Sps coloration help

[Myst3ry_sea]

I have a few sps frag that have lost colors for months now. Many others still have their color like when I first bought them, but only a few those colors haven’t come back yet. My question: What is it that cause color lost in sps and how could I recover their colors.
Example: Fox Flame still have beautiful yellow tip for the first week of purchased, but after 2-3 week the yellow has complete gone and the whole frag look dark red.

 

[bar|none]

good question.....following...

 

[eraser2001]

Sometimes the sps change colors when come from other tanks, will take time to adjust to your tank. I have some corals when bought they came with right colors, but they change to green color. When corals star incrusting, colors start back.

What kind of light are you using?
How is your tank's parameters?

 

[MikeYasin]

What are you parameters? My fox flame would only color up and grow with nitrates around 0.50ppm, which I had to dose. My phosphate also had to be in the .01 to .04 range to have the best colors.

If needed, you could try aiming for those parameters , or if you’re running an ultra low nutrient system, employ some aminos like Red Sea Reef energy A and B.

 

[TX_Punisher]

Normal. It’s normal for frags to lose coloration coming from other tanks. It can take months to re-color. In fact, some may never color up exactly as it may have been wherever it came from.

 

[Myst3ry_sea]

I’m using Radion gen 4 for my tank and my phosphate always stay at around 0.15-0.2. I haven’t run a nitrite test yet so I’m not sure where it at. KH always get suck up fast and it always stay at around 7.6-8.0. Cal >400 mag>1300 these two always stay consistent.
The fox flame frag I bought has encrusted on the whole plug and onto the rock yet it has not coloring up.

 

[RomoFL]

You don’t want your nitrites up.. they were saying nitrates. I’ve heard of this too before that SPS tend to like a little higher phosphates and nitrates - which goes against what I always heard when I first started that SPS require pristinely clean water. I think they require the higher phosphate and nitrates instead but more importantly, very stable parameters and coralline growth.

 

[Pete_the_Puma]

SPS coloration seems to be based on the complex interaction of light (too much? not enough?) as well as phosphate and nitrate levels (again, too much or not enough?)

Unfortunately I do not think anyone knows exactly which levels to aim for for each specific coral and the overall dynamic is quite complicated. You will likely find the answers through trial and error. If a frag is not coloring up as you whish and other corals seem to be doing well I would likely move it (either to high PAR if in a lower PAR area of the tank or vice versa) and see if the colors impove.

 

[blstravler]

SPS coloration seems to be based on the complex interaction of light (too much? not enough?) as well as phosphate and nitrate levels (again, too much or not enough?)

Unfortunately I do not think anyone knows exactly which levels to aim for for each specific coral and the overall dynamic is quite complicated. You will likely find the answers through trial and error. If a frag is not coloring up as you whish and other corals seem to be doing well I would likely move it (either to high PAR if in a lower PAR area of the tank or vice versa) and see if the colors impove.

Totally agree with this. The one thing you can do is get a Par meter and see what your Par out put is - maybe too much or not enough. Recently (actually yesterday - lol) I rented one after a few Acros lost some color - I was shocked - the top of my rock was >600 so I quickly adjusted. 250-300 is what I am now aiming for.

 

[EW_Fish]

I do think p04 and nitrate help with coloration. More nutrients higher alk lower nutrients lower alk 7-8kh. Where in my high nutrient system I can run around 11-12kh. Nitrate levels between 0-1ppm and phosphate levels of less than 0.03ppm are generally considered low, or ultra low, nutrient. Stable parameters really is the most important thing here ALK being the one to keep stable the most.

Moving frags from tank to tank can also cause issues you parameters may not match the last tanks and the frag has to adjust. Also some frags like to encrust a base before really coloring up and branching out.

 

[ScottB]

I agree it is normal for frags to color shift after a move, given each unique combination of light intensity & spectrum, nutrient levels, flow and base elements.

I TRY to buy from vendors who keep parameters similar to my own. I always ask what the params are. The good news is that there is a fine list of vendors that keep numbers very similar to mine and run T5 or T5 hybrid.

