zoa colour fading

[marinakid]

As above. any ways to bring back the colour or make it more intense?

[LaW]

some zoa are like that.

if you bought it new, then most likely our lighting condition makes its color changed.

if its from reefer, try to ask what lights the reefer use. water condition, amount of lighting intensity will contribute to the different in colors as well.

if you are a zoa keeper, iodine is good for their colors.

[jackywongto]

As above. any ways to bring back the colour or make it more intense?

Due to lighting shock, some zoas lose colours in the initial few weeks.

Those in my tank takes 1 - 2 months to start recovering their colours but some never do.

Lighting plays a strong part too.

Hope you are using using DI water for Top up and WC.

Try like what law says - add a little iodine periodically.

REplenish trace elements and you can also add some amino acids, multi vitamin in the tank.

[yikai]

i FULLY agree with LaW on the lighting. actually, zoanthids like many other clams and corals, are colourful to filter out lighting to their advantage. for example, blue coloured zoas reflect blue light and that's why you see them as blue. so they probably do not need as much blue light as they would like.

when you transfer zoas to your tank, the lighting is different. the zoas will adjust their colours to suit your lighting. that is why some zoanthids morph to a completely different colour and don't morph back.

the other theory is due to change in environment bringing out stress. thus the zoas either expel zooxanthellae and fade in colour, or produce excess zooxanthellae so much so that the coral appears brown.

[seanewbie]

agree guys....i changed my MH bulb to phoenix 14K and could see tremendous difference...

on another thought...do you feed iodine/iodide? would be relevant if all corals in tank are affected.

[vurbul]

I do notice a slight difference when I started dosing iodide. Color boost a bit. Just a bit.

But I've got brown algae outbreak. Read somewhere iodide overdose may cause brown algae.

[qwertman321]

Coloration is a lot more complicated than just the amount of zooxanthellae present. It also has a lot to do with where the zooxanthellae are in relation to the pigment layer, and how dense the pigment layer is. In the deep water the pigments of the coral would likely be placed behind the zooxanthellae to reflect the available light back onto the algae. The color of the pigments is mostly blocked by the zooxanthellae, so you would see a brown coral. When you bring it into brighter light the pigments would probably be moved in front of the zooxanthellae to act as a sunscreen. You would see more of the pigments than the zooxanthellae, therefore a colorful coral. Of course this isn't always the case but i think adding a range of different intensity of lights will help

[gerrard_boon]

careful if u intend to does iodine.....overdose of iodine can kill yr livestock....