Trouble keep Tri-Color acros colors....

[H22ATypeS]

Anyone have trouble keep these species of corals in their natural colors.....For some reason I can not seem to get my two colonies to color up like how I had them when I first got them. They all seem to brown out on me.....My water parameters reads as follows:

dKH = 8
PO4 = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 0
Ammonia = 0
CA = 400
MG = 1350

Corals are blasted with 4 250 watts DE halides (2 14K Hamiltons / 2 10K BLV)

Supplemented with 2 160 watts VHO Super Actinic R

Flow is provide via 2 Tunze 6100 and a Tunze 6060

My guess is the 10K lighting I'm placing them under.....Maybe it's too intense....I'm gonna try the 14K zone....

Anyone have any input on this?

Thanks
Allen

BTW is it normal to have most my coralline die off also?...My rocks are like VERY CLEAN!...No coralline, no algae, NOTHING on it...just the rock itself and whatever frags I glue to it.

[Aged Salt]

Hi Allen, are you using ZEOvit? If so, for how long? If not, then you still have organics/stored nutrients which need exhausted in order for color fast. Bob

[gqjeff]

Bring the Ca up to 420-440 or so.. the coralline I noticed bleached when you go under like 9 ALK.. I have noticed the same thing running 8 for ALK... All params look good.. How old are the corals in your system? What lighting did they come from? Salinty? How far are the corals under the 250 DE's?

[H22ATypeS]

I've been running ZEO for approx. 6 months already after the tank crashed..(remember I was the guy that saw no improvements on ZEO for the first 2 months and I asked a bunch of questions..)

Corals in the system has been approx 6 months...Everything is doing very well..except my 2 colonies of tri-colors....I have one tri-color approx 4 inches from the surface of the 10K and the other one at 8 inches from the 10 K.....

Salinity in my tank sits at 1.025...water changes at 20 gallons every week on Firday using Tropic Marine Salt with RO+DI water...

I should post a picture of my tank for everyone to see...

[gqjeff]

Yea everything looks good.. You bought that old asm g-2 I had I rem... Hey I would try changing the placement of the corals and see how that turns out.. Wild colonies if they are sometimes lose colors.. I have heard though from most on zeo they are able to retain the wild colonies colors.. I know they are getting slammed with the 10K DE's that close to them.. Par is REALLY high for the 10K DE's... If I recall though you are only on the 4th month tops of zeo.. I rem your tank crashed when you were in Hawaii... Correct? Maybe do the sticky thread at the top about your tank also..

[H22ATypeS]

OPPS....my Math is off..5 months into Zeo...Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, and Jan.....Actually going into my 4th ZEO change out this weekend.....

[gqjeff]

I would def try changing the placement on the tri colors... Everything else looks fine...

[H22ATypeS]

I would def try changing the placement on the tri colors... Everything else looks fine...

Yah I'll try that around for a month or so...
Thanks

[naka]

Hi Allen, tricolors are way too close to the surface IMO. Mine are about 14" from halides (2 x 250de). Here some pics of my wild and bali cultured.
I hope this helps, sorry about browning out.

Wild colony now!


Wild back in September 2004 (nice and brown)



Bali cultured

[scottw]

here are a few of mine. I keep them more then 14" from the light (let me say they were mine, they are in Jeffs tank now )

Both pics are of the same piece

[scottw]

Different piece





different piece

[scottw]

wow I need to set White Balance.. Damn Using A Nikon D100 for those, last one with my Nikon D70

[H22ATypeS]

damn that's what mine USED to look like..ok moving them down lower!

[gqjeff]

Well I am trying to color them up again Scott hahahaah.. The tips are looking VERY nice already though.

Peace, jeff

[scottw]

Well I am trying to color them up again Scott hahahaah.. The tips are looking VERY nice already though.

Peace, jeff

when he took them they were out of ZEO for almost 2 weeks. I broke down tanks, and he got the luck of those I have faith in Jeff.. Go jeff, go jeff, go jeff, go go go go........