Or, more accurately, I am mimicking THEIR numbers, nutrients & lights. I find this significantly reduces mortality.

 

[biecacka]

I have had new corals take months to color up in my tank. Even after seeing them colored up in he local tank before I got it home to mine. Once they settle in and start to grow they usually color back up.

Corey

 

[jda]

Adding T5s to your Radions will move the needle the most. You can shift some color a bit with parameters or building block levels, but not as much as adding T5s.

The two are not mutually exclusive, so you can do both, if you want. Adding T5s can just be dropped on. Go slow if you start to chase carbonate, calcium or building blocks.

 

[Myst3ry_sea]

Adding T5 is what I have been thinking about since I’ve seen a lot of amazing grow from tank to tank running both T5 and led. But so far my sticks are doing just fine under the radions so I’m still holding back from that idea.
However, in case that I’m decide to add the T5. Would adding T5 (4bulbs of blue plus) along with the schedule I’m running my radions right now burn the corals? Or should I bring the intensity of the radion down and add the T5 and acclimating the corals overtime.
You guys have been really helpful and improve my knowledge about reefing a lot. Thank you all [emoji6].

 

[ScottB]

I am a huge fan of T5 after running LED exclusively for 6 years. I think LEDs are great for visual pop, shimmer and contrast.

But in terms of aquacultural performance it is T5's no contest IMO.

@Myst3ry_sea I would suggest retaining your current LED schedule when adding on the T5s. Just run the T5s on a separate schedule for 1-2 hrs/day the first week, 2-3 hrs/day the second week... etc and keep an eye out.

Depending on wattage of course, they add more spectrum and light diffusion than they do intensity -- relative to LED. No shadows, no hotspots. You might consider throwing in a purple too. The coral plus are very white looking, I only run 1 of 8 bulbs with coral+.

 

[bar|none]

....snip...
But in terms of aquacultural performance it is T5's no contest IMO.
....snip...

I'm about to add T5 to a red sea led 90 setup. Do you think dimmable T5s are useful or not?

 

[ScottB]

I'm about to add T5 to a red sea led 90 setup. Do you think dimmable T5s are useful or not?

Tough call, but my gut is not worth it. Three quick reasons:
a) IIRC, you do/did need to do a "burn in" on the bulbs each time you change them. Meaning you take the fixture off the tank and run them for 50 hours straight, full on. This was ATI instruction almost two years ago. Could've changed.
b) The RS 90s have ramp. Agree ramp is good, but LEDs are perfectly suited for ramp IMO.
c) Spend that savings on something you will use with more satisfaction.

Acclimation is another reason to have dimmable, but with a controller, or just a simple IoT smart outlet, you can acclimate the T5 addition as I described in the post above, easy peasy.

Since the T5s went on my display (10 months roughly), my ESV two part consumption has gone from 95ml each to 135ml each per day.

Visually though, I do miss the LEDs, so I think you will be happy with going hybrid.

 

[JoeD_]

IME and others as well Fox Flame really seems to like lower lighting for an SPS

 

[balajeek15]

Totally agree with this. The one thing you can do is get a Par meter and see what your Par out put is - maybe too much or not enough. Recently (actually yesterday - lol) I rented one after a few Acros lost some color - I was shocked - the top of my rock was >600 so I quickly adjusted. 250-300 is what I am now aiming for.

I am starting to add up corals on plan for mixed reef, and this morning ordered the par rental from BRS and will be here in a week time. How did you plan on par reading and placement, did you measured par at different level in the tank and documented it and then place corals accordingly or by any other method. Whats the good site that can tell me what par level is recommended for each corals that i have.

 

[Beardo]

I’m using Radion gen 4 for my tank and my phosphate always stay at around 0.15-0.2. I haven’t run a nitrite test yet so I’m not sure where it at. KH always get suck up fast and it always stay at around 7.6-8.0. Cal >400 mag>1300 these two always stay consistent.
The fox flame frag I bought has encrusted on the whole plug and onto the rock yet it has not coloring up.

I'm not a numbers chaser anymore, caused issues for me in the past but with that said, phosphates of 0.15 - 0.20 are high and may be contributing to your color issues.