Zooanthids loseing color (please help) Picture attached

Ok so I got a zoo colony last week and it opened up in the first day. But now im seeing heads that are turning green and it looks like they are losing color. Im new to keeping corals soo please bare with me. My lighting right now i 2 10 k 65 watt bulbs over a 55 gallon tank cause my other 2 lights powered by a ballast went out. Also im not doseing my tank with any supplaments and i dont know what the calcium iodine or magnesium levels are but iam using reef crystals as my sea salt. The guy at my lfs told me that this coral is so hardy they really dont need good lighting or supplaments what do you think is causeing this lack of light water conditions or not doseing. Please help me cause im catching this really really early and im might be able to reverse it if the right advice is given.

 

They algae inside them is most likely changing to produce more food under your specific lighting. Adding an acnictic light would probably help them to stay bright and colorfull.

 

You have 2 different colors.You need to get the other lights up as soon as possible.I hope they are actinics.Water quality is also important.Your actinics should be on for 10-12 hours and those 10ks should be on 6-8 hours,I recommend timers.You should keep your magnesium 1350,calcium 400-440,ph 8.3,kh 10-12.They are important for growth and coloration with proper lighting.

 

my other light r actinics thankfully and im going to order a ballast tonight but also could it be that my nitrates are 25 ppm i just cant get them any lower.

 

No, zoanthids should do fine under 25ppm nitrates. They also take time to fully acclimate and may go through a period of dullness when being first introduced to a tank. They will also grow pretty slow for awhile while they acclimate, so don't let that worry you either.

 

zoanthids like a little bit of nitrates.But you should keep trying to get them down.

 

Im really worried should i move them to a higher spot in the tank with more light or with that just stress them out

 

I've always heard the zooxanthellae which gives most polyps their color is a mixtue, and sometimse one strain of that mixture has different lighting requirements to make it thrive. I agree with putting the actinics into your tank.