Help me get my zoas color back!

constantne

constantne

Member
I bought these two months back and this is what they looked like at first.

This is what they look like now.

I really like how they looked when I first got them. Do you think they need more or less light? Does flow have anything to do with it? My fixture is a 150w 10k bulb with T5 actinics. Any advice is appreciated.
 
flricordia

flricordia

Active Member
Feeding them will probably help some. Does look like a lighting issue. Maybe too much. They might hace come from lower light and didn't have time to adjust to you MH/T5 direct lighting. Try giving them a 10-12 hr actinic/5-6 hr MH light cycle and spot feed them. If they are in high flow move them to less.
 
S

swalchemist

Guest
What was the lighting they were originally kept under? Zoas will adjust there color if moved from different lightings. I think those are Spider Man zoas, if so you will get the truest color from a 250 wt 14 K bulb. 10 K will make the blue more dark at least it does on mine you must remember that a 10 K bulb even at lower wattage will have more PAR than a 250 14 K so it's easy to burn coral under those conditions. Feeding and flow are prob not the cause in this case.
 
jaymz

jaymz

Member
The theory is that the zooxanthella (the microaglae that is inside the coral giving it its color) when in 'too' much light will degrade because the coral needs less zooxanthella to get the energy it needs. In a lower light situation the coral needs to have more zooxanthella to photosynthesize to create sufficient energy. The more zooxanthella means more color.
hope this makes sense
feeding them always helps too
 
constantne

constantne

Member
Thanks for the help guys. I had them under a 14k 70W bulb and now they are under a 10k 150W bulb. Im changing my T5 actinics from the current-usa brand to the ATI blue plus so I get more blue. If not im gonna buy a pheonix 14k bulb.
I will move them and give you guys an update in a week then.
 
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