How to keep corals red

XavierZ06 · Feb 10, 2012

Alright, after much discussion and google searches i have not found any definitive answer to my question so here goes....

What do you guys/gals find to be the biggest factor in the coloring of red SPS corals?

My red planet, strawberry shortcake, etc have lost the bright definitive red/pink in them, and even the pink/purple birdsnest i have has lost some color. Some i have talked to say it is a chemical imbalance, lacking or too much of something in particular. Others say lighting is the key.

I have a DIY led light. It is comprised of:
12x Cree XM-L Cool White
28x Cree XP-E Royal Blue
6x Cree XP-E Blue
2x Bridgelux Green
2x Bridgelux Turquoise
Driven by 4 meanwell eln 60-48D drivers

All other corals are doing exceptionally well, and growing/coloring up fantastically. The reds of the SPS however are not. If there isa spectrum i am missing in my build, i have an extra driver and am more than able to throw some more leds or different leds on the fixture. Just need to know what kinds!

thank you all in advance. If you need any more info plz just ask.

PS: Alk hovers at a slightly low reading of between 7.5 and 8.1 (Salifert, Brand new, confirmed with a friedns few month old kit as well)
CA ~480 (Salifert, Brand new, confirmed with a friedns few month old kit as well)
Po4 0.000? (Hanna meter)

keokea · Feb 10, 2012

I read on here before that its the under 400nm spectrum that makes red sps grow red. I could be wrong

therman · Feb 10, 2012

Add some neutral whites. I had the same issues until I added them, now my red planet, etc. are red as can be.

data_loss · Feb 10, 2012

therman said:
Add some neutral whites. I had the same issues until I added them, now my red planet, etc. are red as can be.

How long did it take for them to color back up therman?

kuyatwo · Feb 10, 2012

if you are able to i would add a couple t5's. the led's have to narrow of a spectrum and cant hit what each spectrum . i changed my lighting to a mh/t5/led system and my colors have all came back from an ai sol blue leds

KJAG · Feb 10, 2012

Might be too much light for them.Reds are a tricky color to keep rich looking. Im running everything at a lower power in my build and the whites are on for a shorter period-my Setosa is just as colored up as under my T5s.For now at least...Try running at lower mA or maybe frag off your red/pink SPS and place in lower light somewhere else in the tank as a comparison

shred5 · Feb 10, 2012

T-5 had the same problem in the beginning till the purple/red lamps hit the market also the ge lamp helped out with a wider spectrum. So it seems some red light is importent. T-5 is narrow spectrum but not as narrow as led. Only problem is to much red light can be a real problem with sps and cause bleaching in some sps and slower growth . Led is so bright and so directional it can be detrimental to sps with a red led and care needs to be taken..

Red light:
Feature Article: The Best Lamp Is... — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog
There are more articles Done by Dana on red light.

An article on red pigments in corals:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2007/2/aafeature

This article is on narrow bandwidth.

Feature Article: Effects Of Narrow Bandwidth Light Sources On Coral Host And Zooxanthellae Pigments — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

cdness · Feb 10, 2012

Good information for sure! I saw the topic and the first thought came to my mind was I bet he's running LEDs... I want to make the switch to LEDs as well but the narrow spectrum is a killer in the idea. I am personally doing some testing and the reds are the hardest colors to get right under a white and blue LED system. My T-5s are fine though.

I'd say add tome reds on the additional driver along with some neutral whites to add to the wider white spectrum. This should help out. I wish my LED system was a DIY as I'd be doing that myself

therman · Feb 10, 2012

I don't think you need reds. Everything I've heard is that reds are really overpowering.

My fixture has 156 XREs, was all RB/CW, then I swapped out 12 CW for NW and 12 RB for regular blues. Can't remember exactly how long it took, but my red planet is very red now and growing great. Maybe 2 months? Obviously it doesn't take much based on how few I swapped out. FWIW I have another system that still has a CW/RB fixture and the red planet hasn't colored up in 2 years.

Certain purples also seem to have issues without the neutral white's spectrum. I can't keep purple on valida/nana tricolors or GARF bonsai in the CW/RB system, but they purple up great when moved to the other system.

Hope that helps.

Tim

XavierZ06 · Feb 13, 2012

Alright, well after all the input from this thread I went ahead and ordered 4 XM-L neutral whites to swap out 4 of my cool whites. I also ordered 6 true violets to add onto the fixture.

danka-cedium · Feb 13, 2012

I was under the impression that red/purple corals need the right dosing of boron(red) and potassium.

J Rog · Feb 20, 2012

Do you dose potassium? Im pretty sure i have read somewhere that it helps with pink, red and orange color sps. I dose it every night and my red planet, red cap, and orange digi looks great!

therman · Feb 20, 2012

I dont dose anything, just use a reactor.

kodiak · Feb 20, 2012

I've been having the same problem with red\pink sps. I started dosing Potassium and Boron about a week ago. Hopefully I will have good results after having stable levels for a couple months, if not I plan to add additonal spectrum to my blue and white led's.

CJO · Feb 21, 2012

Are you also testing for these? They are used in such small amounts it would be very easy to overdose your system with these.

CJ

KoleTang · Feb 21, 2012

Ninja, check this link out --> Guide of SPS coral coloration (make them more vivid, bright)

therman · Feb 23, 2012

KoleTang said:
Ninja, check this link out --> Guide of SPS coral coloration (make them more vivid, bright)

What the heck?! He stole my A. nana photo from 10+ years ago!

I didn't dose anything in that tank, ran a calcium reactor, no carbon or filter sock, and ran a 6500k Iwasaki with VHO actinics.

Lame.

ingtar_shinowa · Feb 24, 2012

This is why i went radions. I would add some of the new uv from rapid. It will give you the smaller wavelength but its not under 400 so there shouldn't be much risk to you or your colors. Might try adding a red or two as well. For alot of led users their reds fade to orange with the Cool White, Blue, Royal Blue spectrum.

kodiak · Mar 13, 2012

CJO said:
Are you also testing for these? They are used in such small amounts it would be very easy to overdose your system with these.

CJ

I test Potassium but not Boron. And I am also dosing this with Red Sea Reef Color B and much less than suggested amount.

My Green and Blue SPS are very very bright great colors, but not getting any other good colors.

Does anybody know of any good LED fixtures that are Neutral White? I dont want to DIY any LED's cause it will look bad over a rimless tank. I currently have blue, royal blue and white leds, which are Reef Brite XHO strips.

Are any of the Ecoxotic Panorama strips the same as Neutral White?
thanks