How to increase color intensity and definition.

[Da8]

This is a very interesting tenuis.

I know genetics take a huge part in this process. You can't make the most of all SPS , but how can we at least make colors more vivid and intense when the subject has potential?

My tenuis shows lots of potential. If you watch carefully you can find very soft pinks ( I wonder how could I make them more contrasted) ,greens, purple (very soft indeed) yellow tips.

With polips , happen the same. In that tenuis, I've got, pink reddish , some green , and some yellow polips.

Not a clue of what is happening. Or what should I do to make better it's coloration.

N: undetectable/1 , Po4 0,08 K 390 KH: 7'5 , CA 480 , MG 1320
Radion G4pro lighting : 100 blues , 60 whites+ 2 t5 white

To sum up, how can we make more intense color definition? What paremetres do you think make them boost.

Thank you

 

[maroun.c]

Maybe allowing a bit more nitrates will help give richer deeper colors. I'd also dose some amino acids and possibly some coral food.

 

[Da8]

I try having more N but for my tank is very difficult.

I add two times per week aminos and reef roids and chroma daily.

Thank you for your answer.

 

[WillB]

What is chroma? A trace element supplement?

 

[Scrubber_steve]

What is chroma? A trace element supplement?

http://www.coralessentials.com.au/chroma.html

 

[Da8]

What is chroma? A trace element supplement?

Chroma, Coral Color +

From UWC.

It's supposed to be nutrition that boosts color

 

[Scrubber_steve]

This is a very interesting tenuis.

I know genetics take a huge part in this process. You can't make the most of all SPS , but how can we at least make colors more vivid and intense when the subject has potential?

My tenuis shows lots of potential. If you watch carefully you can find very soft pinks ( I wonder how could I make them more contrasted) ,greens, purple (very soft indeed) yellow tips.

With polips , happen the same. In that tenuis, I've got, pink reddish , some green , and some yellow polips.

Not a clue of what is happening. Or what should I do to make better it's coloration.

N: undetectable/1 , Po4 0,08 K 390 KH: 7'5 , CA 480 , MG 1320
Radion G4pro lighting : 100 blues , 60 whites+ 2 t5 white

To sum up, how can we make more intense color definition? What paremetres do you think make them boost.

Thank you

Very nice coral. Have you had it long? Has it grown much in the time you've had it?

 

[tdileo]

I definitely agree there’s a lot of potential there. What PAR is is getting? I’ve had pieces look decent under moderate lighting, but once I start baking them under 350+ PAR some of them go crazy.
One of my corals that did so the fastest was my RR Tropic Thunder, and a big difference in terms of vibrancy and how deep the colors were within a month and a half across the whole piece.

 

[Da8]

I definitely agree there’s a lot of potential there. What PAR is is getting? I’ve had pieces look decent under moderate lighting, but once I start baking them under 350+ PAR some of them go crazy.
One of my corals that did so the fastest was my RR Tropic Thunder, and a big difference in terms of vibrancy and how deep the colors were within a month and a half across the whole piece.

I'm not sure of PAR readings but I'm using radion pro g4 with blues and purples at 100% and the tenuis is at the upper part so I'm sure it's getting higher PAR than most other animals.
Yesterday decided to increase greens to double. No red led . All at 80% intensity at max peak.

Thank you very much for your answer.

Very nice coral. Have you had it long? Has it grown much in the time you've had it?

About a year.
Yes it was just a little grey branch.

But saw pinkish shinning. Slowly it has developed pink pólip, yellow rings in the tips and other colors

But none of them are well defined.
Thank you very much for your answer.

Here another tenuis I've got that is more defined.
But still not the depth of colour and strength I want.

 

[tdileo]

Well then I would say it’s definitely getting strong lighting. In my experience I’ve found that a lot of acros just need months and months of rock solid consistency and happiness with a dash of luck to completely color up. That, and with some, photoshop [emoji6]

 

[Da8]

Well then I would say it’s definitely getting strong lighting. In my experience I’ve found that a lot of acros just need months and months of rock solid consistency and happiness with a dash of luck to completely color up. That, and with some, photoshop [emoji6]

Definitely, patience and time are key to success in this colour process.

But I'm not getting the strength of colour. just only on tenuis. Other as red planet (see second in second photo) have great color

 

[mtraylor]

I would say if you move the tenius down a bit in the aquarium you will get more color. Some tenius love light and some dont. Frag a piece and move it down and check it out. I have a pink one and added more light and it washed it out. Trust me.

 

[Da8]

I would say if you move the tenius down a bit in the aquarium you will get more color. Some tenius love light and some dont. Frag a piece and move it down and check it out. I have a pink one and added more light and it washed it out. Trust me.

I hate touching animals that are growing ok but I'm sure you are right.

Because the parts that are more in shadows have deeper colours.
They don't satisfy me either... But are better.

Guess one day of these maybe I'll cut it down to pieces and move it by the aquarium and my friends.

