Kind of a wierd ?? I can't find the answer to anywhere!

[tizzo]

Color. The colored tips of corals. Why will some corals have a blue edge in one tank and a white or brown in another. I have an efflo that is supposed to have a blue rim but it does not. Every now and then it looks like it wants to start but it never gets very big (the blue edge). I have ablue tort and the tips are very blue. But as far as the efflo, is it because I only use 10 K's?? (2 250's, 2 vho actinics 8 inches from water surface), is it a calcium thing (mines a pretty steady 410). Is their a trace element I am not thinking of?? What could help replenish this blue rim?? And my digis only get their purple tips when they are within 4 inches of the surface. 5 inches and they are white. So...whaddya think??

 

[viper_930]

The bulb color plays a part in this, and also the intensity. The more light and the bluer the light the darker the rims/tips on the corals should be. However, some SPS just naturally would only have a white rim/tips.
Corals might vary in color from tank to tank also. For example one might have white polyps, but in another tank the same coral's polyps may turn blue.

 

[tizzo]

I was thinking of switching to a 20K to see if that would help. Should I go straight for the 20K or should I attempt a 13 or 14 first?? I have never looked at a 20K set up so I have no idea how "blue" it will look. I don't want it to look actinic, is it that drastic??

 

[viper_930]

20kks would probably be too blue coupled with the VHO actinics. If I were you I'd go for the 14kks. If they're double ended bulbs look into a japanese brand called Phoenix. They're one of the top bulbs and comparable to Aquaconnects, but almost half the price.

 

[shoreliner11]

Don't forget that nutrients as well as other water chemistry also play a role in coloration of corals...especially sps. Take a nice bright efflo and stick it a tank with the same lighting and higher nitrates and phosphates and generally the growth will slow down as well as the coloration often going more towards the brown side (although this is not always true). Sometimes the rapid growth of a coral is what gives that can give the bright colors on the growth margin. Slow down the growth and IME the coloration can differ greatly.
Edit* Sorry, I kinda went a little overboard, needed to read the first post more closely. :notsure:
Aaron

 

[perchpsk]

I have a pink tip haitian anenome in my tank. When I brought it home it was very pink. I added it to my tank and under my lights it is totally blue down to the tips.
I run 2 175 watt 14K halides and 2 100 watt VHO actinics.
When my aquarium lights go out and I have the regular light from my gameroom on the anenome is white with pink tips. Its pretty cool to see the varied color it has in different lights.
From pink :jumping: to blue :scared:

 

[bang guy]

All I have are opinions.
I believe it's a combination of food, light intensity and light spectrum. I don't believe it has much to do with light color.
Definitive answers have been difficult for me to find. I'm not even convinced that well colored corals are necessarily healthy corlas.

 

[the reef]

Originally Posted by Tizzo
I was thinking of switching to a 20K to see if that would help. Should I go straight for the 20K or should I attempt a 13 or 14 first?? I have never looked at a 20K set up so I have no idea how "blue" it will look. I don't want it to look actinic, is it that drastic??
I have 20k and the candy corals I bought from the lfs were kinda faded compared to my candy corals I already had then after couple of weeks the new candy corals were just as bright here is a pic of how brite my candy corals are you will know your corals are healthy when you see them grow and reproduce