SPS Lighting/Coloring Question

[ReeferNtraining]

When you take a particular stick of known lineage and basic color pattern, like a WD, and acclimate it over time to the threshold of maximum par, will that tend to bring out more green as the coral creates more zooanthellae for “sunscreen”? I’m just curious to hear others’ thoughts on this...

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

There is a lot of things that go into a corals coloration besides par.

Type of light, par, wavelength of light, and the amount of nutrients in the system ultimately determine colors to a big extent.

I wish there was an easy answer but this has been my experience. I can tell what my nitrates are by looking at my tricolor colony

 

[ReeferNtraining]

Thanks for checking in! So can you elaborate on what happens with your colors and the different NO3 levels? Basically, I am getting too much green on most of my corals. I keep my tank insanely, or anally, consistent due to previous problems. I’ve been so consistent the last few months that I’m seeing great growth and health. My only complaint is too much green. PO4=.08-.14
NO3=5-15. 15% weekly WC’s and insane polyp extension. I tried moving my WD from 340 PAR to 430 PAR and the green skin just seemed to fluoresce more. Didn’t change color. I’m seeing the same thing on other corals but I just know the WD like the back of my hand and would love to be able to pull the pinks and oranges out of it.

There is a lot of things that go into a corals coloration besides par.

Type of light, par, wavelength of light, and the amount of nutrients in the system ultimately determine colors to a big extent.

I wish there was an easy answer but this has been my experience. I can tell what my nitrates are by looking at my tricolor colony

 

[SeaDweller]

Thanks for checking in! So can you elaborate on what happens with your colors and the different NO3 levels? Basically, I am getting too much green on most of my corals. I keep my tank insanely, or anally, consistent due to previous problems. I’ve been so consistent the last few months that I’m seeing great growth and health. My only complaint is too much green. PO4=.08-.14
NO3=5-15. 15% weekly WC’s and insane polyp extension. I tried moving my WD from 340 PAR to 430 PAR and the green skin just seemed to fluoresce more. Didn’t change color. I’m seeing the same thing on other corals but I just know the WD like the back of my hand and would love to be able to pull the pinks and oranges out of it.

What kind of lights are you running? Too much green could mean recovery/transition mode or in LED lit tanks (mine included) not enough full spectrum or white lighting.

 

[Big E]

Your nutrient levels are fine.

Focus on Spectral Distribution............that means you need to have enough of 400-600nm across the tank for all corals.

The second part of spectral distribution is the intensity(par).

Some corals can be green due to incorrect spectrum over it to excite the pigments. Others will be green due to not enough par.

Most acros will color good at the 300-350 par range. As you get more experienced looking at your corals you can get a feel which like more par or less.

If you create the correct consistent spectrum across the whole tank its only a matter of high or low placement.

That WD is pretty small............i'd wait till it's much larger before I'd make any substantial conclusions on that particular piece. You should be able to visually see how colorful the new growth is and use that as a gauge. That being said, the par levels you have it under are fine so I'd focus more on spectrum. You can't have pockets of inconsistent spectrum.......that could mean not enough coverage or incorrect settings if it's LED. Which would mean adjust setting or get more coverage. A lot of people will use some T5 if that is the case as it's less expensive.....or add more led.

I would evaluate all the acros in your system for color not just one coral. If most are colorful, than it's mainly an intensity adjustment for a particular coral.

 

[ReeferNtraining]

What kind of lights are you running? Too much green could mean recovery/transition mode or in LED lit tanks (mine included) not enough full spectrum or white lighting.

I have the AL hybrid fixture. I’m running 3 Blue+ 54w bulbs and 1 Coral+ Bulb with 4 AI Prime HD’s over a standard 75g.
Not enough white lighting may be the issue as my peak on the prime whites is only 40%.

 

[ReeferNtraining]

Your nutrient levels are fine.

Focus on Spectral Distribution............that means you need to have enough of 400-600nm across the tank for all corals.

The second part of spectral distribution is the intensity(par).

Some corals can be green due to incorrect spectrum over it to excite the pigments. Others will be green due to not enough par.

Most acros will color good at the 300-350 par range. As you get more experienced looking at your corals you can get a feel which like more par or less.

If you create the correct consistent spectrum across the whole tank its only a matter of high or low placement.

That WD is pretty small............i'd wait till it's much larger before I'd make any substantial conclusions on that particular piece. You should be able to visually see how colorful the new growth is and use that as a gauge. That being said, the par levels you have it under are fine so I'd focus more on spectrum. You can't have pockets of inconsistent spectrum.......that could mean not enough coverage or incorrect settings if it's LED. Which would mean adjust setting or get more coverage. A lot of people will use some T5 if that is the case as it's less expensive.....or add more led.

I would evaluate all the acros in your system for color not just one coral. If most are colorful, than it's mainly an intensity adjustment for a particular coral.

