Reef Builders Coral Color article Discussion

[spacetime]

I just wanted to start a discussion on an article from Reef Builders that I read a while ago and that I consistently re-read,
Guide of SPS coral coloration (make them more vivid, bright)

As I'm getting my tank back into shape for sps and restarting zeovit their guide on certain bottles for certain colors appears to have the same points relating to the Reef Builders article.

Based on this article do you think that a yellow acro is a good baseline SPS? If not then what coral would you recommend as a starter?

For you experienced SPS keepers do you feel the points on elements relating to color to be accurate?

Please feel free to add any other articles that you wish to include relating to SPS care, color, etc.

 

[Big E]

I've seen that article get revived every few months and there isn't anything I agree with that it states.

Based on this article do you think that a yellow acro is a good baseline SPS? If not then what coral would you recommend as a starter?

No, first off there are few if any yellow acros...............most are bleached green ones or corals that claim to be yellow but are just variations of green............I'm speaking mostly of the acros introduced in the last 2-4 years that claim to be yellow.

The only yellow acro I know of is a pink lemonade( light mustard yellow). There is some nice yellow in some sunset millis.

I don't believe you need a baseline acro......no such thing. You could buy acros that have proven colors in many tanks and use them as a baseline for each color. I'd focus on one each of red, green, and blue.

For you experienced SPS keepers do you feel the points on elements relating to color to be accurate?
No

 

[Dana Riddle]

Where do I start? There are 4 known clades of fluorescent proteins/non-fluorescent chromoproteins, with the possibility of a fifth. The chromoproteins (and *some* fluorescent proteins) are produced by the coral animal in response to light intensity/spectral quality. Other fluorescent proteins (Clade D) seem to mature without any sort of external catalyst. Another type (DsRed) matures due to chemical oxidation. There is only one recognized yellow fluorescent protein (from a zoanthid) although there are surely others. Many yellows are due to color mixing of red and green fluorescence. Now, with that said, the fluorophore (the part that 'glows') within the protein is held in place by very weak forces. If their orientation changes (in a process scientists call 'the hula twist') the fluorescence can change from, say, red to green (and *some* metals can do this.) I could go on, but got to get to work.

 

[Sea MunnKey]

I've personally have seen and witnessed newly arrived brownish acros turning to true bright yellow in under a few weeks. Under 8 x T5's with ATI Blue Plus and Coral Plus. There aren't a lot of Yellow acro colonies around but it is available ... from one of my local favourite lfs.

 

[Fumanchu]

From my Prsnl exp I feel like yellow is the hardest color to achieve in sps. I have a Picachu that is a yellowish neon green but won' turn over to yellow...I use the rate of algae growth on my glass any PO4 reading .04 to .08 and glass needs cleaning every 2 days .01 an I clean every 4 to 5 days...

 

[Graffiti Spot]

I don't believe much of that article is very uswful. It needs to be rewritten because I see lots of people using it as a guide... Parts of it make since for people running ulns but it's still not the way I have experienced coloring corals.

 

[Scorpius]

Good stable water chemistry, flow, light, and nutrients. Nail all of these and color will follow. It's a hard knock life for us.

 

[Mr.Fishtank]

I also have the TCK pikachu. It was an ugly turd for almost a year till I put it in higher light. Now it has the best yellow I have seen in an acro. I have a tyree pink lemonade as well and the pikachu outshines it.

As for that article. Most of what people write about or post in these forums are from their experiences. Just because they got certain results with x amount of nutrients or light doesn't mean that you will have the same outcome. There is just so much we still don't understand about what is really going on in our systems.

 

[jda]

I have never been a fan of that article and it mostly neglects the most important source, which is lighting.

If you want the best color, then have as close to NSW parameters and you can muster, keep them stable and give them the highest possible quality light for them, not for you. Once you get good at this, you can fine tune... acros with more contrast and more vivid color with lower N and P near NSW... deeper richer colors with more elevated N and P. Never drive your N and P below NSW levels. It is pretty easy.

The easiest colors for me have always been brown, green, purple, blue, reddish (rarely a real red), white (branches), orange and then yellow. I only keep acropora and true yellow acropora are few and far between.

Baseline acros that are well know are a GREAT idea. I like to recommend ORA stuff since it is well known, reasonably priced and very colorful... Red Planet for Red, Cali Tort for Blue and Tricolor for green/purple. If you are more experienced and your tank can handle them, then the ORA Blue and Rose Milles are great as well.