Sps coloration tends to shift to green. Why?

whitelightning77 · Oct 30, 2019

I've noticed that alot of my sps, over time, shift to a green coloration. Atleast the ones that contain some green pigmentation. For example, my garf bonsai, some frags are purple, yet some shifted to green. Also, a couple millie frags that were punkish green, and yellowish green, are starting to transition to more green. It just seems like if the coral has the ability to be green, or red or purple, etc, it tends to always transition to green.

AdamNC · Oct 30, 2019

In my experience it’s usually when the corals are in lower par lighting.

motortrendz · Oct 30, 2019

Lighting and Could be high iron levels in tour water as well.

whitelightning77 · Oct 30, 2019

Running 2 250watt radiums and 3 modules of led (mainly for blue supplementation though) . I've thought about iron, never tested for it though.

Dont get me wrong though, corals that are RED, stay red, like my acans, rock anemones, red montis, chalices, etc. Mainly the sps like my millies (red planet frag), and others that CAN shift usually do.

C. Eymann · Oct 30, 2019

Agree with everything said above, what are you keeping your NO3 and PO4 at?

TheShrimpNibbler · Oct 30, 2019

I’ve heard that low light is responsible for acros turning green.

bar|none · Oct 30, 2019

This is an extremely interesting topic. keep going...

Some of my acros that should be red are green. Surviving, maybe growing but not the colors advertised.

My LPS have no issue displaying red, blue, purple etc...

Perry · Oct 30, 2019

Certain trace elements, which are used in corals skeletal building, if depleted without replinshment, could possibly explain. Do you use any trace program, or routine saltwater changes with a salt thst is fortified with trace?

watchguy123 · Oct 30, 2019

Green is way better than brown. I don’t think of green as bad. I view it as a transitional color to something better.

Coronus · Oct 30, 2019

What comes to mind in my systems is low light. Lower light levels will turn some acros green in some places.

whitelightning77 · Oct 30, 2019

C. Eymann said:
Agree with everything said above, what are you keeping your NO3 and PO4 at?

No3 is 5, po4 is 0.03

whitelightning77 · Oct 30, 2019

TheShrimpNibbler said:
I’ve heard that low light is responsible for acros turning green.

Under 2x250 metal halide radiums with an additional 3 led modules at 150 watts each? Last time I did a par test I was running 800 par in some areas.

whitelightning77 · Oct 30, 2019

Perry said:
Certain trace elements, which are used in corals skeletal building, if depleted without replinshment, could possibly explain. Do you use any trace program, or routine saltwater changes with a salt thst is fortified with trace?

Haven't done water changes in forever. Was on a hybrid Triton method. Recently started doing water changes again 2 months ago with reef crystals. No trace element supplements at the moment.

whitelightning77 · Oct 31, 2019

Couple shots

ycnibrc · Oct 31, 2019

How old is your halide bulb? Par is only measurements of intensity spectrum is more important. If your halide spectrum is not good 600 par doesn't mean anything.

SeaDweller · Oct 31, 2019

Green is usually too low of PAR/light or if in LEDs (not your case) too blue of a spectrum.

motortrendz · Oct 31, 2019

One thing I can tell.you from my personal experience, that my red planet and pc rainbow were both green, bright green at that.. they looked good and are growing.. but over the last few weeks I increased the uv spectrum only on my lights from 65 to 80 and not they have both turned pink(red planet) with a green base and deep red(pc rainbow) with a yellow/green base.