Purple Death is Brown???

[ChrisP]

Here's a photo of my Purple Deaths. I started with one (from Zoanuts) and they've multiplied quickly, but as you can see, they've always been brown rather than purple (they're actually a shade darker than the picture shows). They're under a 150W, 20K Radium bulb. Any advice or suggestions? Is it just my lighting? Is there a particular supplement that would help to "purple them up"?

 

[MarineManiac]

as strange as this seems 10k's will make them look best. blue light on purple corals really washes out their color!

 

[Reef Pets]

I have never seen Purple Death Palys extend like that...... If they were never purple I would have to assume they are not Purple Death Palys. Every colony I have ever saw including the colony that I have are extremely close to the rock. I have 20K lighting and they are as purple as can be.

 

[Eye Candy Coral]

you need to bake them with alot of light my purple deaths are the same way. The ones in you pic look like they are streching for light

 

[Triggerfreak]

Did you look down on them from the top of your tank.Alot of the ones i have seen look brown through the glass but when you look down on them from the top of the tank they will look purple like they are supposed too.

 

[Pitcom]

PD's turn a mauve color of they are not in enough light.

 

[alvieman]

I dont think its the spectrum, but intensity, move em up and get them some more direct light, they are indeed stretching for more. I've seen it happen with my goochsters when they were under PC's. Put them back under the MH and went back nice n short and colored The orange Z's behind them are doing the same thing, and if those are Rics (as they look like) they also, are stretching for light. Might wanna get the 150 closer, maybe time for a new bulb? Radiums from what I hear are only good for about 9 months tops on a Magnetic ballast, bout 11 on Elec, kind of a shorter lifespan but they do put out some great color.

 

[Saltysteele]

i third the stretching for light, and second the question of how old your bulbs are

 

[macawmagic]

mine are about 18 inches deep in the tank in a low light area and they're a nice purple...i'm now thinking about slowly moving them up to see if they turn even more purple!!!

 

[Jessy]

Mine are on the sand bed under T5's and are purple as ever and close to the rock

 

[Saltysteele]

i still say new bulbs

the palys next to the pd's are rather browned out, as well.

 

[jasonstan]

I was told to keep my purple deaths out of direct light in a "shaded" area lower in the tank. Otherwise they would brown out, if they recieved to much light.

Mine are on the sand bed, with 192watts of powercompacts(12,000k and 96watt actinic) about 8" above them(shallow tank). Purple as ever and growing quite nicely.

 

[MikeB]

My Purple Death's under 250W 12k Reflux

 

[jasonstan]

beautifull monti in the background Browns, the purple deaths aren't bad either

 

[MikeB]

beautifull monti in the background Browns, the purple deaths aren't bad either

:smile: Thanks!

 

[Saltysteele]

old lights will still give off light, just the usable light is severely diminished. so, you might not be able to tell the difference, but the corals can. if it's not giving off the right amount in the spectrum needed, you might as well put a sunscreen over them :haha:

 

[Darren]

All of your Zoas in that picture are stretching for light not just the PD's.

 

[treylane]

Ok, PD palys DO turn brown, prettymuch whenver you look at em crosseyed. They'll switch back and forth between purple and brown in almost any lighting situation. In my case, they were most consistently purple in the lowest-lit parts of the tank.

 

[coraldiva]

My PDs were as purple as can be in low light. Then I decided to move them up about 14" because I was rearranging some things in my tank. They are starting to brown out. Probably should have left them where they were originally..

 

[ChrisP]

Thank you all for so much great advice. It seems like one common theme is that the Purple Deaths (and the palys next to them) seem to be stretching for light. They are approximately 18" directly below the 150W 20K radium HQI which is only about 5 months old. They're now firmly attached to a centerpiece rock so I really can't move them. I might buy a cheap 10K bulb (one of the suggestions) just to see how they look (also should increase PAR value and maybe decrease stretching). I know they didn't look any better under 20K Hamilton or 14K JBJ bulbs. Also - the PD DOES look a lot more purple (or at least deep brown) when looking at it from above.
Chris