Lobo losing color

Docdiggy · Apr 7, 2015

So I've had this purple lobo since January. It came with real nice green and red highlights. Well over time those highlights are almost gone and it's a light purple instead of the real dark purple it came with. It's on the sand under an Ati 4 bulb fixture. Tank is a 75 gallon. This is not a branching type by the way. Any ideas what could cause this? Alk is about 8-9, 1.025, cal 420. Is it possible it needs to be shaded?

Dalmatia · Apr 7, 2015

ya, that was my guess? lighting?

Tab28 · Apr 8, 2015

Lobo are generally med to high lighting. When i had a tank mis-hap it was in a temp tank with sub-par lighting. my green and orange lobo loss all it's brightness. It took months to get it back. Hopefully someone with more knowledge on them will post.

Docdiggy · Apr 8, 2015

Really? I've read medium to low.

kireek · Apr 8, 2015

Docdiggy said:
So I've had this purple lobo since January. It came with real nice green and red highlights. Well over time those highlights are almost gone and it's a light purple instead of the real dark purple it came with. It's on the sand under an Ati 4 bulb fixture. Tank is a 75 gallon. This is not a branching type by the way. Any ideas what could cause this? Alk is about 8-9, 1.025, cal 420. Is it possible it needs to be shaded?

I would check out the rest of your parameters and try moving it to a lower light area.I have had two lobos bleach out when I tired to move them into higher light.Be prepared for a long,slow recovery.

This gem turned white all over when I upgraded to LED'S.

Tab28 · Apr 8, 2015

Docdiggy said:
Really? I've read medium to low.

They are listed as med to high. I am sure some list as low as a knee jerk to all LPS. I have some lobos in 150 par and others under SPS lighting areas. The key is always start out low and slowly acclimate to med than to med-high. Since most suppliers will keep all LPS in low light the lobo will have to be re-acclimated to med-high lighting. If acclimated too quickly it will bleach. If left in low lighting too long it will start to brown out or loose it's colors depending on lower par levels. It takes months for a lobo to get back it's colors.

There are some great looking lobo pictures on this forum. Hopefully those reefers will respond in what lighting par they keep their's under. Lighting varies too much depending on type and depth of tank.

Docdiggy · Apr 8, 2015

I can't go any lower unless I shade it since its already on the sand. I kinda just assumed it was losing color from too much light. Maybe it's not in enough. I have many corals and all are good so I'm not too worried about my parameters. Like I said, I've had this since January, since then I have never seen feeders out either.

Dalmatia · Apr 8, 2015

mine bleached out too cause of to strong lighting

Docdiggy · Apr 8, 2015

I've been doing this awhile now and I still can't distinguish a symptom of being in too much light vs too little.

Docdiggy · Apr 8, 2015

This was the first day. I had it up high that day then moved it down.

Docdiggy · Apr 8, 2015

This is the only other pic I have since I'm at work. Hopefully someone can zoom and check it out on the bottom left.

Tab28 · Apr 8, 2015

What kind of corals do not have near it on the sand bed, That you have had for more than a month? This may help determine what kind of par you have in that area. Too much light is generally a result of white bleach skin. Dull or brown colors are the opposite. If you do move to a higher light area just do it slowly or it will bleach. Can you take photo of it?

Docdiggy · Apr 8, 2015

Hey Tab, pics for you.

Tab28 · Apr 8, 2015

You have a nice tank. It has loss some of it's color, the lobo that is. It looks like it is near an acan on the right and a trachy on the left. Both are low light with a slight higher ability for the trachy. If you have had acan and trachy there for months. That area is low lighting, both look healthy. A lobo can take more light than both it's neighbors. Try moving it up a few inches every few weeks. Nothing more drastic than that or it will burn. It may take several months to see a real difference. But you may see some difference in less time.

Docdiggy · Apr 8, 2015

Ok I'll give it a try. Thanks

squillaempusa · Apr 10, 2015

kireek said:
I would check out the rest of your parameters and try moving it to a lower light area.I have had two lobos bleach out when I tired to move them into higher light.Be prepared for a long,slow recovery.

This gem turned white all over when I upgraded to LED'S.

i was told that LEDs would bleach out, or fade colors on acans.

kireek · Apr 10, 2015

squillaempusa said:
i was told that LEDs would bleach out, or fade colors on acans.

Like Tab28 mentioned they do need proper aaccilmating to higher light.I failed to do that when I upgraded my lights.Currently I have a assortment of brains and acans growing well under LED'S.