to 1.025. The CA naturally increases to 400 and KH is about 8.2 now after some water change. Tested PO4, it looks 0 to me. Lets see how the colour turns out in a week.

[bhtteo]

Please update the progress.. thanks.

[CY2010]

Hi here is an article abt SPS coloration, hope it helps

http://reefbuilders.com/2008/09/03/guide-of-sps-coral-coloration-make-them-more-vivid-bright/

[tamama]

After one week, I measured the parameters again. The CA and KH is off balance again despite I dose the CA 10% more than the KH. Now I stop dosing KH and wait for it to balance again.

PO4: 0

CA: 330

KH: 9.2

Salinity: 1.024

For colour, I dose brightwell Potassium and TLF Iron in a small amount weekly. The blue sps seems to be a bit greenish at the body and blue at the tips. Maybe it is because of the Iron I dose. I still cannot get the SPS full body blue. Only the tips are blue. I ordered the fauna marin colour elements and see if it can do magic.

[tamama]

Today I made some discovery. After stopping the KH dosing for 24 hours, my KH dropped to 8.2. When I measured the CA again, it is still 330. I thought something must be wrong and I decided to test the new salt water that I just mixed at 1.025 level. The CA is 300!

Something must be wrong...

I am buying a new testing kit for CA to test again. What a nightmare if I have been using a faulty test kit.

[surreal1228]

It could be salt issues