Additive for Color in Zoas

nickdo · Jun 18, 2015

big one is mother colony, smaller one is frag.
only difference is lighting, smaller one grow by T5 tank. big one grow by led tank. two tank was linked together by using same sump.

TheClark · Jun 19, 2015

nickdo said:
big one is mother colony, smaller one is frag.
only difference is lighting, smaller one grow by T5 tank. big one grow by led tank. two tank was linked together by using same sump.

That is very interesting! Can you tell more about what LEDs they are under and what T5 bulbs?

RebeccaL · Jun 19, 2015

I like reefroids, and the company that makes it also makes polyp booster; they'll even end you a free sample to try! I also like reefgrow bromide and manganese.

racin2438 · Jun 19, 2015

Acropower works really well from me, I changed my lighting from T5, to Oceanrevive T247 and my frags are looking and growing fast and well.

Lilmatty5dimes · Jun 19, 2015

Good topic. Following along.

dbl · Jun 19, 2015

Following as well...

HandsomeBwonderful · Jun 19, 2015

CastAway said:
I was wondering, is there an additive or product that enhances color in zoanthids?

Lower your whites down. I had my whites on my light up around 70-80% and my zoas were all washed out. I turned the whites down to 20%. It took a few weeks for everything (zoas and sps) to get their color back but now everything is much more vibrant.

Xmoji · Jun 20, 2015

HandsomeBwonderful said:
Lower your whites down. I had my whites on my light up around 70-80% and my zoas were all washed out. I turned the whites down to 20%. It took a few weeks for everything (zoas and sps) to get their color back but now everything is much more vibrant.

What kind of LED's do you use and how high above the surface is your fixture?

HandsomeBwonderful · Jun 20, 2015

Xmoji said:
What kind of LED's do you use and how high above the surface is your fixture?

I have an AI Hydra on a 18x18x18 cube at 8" above the water.

Xmoji · Jun 20, 2015

Xmoji said:
What kind of LED's do you use and how high above the surface is your fixture?

I have the hydra 52 and my light is about 8 inches as well. I notice my corals lose color after bringing them home. Currently the intensity is as follows:

White 70% starting at 10:30 until 4 pm and it drops down to 68%

Deep blue and royal are at 60%

The other colors are between 20% - 25%

Do you think I should lower the whites?

HandsomeBwonderful · Jun 20, 2015

Xmoji said:
I have the hydra 52 and my light is about 8 inches as well. I notice my corals lose color after bringing them home. Currently the intensity is as follows:

White 70% starting at 10:30 until 4 pm and it drops down to 68%

Deep blue and royal are at 60%

The other colors are between 20% - 25%

Do you think I should lower the whites?

Yeah. I had mine about the same and all my stuff was just brown and my zoas were inverting...especially my green ones. I was convinced it was because my light wasn't powerful enough. I was at my LFS and was complaining about the light to one of the employees. turned out he has the same light...he said to go 80/20 on the blue/white ratio so I tried it and he was right. Current config on my light is as follows:

RB - Ramps from 0% at 7am to 80% at 8am...stays at 80% until 6pm and ramps down to 3% at 8pm and ramps from there to 0% at midnight
DB - Ramps from 0% at 7am to 65% at 8am...stays at 65% until 5:30pm and ramps down to 0% at 7:30pm
Violet - Ramps from 0% at 7am to 30% at 11am...stays at 30% until 3pm and ramps down to 0% at 7pm
UV - Ramps from 0% at 7am to 12% at 1pm and ramps down to 0% at 7pm (no plateau...just a ramp up and ramp down)
Cool White - Ramps from 0% at 6:30am to 15% at 9am...stays at 15% until 4:40pm and ramps down to 0% at 7pm
Red - Ramps from 0% at 8am to 14% at 10:30am...stays at 14% until 4:40pm and ramps down to 0% at 7pm
Green - Ramps from 0% at 8am to 14% at 10:00am...stays at 14% until 4:40pm and ramps down to 0% at 7pm

I think I need to tinker with the settings a little more but so far this has helped a lot. The one coral I really noticed it on was my green montipora digitata. It was a deep, green when I bought it and it had just turned crappy brown over time. Since the change to this lighting configuration, it has turned a really nice bright green and is growing again.

HandsomeBwonderful · Jun 20, 2015

My light is actually a little closer to the water...about 6" above surface.

HandsomeBwonderful · Jun 20, 2015

Xmoji · Jun 20, 2015

HandsomeBwonderful said:
Yeah. I had mine about the same and all my stuff was just brown and my zoas were inverting...especially my green ones. I was convinced it was because my light wasn't powerful enough. I was at my LFS and was complaining about the light to one of the employees. turned out he has the same light...he said to go 80/20 on the blue/white ratio so I tried it and he was right. Current config on my light is as follows:

RB - Ramps from 0% at 7am to 80% at 8am...stays at 80% until 6pm and ramps down to 3% at 8pm and ramps from there to 0% at midnight
DB - Ramps from 0% at 7am to 65% at 8am...stays at 65% until 5:30pm and ramps down to 0% at 7:30pm
Violet - Ramps from 0% at 7am to 30% at 11am...stays at 30% until 3pm and ramps down to 0% at 7pm
UV - Ramps from 0% at 7am to 12% at 1pm and ramps down to 0% at 7pm (no plateau...just a ramp up and ramp down)
Cool White - Ramps from 0% at 6:30am to 15% at 9am...stays at 15% until 4:40pm and ramps down to 0% at 7pm
Red - Ramps from 0% at 8am to 14% at 10:30am...stays at 14% until 4:40pm and ramps down to 0% at 7pm
Green - Ramps from 0% at 8am to 14% at 10:00am...stays at 14% until 4:40pm and ramps down to 0% at 7pm

I think I need to tinker with the settings a little more but so far this has helped a lot. The one coral I really noticed it on was my green montipora digitata. It was a deep, green when I bought it and it had just turned crappy brown over time. Since the change to this lighting configuration, it has turned a really nice bright green and is growing again.

Yeah the conclusion I was coming to about my coral colors is my lighting I am religious about my husbandry and my parameters are in check.

Do you think making a drastic change to my lighting at once will shock the corals or should I change the lighting slowly over time?

HandsomeBwonderful · Jun 21, 2015

Xmoji said:
Yeah the conclusion I was coming to about my coral colors is my lighting I am religious about my husbandry and my parameters are in check.

Do you think making a drastic change to my lighting at once will shock the corals or should I change the lighting slowly over time?

It won't shock them. Especially since you will be turning down the intensity on the lights they are not happy with already. I made the change immediately and had no ill effects from it.

Chris-tico · Jun 22, 2015

what you guys think about aquavitro fuel?

declanisadog · Jun 22, 2015

Chris-tico said:
what you guys think about aquavitro fuel?

I liked it when I used it, but I prefer Acropower, as it doesn't need to be refrigerated.

Chris-tico · Jun 22, 2015

does Acropower works for zoas too?

declanisadog · Jun 22, 2015

Nah, you need zoa power...

I have some I can sell you. It's a little more expensive than Acropower though...

Xmoji · Jun 22, 2015

HandsomeBwonderful said:
It won't shock them. Especially since you will be turning down the intensity on the lights they are not happy with already. I made the change immediately and had no ill effects from it.

I have made some changes. We'll see how they turn out.