how do i colour up my sps

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copperkills

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Ok so I just started experimenting with sps from a previous lps dominated tank. I have noticed that the colours have "lightened/faded" from their original state.  I know alot of factors influence colour.  I am running a 14k 250W MH DE on a 65g tall tank (24" height).  I have the light suspended 9" above water level.  My acros are roughly 6-8" below water level.  I have monti caps, digi's and a birdsnest another 6" below that.  Water params are all 0s, dKH 8, Calc 420ppm.  Can I expect them to colour up over time with my current lighting arrangement? Should I lower the light?  Add chemical supplements for coloration??  Increase the wattage? All the corals appear happy and have good polyp extension, especially at night....Like I said, Im an SPS newbie and want to bring out the bright colours associated to SPS!!!

Any suggestions appreciated.

Cheers!
 
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phi delt reefer

Guest
where's darryl when you need him....

well i had a similar issue. I was keeping the tank super clean but not feeding enough. You have to balance super clean parameters with sufficient food.  Answering the questions below will help further zero in on some solutions

what are you running in terms of filtration (bio/chem/mechanical)

whats your water change schedule

do you have any issues with algae

how many fish/what type?

how much do you currently feed and what type of food.

type and amount of flow


how long have you had the sps you currently have?
 
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copperkills

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My system has been established for 5 years now, it contains 70lbs LR, 4" SB Depth in DT, 35g sump running a carbon reactor with an EV-120 Skimmer.  Livestock includes 4 snowflake clowns, mandarin goby, watchmen goby and a yellow tang.  I did just have a recent bout of hair algae which i rid with a sea hare.  I use ProdiBio BioClean salt to maintain my ULNS.  I run a Bubble Magus doser that doses B-Bionics buffer and magnesium.  I also dose Stront/Moly weekly.  I perform weekly 5% water changes.  I have just recently switched my salt mixture to Crystal Sea Marine which I mix with RO water. I feed the tank Brine daily and Reef Roids weekly.  For flow I have two nano koralia in rear corners facing centre tank, a Koralia 750gph driving flow from the left wall and an EcoTech Vortech MP10 driving flow from the right wall generating oscillating waves.  I just picked up some SPS from Darryl which havnt started to fade yet, but my other acros and birdsnest I have had for a few months.....
 
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phi delt reefer

Guest
were your other frags from someones tank or frags from colonies from the ocean? Wild SPS is 50/50 and its tough to keep the color they come with.

system wise i would say your on the ball (hell ur further on the ball then i am!)
 
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copperkills

Guest
correction....frags i got were from Rick lol....im hoping to see Darryl shortly.... just wanna see a few pieces flourish before increasing my collection....
 
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Zakk

Guest
I have quite a few frags from rick.  I can attest to the fact that his frags tend to grow well, even the tiny ones.  Hell even the ones I think were fragged with a jackhammer do well right away.  ;D
 
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daleomilla

Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2010
Location
Chatham, Ontario
Torx link said:
[quote author=Zakk link=topic=1813.msg13631#msg13631 date=1325127323]
fragged with a jackhammer
Click to expand...

Is there any other way...oh wait there is, frag mushrooms with a blender, my bad.
[/quote]if you dont think that you can utube it and you will see .
 
Darryl_V

Darryl_V

Super Active Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2011
Location
Woodstock, Ontario
SPS getting lighter in colouration is usually do to some combination of too much light/and or too little food or too ULN.  Also can happen if you take SPS that are not acclimatized to high light and quickly place them there.

I don't think you would have too much light....but what is your total lighting (including bulb types and reflectors) along with your lighting schedule?

Can we get all your parameters again (NO3,PO4,ALK, CA, MG) and the test kit brand your using for these.

Also Mysis (specifically PE mysis) is much better than brine shrimp (which generally are not very nutritious)

P.S. Pictures help too.
 
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Zakk

Guest
Torx link said:
[quote author=Zakk link=topic=1813.msg13631#msg13631 date=1325127323]
fragged with a jackhammer
Click to expand...

Is there any other way...oh wait there is, frag mushrooms with a blender, my bad.
[/quote]

I might try that one day, lol.
 
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Zakk

Guest
ricklalonde link said:
[quote author=Zakk link=topic=1813.msg13631#msg13631 date=1325127323]
I have quite a few frags from rick.  I can attest to the fact that his frags tend to grow well, even the tiny ones.  Hell even the ones I think were fragged with a jackhammer do well right away.  ;D
Click to expand...