Great information here Big E. Thank you!
The pic of the WD is a couple months old. He has shot a few branches out and that is what has triggered my post. One new branch is about an inch long and I was expecting to see some color variation but it didn’t. The tip has the nice dark blue color but the rest of the branch has the same green color. That’s one of the reasons I decided to post. But, the WD is not the only coral that I’m studying. I have the RR Orange Passion and Homewrecker that I’m trying to pull more color from as well. The OP has a beautiful blue skin but the polyps, although extended great, are a dull green/grey. Same with the HW. Skin is a minty green and the polyps are just a green/grey.
My local reef club has a PAR meter and I think I have a good PAR distribution based on using it. I also believe I’m getting pretty good at judging the best PAR for each of my corals but I’m not sure how I would determine the spectral distribution you mention. I could screen shot my AI settings if that would give you better insight to analyze my spectrum?
I value your insight.

 

[SeaDweller]

I have the AL hybrid fixture. I’m running 3 Blue+ 54w bulbs and 1 Coral+ Bulb with 4 AI Prime HD’s over a standard 75g.
Not enough white lighting may be the issue as my peak on the prime whites is only 40%.

On my fixtures, 40% is plenty and I think your AI primes use the same diodes as my Photon V2+, but I’m not familiar with your primes. @Chaswood79 seems to be an AI guru, so hopefully he can tell you if he thinks your program is enough. By the looks of it, you seem to have enough coverage with the T5 and LEDs, so maybe just Tweak your spectrum at this point, adding more of the other channels in.

you said you measured par. What were you getting?

 

[ReeferNtraining]

On my fixtures, 40% is plenty and I think your AI primes use the same diodes as my Photon V2+, but I’m not familiar with your primes. @Chaswood79 seems to be an AI guru, so hopefully he can tell you if he thinks your program is enough. By the looks of it, you seem to have enough coverage with the T5 and LEDs, so maybe just Tweak your spectrum at this point, adding more of the other channels in.

you said you measured par. What were you getting?

After reading everyone’s responses, I think you & BigE are right about spectrum. I think I will start by changing out 1 of the back side Blue+ bulbs with a Coral+ bulb today and then give it a few weeks before making anymore changes.
As for PAR, the WD currently sits about 430. Same with the OP, HW and about 380-400 on my Red Planet and WWC Christmas Mirabilis.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

I think your Tenuis just need more time. A lot more time. My WD took almost 6 months before the purples and pinks started showing and the same goes for most of my acros. Your par sounds more than efficient. So if you like the way the tank looks to your eyes then I would just leave everything alone and wait. My WD did exactly what you’re describing. It was green and then neon green before a couple new branches started forming and then the purple tips started popping. Sooo, Be patient grasshopper

 

[flockaveli]

My experience with WD is it needs a lot of light to lose the greens. Like 500+ PAR, and not heavy blues. No3/Po4 will ultimately be a factor in a corals color as well, but not so much as the PAR and spectrum imo.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

I keep mine around 450 par for 8 hours with 2 hours ramps up and down
Oct 2018

Oct 2019

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Here’s a better after pic

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

This was the first pic I could find with purple tips and it was taken in april

 

[ReeferNtraining]

Here’s a better after pic

Mine is pretty close to yours. Your yellows are a little brighter than mine.
I think I’ll give it a little more time, as you guys suggest. I did change out one of the back bulbs to a coral plus. I’ve definitely noticed more growth when I changed out the front bulb. So maybe having 2 Blue+ and 2 Coral+ will get me a little closer to proper spectrum. I’ll leave my LED’s where they are.

 

[flockaveli]

BigR WD grown under a warmer spectrum. blue+/coral+/6500k bulbs. Looks a tad dull when all lights are on, but it is a good spectrum to bring out the pinks in this coral

under blues

 

[ReeferNtraining]

BigR WD grown under a warmer spectrum. blue+/coral+/6500k bulbs. Looks a tad dull when all lights are on, but it is a good spectrum to bring out the pinks in this coral

under blues

Beautiful! That is what I’m shooting for!

 

[ReeferNtraining]

This is my AI settings. The flatline in the middle is when my T5’s are on. Any suggestions appreciated....

 

[SeaDweller]

After reading everyone’s responses, I think you & BigE are right about spectrum. I think I will start by changing out 1 of the back side Blue+ bulbs with a Coral+ bulb today and then give it a few weeks before making anymore changes.
As for PAR, the WD currently sits about 430. Same with the OP, HW and about 380-400 on my Red Planet and WWC Christmas Mirabilis.

thats A good plan, or maybe up the white, red, and green some. Or just give it more time. I hope you don’t end up getting “HW Syndrome” and tweak everything to try to color up one piece while ticking everything off like I did. Lol
Here’s my WD main colony:

see? Eventually the green went away.

Here’s a new frag of Big R WD chillin on the sandbed (since been moved up to a frag rack) but here, more WD-Ish colors can be seen and I attribute that to the system health from the person I got it from.

 

[SeaDweller]

This is my AI settings. The flatline in the middle is when my T5’s are on. Any suggestions appreciated....

I don’t run T5 supplements, but if I did, I wouldn’t drop anything. Why did you? Too much par?