I recently posted on a question about color in SPS and was kinda surprised to see that many of the posts seemed to support my experiences (most of the time, that doesn't seem to be the case...). I figured it might be time to start a thread to see what other experiences people have had.
To begin the conversation, I think it is important to be honest about husbandry techniques. I'm lazy;). If I have to do a two part addition, I'm not going to do it on a regular basis, which allows my alk and ca to fluctuate a lot, usually well below normal ranges. I also don't do water changes very often (until I stick my hand in the tank and can't get the stink off for a few hours-that always prompts me to more action). I've gotten better, but I still don't spend the time on them I should to hold everything constant all the time. I'm sure PO4 is pretty high, too, based on algae growth.
That all said, here are a few experiences I've had with better coloring in SPS.
While in Nashville, over a 125, I ran (3)-AB 10K 250W DE's with VHO supplementation. AB 10K DE's are more of a 7-8K color (very yellow). The par was through the roof, though. This was before I had a large separate tank for softies, LPS, and zoas (the lighting actually prompted a new tank:D). With razor caulerpa all over the place (not necessarily an indication of higher organics since this stuff grows well even in systems I've meticulously maintained with heavy skimming, etc.), I originally saw a browning of most SPS. LPS, softies, and zoas didn't appreciate the light at all, so they had to move to a different tank. Over time, with low ca and low alk, minimal water changes, my SPS started to color up. It was almost as if they had gotten sunburnt, but held the base tan and continued to color up. Despite the VHO's almost not even being seen through the yellow haze, I had great color. No other changes to the system in that time. Seems to point to strong lighting...
A second experience is since I've moved to Montgomery. I lost all but one of my SPS when I moved, so it was a clean slate. Once again, alk and ca suffered continually. I had been doing two part additions almost religouslty and could not maintain any kind of acceptable levels (dosing 6-10 tablespoons of dry baking soda and DowFlake every other day with levels staying bottomed out). I bought an MRC MR4 skimmer and MRC CR6 Ca reactor when I moved, knowing that my intentinos were for a large, centralized tank room for filtraion of all tanks I could connect. It took me some time to get them hooked up, but I finally did. Hooking the skimmer up seemed to do nothing for the color. I then got the Ca reactor hooked up. Within the first three weeks, my dKH jumped to over 18 for a week or so. With it came a lot of color on all of my SPS. I corrected the Ca Rx issue and balanced the Ca and alk out, and the color stayed. In this case, there were no lighting changes ((3)-Phoenix 14K 250W DE's and VHO's for several years now-these bulbs were changed in Oct of last year, so they continue to deteriorate). In this case, it seemed to be a difference in maintaining Ca and Alk (while I also began adding kalk to the top off to hold my pH in a better range).
From these two experiences, it seemed as though extreme lighting played a huge role (with no other changes and realtively poor husbandry) in the increasing coloration of my SPS. In the second experience, it seemed to be more related to getting alk correct, but several other changes were made to the system (Ca finally came into check and pH was held more consistent). Husbandry techniques have not changed mush over time...
What are some of your experiences in which your SPS colors got better? What did you attribute it to? What other changes were you making in your system in the 3 month time frame before or during the color improvements?
To begin the conversation, I think it is important to be honest about husbandry techniques. I'm lazy;). If I have to do a two part addition, I'm not going to do it on a regular basis, which allows my alk and ca to fluctuate a lot, usually well below normal ranges. I also don't do water changes very often (until I stick my hand in the tank and can't get the stink off for a few hours-that always prompts me to more action). I've gotten better, but I still don't spend the time on them I should to hold everything constant all the time. I'm sure PO4 is pretty high, too, based on algae growth.
That all said, here are a few experiences I've had with better coloring in SPS.
While in Nashville, over a 125, I ran (3)-AB 10K 250W DE's with VHO supplementation. AB 10K DE's are more of a 7-8K color (very yellow). The par was through the roof, though. This was before I had a large separate tank for softies, LPS, and zoas (the lighting actually prompted a new tank:D). With razor caulerpa all over the place (not necessarily an indication of higher organics since this stuff grows well even in systems I've meticulously maintained with heavy skimming, etc.), I originally saw a browning of most SPS. LPS, softies, and zoas didn't appreciate the light at all, so they had to move to a different tank. Over time, with low ca and low alk, minimal water changes, my SPS started to color up. It was almost as if they had gotten sunburnt, but held the base tan and continued to color up. Despite the VHO's almost not even being seen through the yellow haze, I had great color. No other changes to the system in that time. Seems to point to strong lighting...
A second experience is since I've moved to Montgomery. I lost all but one of my SPS when I moved, so it was a clean slate. Once again, alk and ca suffered continually. I had been doing two part additions almost religouslty and could not maintain any kind of acceptable levels (dosing 6-10 tablespoons of dry baking soda and DowFlake every other day with levels staying bottomed out). I bought an MRC MR4 skimmer and MRC CR6 Ca reactor when I moved, knowing that my intentinos were for a large, centralized tank room for filtraion of all tanks I could connect. It took me some time to get them hooked up, but I finally did. Hooking the skimmer up seemed to do nothing for the color. I then got the Ca reactor hooked up. Within the first three weeks, my dKH jumped to over 18 for a week or so. With it came a lot of color on all of my SPS. I corrected the Ca Rx issue and balanced the Ca and alk out, and the color stayed. In this case, there were no lighting changes ((3)-Phoenix 14K 250W DE's and VHO's for several years now-these bulbs were changed in Oct of last year, so they continue to deteriorate). In this case, it seemed to be a difference in maintaining Ca and Alk (while I also began adding kalk to the top off to hold my pH in a better range).
From these two experiences, it seemed as though extreme lighting played a huge role (with no other changes and realtively poor husbandry) in the increasing coloration of my SPS. In the second experience, it seemed to be more related to getting alk correct, but several other changes were made to the system (Ca finally came into check and pH was held more consistent). Husbandry techniques have not changed mush over time...
What are some of your experiences in which your SPS colors got better? What did you attribute it to? What other changes were you making in your system in the 3 month time frame before or during the color improvements?
