Digitata light requirements General SPS Discussion Discuss Digitata light requirements in the General Reef Discussion forums; I have had a digitata in my tank (29gal) for a few months under 5 T5HO bulbs (2 actinic, 2 10000k, and 1 6700k) the first 4 are 39 watt ...

[RacingTiger03]

I have had a digitata in my tank (29gal) for a few months under 5 T5HO bulbs (2 actinic, 2 10000k, and 1 6700k) the first 4 are 39 watt and the last a 22watt. In direct light at the bottom it never did well and had a very light almost white coloration. I moved it into an area where it recieves only indirect light a couple weeks ago and its color has started returning. It has been growing all this time.. just horrible coloration.

Once its color returns, should I put it back into the light directly, and still on the sandbed?

What recommendations do you guys have?

[eggie]

change your bulb combo
I really dont think is helping you

Also what are you parameters ?

[shapermike]

Originally Posted by eggie

change your bulb combo
I really dont think is helping you

Also what are you parameters ?

+1

you might have too much light on them

[Scopus Tang]

IME, digi coloration is tied to large amounts of light, especially in the purple shades (that is purple shades of the digi, not purple shades of light). The more intense light you can give it, of the proper spectrum, the better its coloration is going to be. Like the others, I recommend considering the bulb combination, but I would definitely leave it in the higher light.

[Paul_PSU]

I never get the proper color out of my digi unless they are in the top 1/2 of the tank under my (2) 250w phoenix 14k. The color get even deeper if I put them a few inches from the water surface.

[RacingTiger03]

so why do they seem to do better when shaded from the light?

If it is the spectrum I have.. what do you guys recommend?.. Also I forgot I changed the bulbs a few months ago.. it is actually 2 16,000K or 18,000K I forget which, but it is more in the purple spectrum than blue. (which is why I supplement with the 1 6700K)

[shapermike]

Originally Posted by RacingTiger03

so why do they seem to do better when shaded from the light?

If it is the spectrum I have.. what do you guys recommend?.. Also I forgot I changed the bulbs a few months ago.. it is actually 2 16,000K or 18,000K I forget which, but it is more in the purple spectrum than blue. (which is why I supplement with the 1 6700K)

it could be the bulbs you are using and the age of the bulbs.

[eggie]

Originally Posted by RacingTiger03

so why do they seem to do better when shaded from the light?

If it is the spectrum I have.. what do you guys recommend?.. Also I forgot I changed the bulbs a few months ago.. it is actually 2 16,000K or 18,000K I forget which, but it is more in the purple spectrum than blue. (which is why I supplement with the 1 6700K)

Its more do to the colors your using its too white spectrum for them to be on the top
thats why when you put them low they tend to get more color

Use more blue 460 bulbs (4) and 12k bulbs (2)
it will give you better color and you could place the digitata more up in the tank

[Makbarracuda]

My ora orange digi is three inches under my t5hos. When i changed the spectrum bulbs(18000k and actinic to 6500k and 18000k, mine began to grow. However the color i did notice is getting quite light. i'm going to put it under 250watt metal halides once my new tank cycles. While sitting in on a conference with Julian Sprung, the subject was getting colors to pop in sps, he said there were two methods: fast and rapid growth, and starving them to the point of almost no growth. So it is possible that some balanvce in your tank is off leaving them unable to process the large amounts of light normally required.

[RacingTiger03]

ok, well I just got home and checked out my bulbs. As I mentioned.. age isn't the issue, the bulbs are less than 3 months old, closer to 2 and a half. what I have are 2 460nm actinic, 2 18,000K and 1 6700. I have great growth out of it.. color has been my only concern with it. Everything else in the tank is doing great and showing good growth, even my stylo has a brilliant green color for the corrallites and light orange/tan base (coming from brown from the lfs).

Are you guys suggesting I need more blue? So replace the 6700 with another actinic? I can do that easily, I have a spare for the 22watt unit that is a 460nm bulb less than 3 months old as well.

[eggie]

Originally Posted by RacingTiger03

ok, well I just got home and checked out my bulbs. As I mentioned.. age isn't the issue, the bulbs are less than 3 months old, closer to 2 and a half. what I have are 2 460nm actinic, 2 18,000K and 1 6700. I have great growth out of it.. color has been my only concern with it. Everything else in the tank is doing great and showing good growth, even my stylo has a brilliant green color for the corrallites and light orange/tan base (coming from brown from the lfs).

Are you guys suggesting I need more blue? So replace the 6700 with another actinic? I can do that easily, I have a spare for the 22watt unit that is a 460nm bulb less than 3 months old as well.

What are your parameters ?

Is the digitata a wild colony ?

[RacingTiger03]

from this past weekend:
ca 420
alk 10
ph 8.2
phosphates & nitrates didn't register.

I went ahead and swapped that 1 22watt 6700 for a 460nm actinic. The color overall looks a lot better (in the tank that is, as obviously nothing has had time to adjust to it yet).

The digitata is a frag from the LFS colony, I think 2nd generation.

[eggie]

Parameters look good
No that you change the bulb is a matter of some time to see any changes

[RacingTiger03]

Yeah, I'm hoping the bulb change helps. I'll be moving and changing to a 55 gallon tank in a few months, so getting my tank happy and stable now is very important to me.. I don't want anything in rough shape before the move.
Thanks for all the help everyone!