Have you observed this happening always with pinks ?

Tell me more!! Thank you very much for your answer.

 

[TheHarold]

Keep in mind that most vendors use filters and editing programs in the photos of the corals they sell. It sets unrealistic expectations. Acros don’t look like that in person. Except to hear things like “oh it’s just from shipping” or “it’ll color up”.

Your acro looks great- and if it’s growing, you’re doing great.

For example, these are some “before” and “after” photos/examples of the editing by a sponsor. You can probably guess which is the before, lol.

My point is what you may think is “drab” is really how something looks without all the special effects :)

 

[Da8]

Keep in mind that most vendors use filters and editing programs in the photos of the corals they sell. It sets unrealistic expectations. Acros don’t look like that in person. Except to hear things like “oh it’s just from shipping” or “it’ll color up”.

Your acro looks great- and if it’s growing, you’re doing great.

For example, these are some “before” and “after” photos/examples of the editing by a sponsor. You can probably guess which is the before, lol.

My point is what you may think is “drab” is really how something looks without all the special effects :)

Totally right also.

But I try ignore the Photoshop cheating.

When watching WD and other mythological acros, despite the more than perfect photos, the fact is that you can see too many different colours in the skin and polyps.
Those colour are intense.

Yes, maybe yellows are greens. Reds are pinks. Lots of cheating is possible as you say. But intensity and variety of color are there...

It's true that it makes very difficult to know what is achievable and what is not but therefore I use other animals of my tanks as checkers.

This tenuis which is next to it has very strong and delicate colours. And that's what I want for the other.

Maybe is just what mtraylor says that is washed out by light ...

And what about polyp color?

Is there any trick to change its appearance??

Thank you very much for your replies

 

[Scrubber_steve]

I add two times per week aminos and reef roids and chroma daily.

Did using the chroma have any noticable effect on color at all?

 

[Da8]

Did using the chroma have any noticable effect on color at all?

This is the first bottle I use. Three weeks is maybe too early to say nothing.
Haven't noticed anything big enough to tell. Sorry

 

[mtraylor]

I hate touching animals that are growing ok but I'm sure you are right.

Because the parts that are more in shadows have deeper colours.
They don't satisfy me either... But are better.

Guess one day of these maybe I'll cut it down to pieces and move it by the aquarium and my friends.

Have you observed this happening always with pinks ?

Tell me more!! Thank you very much for your answer.

When I say take a frag, I mean a little one. Something around a size of 1/2" to 1" frag and put it on a plug. That way you can make placement of the corals where ever you want. Moving the colony is stressful and can be fatal on sps. I would not recommend that to anyone on a well established coral.

Once you move the frag piece and watch it grow. You will know in about a month if you found the right spot. I currently will be doing the same on the tenius I washed out. It was fine before. I have only observed this behavior on my pink tenius. I will try and take some pics later today to show you. The only other coral I have with allot of pink in it is wwc french tickler and its just a tad deeper in the aquarium and its pink is just fine as seen below. Lighting affects these corals allot. I run uv 24/7 and I just changed out my bulb several weeks ago and all the corals have changed color some what after the new bulb was put in because they are getting more light. Some look better and some not so much. Anyway, that is what I have observed.

This is the french tickler. Its beside my WD. The WD has changed color a bit as well since UV bulb change out. Not sure I like it but its still vibrant.
This pic was taken just a bit ago with morning lights just coming on. ALL LED"s btw.

 

[Da8]

When I say take a frag, I mean a little one. Something around a size of 1/2" to 1" frag and put it on a plug. That way you can make placement of the corals where ever you want. Moving the colony is stressful and can be fatal on sps. I would not recommend that to anyone on a well established coral.

Once you move the frag piece and watch it grow. You will know in about a month if you found the right spot. I currently will be doing the same on the tenius I washed out. It was fine before. I have only observed this behavior on my pink tenius. I will try and take some pics later today to show you. The only other coral I have with allot of pink in it is wwc french tickler and its just a tad deeper in the aquarium and its pink is just fine as seen below. Lighting affects these corals allot. I run uv 24/7 and I just changed out my bulb several weeks ago and all the corals have changed color some what after the new bulb was put in because they are getting more light. Some look better and some not so much. Anyway, that is what I have observed.

This is the french tickler. Its beside my WD. The WD has changed color a bit as well since UV bulb change out. Not sure I like it but its still vibrant.
This pic was taken just a bit ago with morning lights just coming on. ALL LED"s btw.

Thank you very much for your answer.

Understood. just a little frag.

Even though I'm sure you are right about this tenuis...


What a wonderful WD you have. For me it's just day dreaming...in Spain that corals just don't arrive. :(

I'm interested in your lighting scheme

Apart from using leds, you use a UV bulb ?


Have never heard of them

Sorry for the ignorance!! Thank you again for the reply!

 

[mtraylor]

This is the tenius I took the pic at same time this morning. I think its very similar to yours. I will see if I have a old pic before it got washed out.