Steve Wright's SPS takeover

Thank you Ultraner
I will certainly update over the next few weeks, with how my corals etc react to the new lighting type

it spooked the fish a bit for the 1st half hour today, I think the shimmering effect being something they had gotten out of the habit of experiencing, may have thrown them. within 30 minutes they seem to have adjusted and went about their business as usual.

Steve

 

lol prob thought they were at the disco momentarily!

 

You have not had MH on this tank before?????

 

Beautiful tank, Steve. I hope the new lighting works out for you.

 

I have not Nor_ Cal_Guy - I had 6 x 80 watt T5 on it whilst it was SPS
Before that, I had 4 x 40 watt T8s on it looking after some softies

Thanks Mr. Bill

comments/ thoughts please on below

I had that 6 x 80 watt T5 unit, with Geisseman lamps
but what I did not have was quality individual reflectors
the canopy was local produce and had 2 reflectors in it, each of them accommodating 3 x lamps

thus in reality, my 6 lamp T5 unit was not anywhere near as effective as the 6 lamp T5 units used by many others

I have been struggling with Purple on SPS corals
other colours, blues, green, yellows, seem OK
but with purple corals, I was getting brown out at the base of the stems, leaving just a couple of CM at the tips , purple, and eventually the purple on the tips faded also

I tried increasing flow, trying to ensure it was not localised nutrient build up causing the issue
I have been Vodka dosing for months, and the general condition of the aquarium led me to believe that nutrients in themselves are not the issue

so I took the plunge, MH lamps , 500 watts of lights with what look to be decent quality reflectors , in the hope that lighting is the issue with my inability to keep purple acros, purple!

time will tell

Steve

 

amazing tank! how large?

 

My first thought is that if the corals are opening and looking healthy otherwise, poor lighting is usually the cause for changing color. Personally, I think you're on the right track.

 

Thank you 1.0reef
its 60 inches x 20 x 18 - and has just over 72 gallons of salt water in it
I know this because last September I had to fill it using 2 gallon buckets
using the calculator its a 90 gallon aquarium.

Thanks again Mr. Bill
yes without a doubt, they where healthy, polyps opening etc, just not the color I wanted

might get away with a bit less flow now, and take the disco effect out of the ripple/ shimmer LOL

Steve

 

I honestly think you will see an improvement in the coloration with the MH in a couple months.

Blues, purple and reds seem to be the hardest to get.

If you do not start to see a desirable color shift, maybe you want to consider backing off the vodka or feeding more. Potassium seems to benefit the colors you are looking for, but it gets complicated.

Member m2434 is getting some nice pastel colors going with his sps, maybe he will share his method.

 

Thank you Cheryl
I know its only day 2, and I am limiting myself to 2 hours only Halide use this week, but I am convinced I am seeing some purple potential already on one of my browned out Acro's - maybe wishful thinking , I hope its actually the case though

thanks for the heads up on m2434 pastel corals

I have been using , Amino based supplements, Koral Kolor, Restor, plus Zooplankton S and M, Zooton, Cyclopeze, Reef Bugs (they're alive you know?) and various other food based supplements
and I add one of these on an every other day basis at present.