Lighting color change experiment results

[d.grcich]

I split a large brownish red rock of PPE's and placed half in each tank. After three weeks I put them back together. I am running 175 watt 14K MH on one tank and Aquactinics 5 T5 bulb with one mid day two aqua blue and two actinics on the other. MH zoa's on left the T5 on the right.

 

[JGoslee]

Thats a big difference! The ones on the right look great. Were they the same distance from the lights in each tank? What were the 2 tank sizes?

 

[Ike]

I'm a little shocked at the results, I thought for sure the ones on the left were from the T5 tank. How far were the placed from the light, what type of reflectors, how far off the tank are your T5s and MH, do the tanks share a common sump? If they do not share a common sump what are the other differences between the two tanks?

 

[d.grcich]

MH tank is a 55 gallon and T5 is a 72 bow front. Distance about the same but I would give the T5 a few inches closer. No sump on either tank. MH has a parabolic reflector and the T5 have individual reflectors. I was really surprised myself. The zoa's looked originally just like the ones on the left.

 

[jafoca]

they are ppe or rpe?

crazy!

 

[d.grcich]

I would say brown people eaters if you have 14K MH but Red purple people eaters if you have T5's. Next I am going to try putting the brown ones as close to the MH as possible to see if they will change. There are to many factors to do a controlled experiment---balasts--wattage--reflectors--flow--original wild unknown color. So this is just a fly by the seat of my pants experiment. I heard T5's bleach zoa's allso so this may be just a super high light loving morph.

 

[Stixbaraca]

sounds and looks like an awesome experiment to me! I am running MH and PC in the same tank...looking to swap the PC for T5...best of both worlds!

 

[Ike]

I would say brown people eaters if you have 14K MH but Red purple people eaters if you have T5's. Next I am going to try putting the brown ones as close to the MH as possible to see if they will change. There are to many factors to do a controlled experiment---balasts--wattage--reflectors--flow--original wild unknown color. So this is just a fly by the seat of my pants experiment. I heard T5's bleach zoa's allso so this may be just a super high light loving morph.

Under my T5s I had RPEs look worse than your MH example and they were 24 below the surface. I'm using 6x39w T5s with IC reflectors and all ATI bulbs. What lighting did they all start in. Also, what about skimmers and general water quality between the two tanks as well as feeding habits and chemical filtration?

 

[d.grcich]

Started out under MH. The T5's are 54watters. I seem to remember the zoa's being more purple when I originally got them from my LFS more like the T5 RPE'S are now.

 

[d.grcich]

Protein skimmer on T5 tank, random cartridge filter use on the MH tank. I feed the fish in both tanks no purposely coral feeding.

 

[Briney Dave]

You could get the same conditons if you ganged the two (or better yet several tanks) into one sump, same water, heat , (all other conditons same) thus have different tanks in use but still be valid. However, water movement, and for that matter all conditions (fish etc) needs to be as close to the same as possible. this eliminates nutrient pollution (even pretty small) as a possible source of differneces.

I would also suggest using a lum meter to measure light intensity. Because watts per gal is not an accurate reflection light levels.

but a good idea and very interesting results. Definitly worth more work

Briney

 

[d.grcich]

I absolutely agree with you guys. It is possible to narrow down all the variables to make a valid experiment but unfortunately I do not have the time. This was just a fly by the pants---lets see what happens with the new lighting type thing. I was amazed at the color change in just a few weeks so I wanted to post and see what you guys thought. I know I will be telling everyone I gave free frags of these to blast them with light and they will look much cooler "hopefully".

 

[Ike]

I have my new prop tank setup now and I was planning on doing some tests on coloration. My prop tank is part of my main system and get the same flow from the sump and the main tank, has the same internal flow, and even the same footprint. The prop tank has a 250w HQI pendant with a Giesemann Megachrome Coral 14,500k and the main tank has 6x39w ATI T5s with IC reflectors. The major variables will be height the light source is above the tank and depth of the frags though I'm going to try to get that as close as possible. I'll start a new thread when I have some results.

 

[Briney Dave]

Sounds pretty cool, I only wish I had results to share yet. I don't plan to publish anything other than bits of trials until next spring. I worry too much of a oddity upsetting a more obvious trend. (not that I think that is what you have) your work is cool and interesting and of real value. Much more so than off the cuff observations made by a couple guys not even talking about the same variety of zoanthid.

I am going to make sure my research students get a copy of this thread to see the kind of work being done by great keepers.

IKe I am looking forward to hearing more about your findings

Briney Dave

keep up the good work