acro color and light intensity

i know that all acros require alot of light, but do some colors of acro require more light than others, like do green require more light than blues,? or are they all kinda the same?

 

i think blue would require more light then greens, since blues reflect the blue spectrum of light more and our lighting has a high tendency to be in the blue spectrum. but other then that i don't think there is a difference

 

It will really depend on individual species, spectrum of lighting, and the system the coral is in. Corals have an amazing ability to adapt. A perfectly healthy coral may turn brown under different lighting but doesnt necessarily mean that something is wrong. For example corals grown in a greenhouse under natural sunlight that may normally be brilliant purples, blues, pinks etc. under our lights in the home aquarium may turn brown when put under natural sunlight but will exhibit faster growth rates. when moved back under an unnatural lighting spectrum they will color back up so they can use as much of the lighting spectrum provided in order to undergo photosynthesis. So the key is to find the lighting spectrum that keeps corals colorful while still having good growth rates.

 

thanks, exactly the info i was looking for.

i have one more question about branching sps like birdsnest ect. do water movement play a roll in how they will develop, like will stronger flow lead to thicker skeleton.

 

dont' know about your last question, but wanted to add that for sps and some lps, the shape of the coral can help determine how much light it needs, or at least what it is used to. The flatter corals tend to need less light and thus have their polyps all facing up, while a boulder shape normally means it is used to having a lot of light. Just another thought, I would think that the light and placement would have more to do with what shape the coral takes then the water flow.

 

for most acros i have noticed that the more flow they are in the more thick and tight the branches grow, and the less turbulant flow an acro gets the more slender and spread out the branches are. Birdsnest on the other hand is the exception. it just grows!!

 

ok hang on im gonna throw this in;D

another question about color, not really a question just want to know if what im thinking is true.(in short form)

zoo algae is brown or golden brown, so an acro under lower light that has a very brown color means it contains more concentrations of zooxan algae. this is because it needs to produce more energy for itself, the more of this algae the more it will hide the corals real pigment(the blue,green ect..)

and under better light a acro that is brighter in color actuly contains less zoox. algae since it can produce its required energy without the high concentrations of zoox. algae

but this can all be misleading due to the fact that high nutrients levels, can act as fertilizers for this algae also increasing the concentration of zooxalgae turning your corals brown once again.

in short am i thinking about this right, or did i get in over my head.lol

so how can you identify a brown looking acro , since its real pigment is hidden?

 

im gonna bump my own thread, so the day crew can find it.
sry but its and interesting subject, and and i crave the info.

this topic could easily be pages and pages long. so if you got any info you want to add DO IT!

wish i could change the thread to : coral color in general.

 

i had corals do different things for me some get brighter in high light some get darker. i don't think nutrients in the water have anything todo with the amount of zooanthelle a coral has. i think that the zooanthelle gets all its nutrients from the coral its inside.
i wouldn't say the pigment is hidden just because its brown that might be its actual pigment.