Keeping Green SPS?

Discussion in 'Coral Health' started by Shackman23, Oct 5, 2011.

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  1. m2434

    m2434 Giant Squid

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    Coral coloration is a balance between the brown zoox and corals pigmentation. If your using a bulb that doesn't bring out blues and purples well, then the brown zoox will be more apparent. If your using a bulb that doesn't bring out certain green pigments well, then in those corals the brown zoox will be more apparent. Still increasing the PAR sufficiently should enhance the pigmentation and decrease the density of zoox, so, both of these proccesses will act to make the coral appear less brown, but it may take more PAR and lower nutrients.
     
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  3. Shackman23

    Shackman23 Teardrop Maxima Clam

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    Ill have to check this article out, i read through some of it, but to get a better understanding of whats going on, basically all sps require different light, i was always told that blues, purples, and more exotic corals may require more light, but i know that isnt always the case, any coral can be acclimated to any lighting, when i had my T5 setup on my tank, they were great colors, and very high to the top to get the polyps extending and such, when i mid the switch to LEDs i started the frag rack very low to acclimate the corals, when i would get a good response i took that piece off, and put it on the rock work in the level, then a few days later would move the rack up an inch and wait and see how they responded, and the green acro was actually the more demanding one out of all of them, most of them are mid tank, one of my tricolor acro is actually higher then the other one of the same colony, so i know every coral is different. its just odd that the green color i cannot seem to keep unless is not an acro, my milli's (2) are doing great, and they are lower in my tank, theyve been in my tank for almost a month now, and theyve grown about a half inch each, and fully encrusted onto the frag plug. so im not sure whats different about a green acro then the milli?
     
  4. Shackman23

    Shackman23 Teardrop Maxima Clam

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    Should i raise up my green acro then and see if it comes back? or do you think its probably to late?
     
  5. m2434

    m2434 Giant Squid

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    For example, from table 1, the millis photo-saturate around 200, whereas some other acros are 300+. So, yeah, I'd try moving it up higher, directly under the led if possible. If there is enough light there, the color should come back in a few weeks. Without a guesstimate of PAR though its' sort of a guessing game. That's a problem with new lights, you don't know what it's putting out... Maybe it is putting out enough though... while less common, there are other reasons pigment could be inhibited, for example, some metals can bind to certain pigments and inhibit them. This is tougher to sort out though, so, IMO, better to start with PAR and make sure they are indeed getting sufficient light...
     
  6. reefmonkey

    reefmonkey Giant Squid

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    My problem is exactly the same except I believe it's to much PAR in my case. I've been either to lazy or to busy to measure yet but my little frag was doing great and had great color under weaker light. It was under the same MH but the actinics were past their prime Odyssea t5's. Still the frag totally encrusted the epoxy "plug" and was uber green like the mother.
    I changed the T5's out to Cree 3W LEDs and PAR at the screen top increased 500% at least. But about a day or two later the frag started going brown and yesterday it had very little pe.
     
  7. Shackman23

    Shackman23 Teardrop Maxima Clam

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    Im hoping to get the par meter this friday, i should add that i did pick up red plant frag that was mostly green almost no red, and i have it mid tank and its doing great as well, but turning red on the tips from new growth, so ill check my par and adjust accordingly i did talk to kessil last week and asked them about par and they havent done tests yet either, so its up to us as consumers to get them and share to other users
     
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  9. m2434

    m2434 Giant Squid

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    See post #6, in this case, I think it should come back. It seems coral regulate zoox, to some extent with pigmentation. If the pigmentation isn't there, and you add light, it appears that sometimes, probably at least as long as the coral can handle it; i.e. your not pushing too close to photoinhibition, you get an initial bloom of zoox. Usually after a few weeks, or worst case, few months, it goes always though (assuming everything else is in check). FWIW, I don't think this is what's happening with Shackman23's corals though, at least based on the way I'm interpreting it.
     
  10. Shackman23

    Shackman23 Teardrop Maxima Clam

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    Yea mine went slowly over a month and up until a week or 2 ago has been all redish brown, right now my green stag is almost directly under the led, but i put it upper half but i can still move it up about 5 in, which brings me to the next question, i fragged it hoping to save it but that piece is about 4in from the top of the water and hasnt shown any improvements
     
  11. doylef4i

    doylef4i Bubble Tip Anemone

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  12. AquatiCoug

    AquatiCoug Plankton

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    FWIW,
    I bought a piece of "brown" slimer. I placed it high in the tank initially thinking it was light starved in the store tank. It stayed that way in my tank under 250W bulbs. After moving it to a shaded region of the tank, it began to color up. Now it is a nice green color. Currently sits in the top 1/4 of the tank in between two 250W MHs. Also stayed green a little further down, maybe half way, but directly under the 250.

    Try shading it for a while and see if any colors come back. Once/if it colors up, then acclimate it to your desired final position.

    How about this...I had a beautiful "Hulk" cyphastera turn lime green on me. Placed in shade and now it is a little more blue. Also had a blue tenuis turn lime green and die! Hmmmmm...
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2011