I don't even own a jack hammer  :p
[/quote]

I'm just giving you a hard time my man.  ;D
 
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copperkills

Guest
Nitrate 0(API)
Phosphate 0 (API)
dkH 8 (API)
Ca 420-440 (API)
Mag 1300 (Salifert)

Pheonix 14k 250W MH DE w/ Vertex E-Ballast
Actinics (2x Coralife 65W PC)
Reflectors (unknown, its a Japanese Fixture, looks exactly like the reflectors in my old coralife MH unit)
Light Cycle (Actinic 12hrs), (MH was 6hrs, changed to 8hrs)
 
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Zakk

Guest
Almost everyone here is going to tell you to get rid of the API kits.  I don't trust them, especially for such an important test like phosphate.  I like the hanna's but I used to use the salifert with no problems.  In fact almost anything except the API lol.  There's a reason they're the cheapest test kits  ;D

However, according to those results, your paramaters are good.  It's looking like it's your lighting. I switched from almost an identical setup...2X250 14K's and I had 4 65W PC's.  Now I had some definite water quality issues, but I couldn't grow anything except softies even with that much lighting.  The next question is how old are the bulbs and the ballasts?  The bulbs are 6months for the PC's and I found at 8 months the MH was off.  Plus I found ballasts had about a 5 year optimum lifespan (who knows I could have had cheap ballasts though).  In my humble opinion, the PC's really don't do anything at all for sps except make them look nice. 

Take a peek at some of the LED threads.  A lot of people (including myself) are switching and having great results. 
 
Darryl_V

Darryl_V

Super Active Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2011
Location
Woodstock, Ontario
copperkills link said:
My system has been established for 5 years now, it contains 70lbs LR, 4\" SB Depth in DT, 35g sump running a carbon reactor with an EV-120 Skimmer.  Livestock includes 4 snowflake clowns, mandarin goby, watchmen goby and a yellow tang.  I did just have a recent bout of hair algae which i rid with a sea hare.  I use ProdiBio BioClean salt to maintain my ULNS.  I run a Bubble Magus doser that doses B-Bionics buffer and magnesium.  I also dose Stront/Moly weekly.  I perform weekly 5% water changes.  I have just recently switched my salt mixture to Crystal Sea Marine which I mix with RO water. I feed the tank Brine daily and Reef Roids weekly.  For flow I have two nano koralia in rear corners facing centre tank, a Koralia 750gph driving flow from the left wall and an EcoTech Vortech MP10 driving flow from the right wall generating oscillating waves.  I just picked up some SPS from Darryl which havnt started to fade yet, but my other acros and birdsnest I have had for a few months.....
Click to expand...
Prodibio bioclean salt?  Are you biodigest or bioptim?  How about reef booster....basically what prodibio products are you using?

I find strontium not necessary, especially if you are doing regular water changes.  What is moly?  Also do you me reef crystals salt because I've never heard of crystal sea marine?  Is your RO/DI water 0TDS?

Is the polyp extension good on all the SPS? 

Would you say you feed very light?

Oh and your 65G..is it 3'l x 18"w x 24"h ?  If so I think you would have a hard time lighting it evenly with one 250w MH.
 
Darryl_V

Darryl_V

Super Active Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2011
Location
Woodstock, Ontario
Zakk link said:
Almost everyone here is going to tell you to get rid of the API kits.  I don't trust them, especially for such an important test like phosphate.  I like the hanna's but I used to use the salifert with no problems.  In fact almost anything except the API lol.  There's a reason they're the cheapest test kits  ;D

However, according to those results, your paramaters are good.  It's looking like it's your lighting. I switched from almost an identical setup...2X250 14K's and I had 4 65W PC's.  Now I had some definite water quality issues, but I couldn't grow anything except softies even with that much lighting.  The next question is how old are the bulbs and the ballasts?  The bulbs are 6months for the PC's and I found at 8 months the MH was off.  Plus I found ballasts had about a 5 year optimum lifespan (who knows I could have had cheap ballasts though).  In my humble opinion, the PC's really don't do anything at all for sps except make them look nice. 

Take a peek at some of the LED threads.  A lot of people (including myself) are switching and having great results.
Click to expand...
I think his problem is food/nutrient related.  His lighting could be somewhat adequate if set up properly or not enough.....I cant see it being too much.
 
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copperkills

Guest
Yes my tank is 36Lx18Wx24H

I have a 150Wx2 MH fixture...should I be using that instead??

I am dosing Bioptim and Biodigest, Strontium & Molybdenum mixture(Kent marine), Magnesium(Kent marine)..

Salt is "Crystal Sea Marine Mix Bioassay formulation".  I did a load of research on the salt, here is an interesting thread in relation to toxicity of salts http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-03/rs/feature/..

I agree with the PC's...just using them to add colour....

I do want to upgrade to the new AI Vega aka Pheonix...but its kinda steep for me right now lol...
 
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copperkills

Guest
Im guessing i need to deal with the bland colours until upgrading my light...

oh...and its just RO water...@ 0 TDS, and im probably underfeeding my tank....just feeding 1cm square cube of brine per day...
 
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