Time To Color 'Em Up

mitch91175 · Mar 28, 2020

Do not know if it is best to post this in lighting or SPS forum, but I'll start here. Recently started the Red Sea program in an attempt to color up my SPS more. I have good growth and low mortality rate so now focusing on the next phase coloring them up. First wanting to see if experts out there have any suggestions surrounding my lighting schedule / setup.

Tanks is a 240g

Current Lighting:
4 - Hydra52
4 - ATI Blue+ T5
2 - SBars

Flow:
4 - MP40 in ReefCrest mode
2 - Gyre on back glass
1 - Jebao OW50

Parameters:
Salinity - 35ppt
Alkalinity: 8 - 8.5
Calcium: 420
Magnesium: 1490 (on the high side so letting drop)
NO4: 2.5ppm
PO4: 0.08ppm
Potassium: 390

Equipment:
Apex
Alkatronic
Geo Reef Calcium Reactor
Geo Reef Kalk Stirrer
Sochting Oxydator (for clarity when not running carbon)

Filtration:
Reef Octopus Skimmer
Filter Socks
Refugium with chaeto
Running BRS ROX carbon (sparingly)

Feeding:
Red Sea program ABCD 5ml per day
Red Sea Coral Nutrition 10ml daily before lights out
Seaweed for fish
Pellets twice a day (more of a snack not much though)
Reef Roids once a week

I believe that my currently lighting schedule maybe too long, but would like some info from others that are successful in bringing out the the best colors in their coral.

Schedule for 4 Hydra 52:

T5 Light schedule:

sBars Light schedule:

I do own a PAR meter and can provide those numbers as well, but from top to bottom if memory serves me correctly, I am getting around 450-500 at top and around 165 at the bottom.

Nothing is wrong with what I have going on, but now looking to push the tank even further. Gives me something to do to remain engaged with the system. I do not make changes with the system frequently. Try to keep everything consistent and stable. Only put hands in tank when something falls or grabbing seaweed clip.

Currently changes are starting Red Sea Program and stopping water changes so I have more control over parameters overall.

I do not have any bleaching issues or anything like that, just feel I can get better colors from some of the corals in the system. Tanks has been running like this I believe around 26 months (the time I went mostly SPS).

At one point I slipped on maintaining PO4/NO3 but wasn't too long. Any suggestions are welcomed. Any criticism as well.

Happy Reefing!!!

mitch91175 · Mar 28, 2020

Here’s a couple tank pics I just snapped

mitch91175 · Mar 28, 2020

Here’s a few that are doing fine (I believe )

mitch91175 · Mar 28, 2020

Also before starting to spend $$$ on higher end SPS want to have everything as ready as possible to retain the colors. Have limited space anyways so just gonna add a few pieces then let it ride. I know coral adjust depending on the environment and might never be able to maintain the same colorations as the seller is able to maintain, but want to give them best environment I can provide.

Also, not a seller, I do this for my enjoyment.

BYU · Mar 28, 2020

i’m no expert but it’s funny
i have almost the same set up as you
210 gallon
geo cal reactor
apex with trident
hydra52hds and t5s running ab+ from brs
alk8.2-8.5
phophates 0.06-0.1
nitrates 2
i feed reef roids benereef and reef enhance 2 x per week
i also use phosban
no fuge
was struggling for color then one day it just got better
i believe it just took time for my tank to mature

mitch91175 · Mar 28, 2020

BYU said:
i’m no expert but it’s funny
i have almost the same set up as you
210 gallon
geo cal reactor
apex with trident
hydra52hds and t5s running ab+ from brs
alk8.2-8.5
phophates 0.06-0.1
nitrates 2
i feed reef roids benereef and reef enhance 2 x per week
i also use phosban
no fuge
was struggling for color then one day it just got better
i believe it just took time for my tank to mature

How long have you had the system running? What about your photo period? Is it as long as mine?

My Hydras are non-hd version, so one of these days will look at upgrading those.

ycnibrc · Mar 28, 2020

Your corals look fine if u are chasing the color is Sps which post on the internet then just add more blue led. Most pictures are saturated with blue light.

mitch91175 · Mar 28, 2020

ycnibrc said:
Your corals look fine if u are chasing the color is Sps which post on the internet then just add more blue led. Most pictures are saturated with blue light.

Yeah I know some are, but my Homewrecker & WD do not have the colors I know they can have without the over-saturation. Maybe they just need to be placed in a different area of the tank with more or less flow or more lighting. Right now they both have the base green with slight hints of blue tips on WD and a little pinkish on HW.

I know you'll never get the crazy saturated colors that are in pictures for sure, just seeing if there is something that I might be missing besides more time. Also to see if this can maybe trigger some discussion surrounding certain corals like certain placement better etc.

I have my WD in 2 separate areas in the system and neither is coloring much. So maybe next is to move higher up in the tank with getting more flow to it and letting it ride for a little while there to see what happens.

Also right now have nothing but time being on lockdown

BYU · Mar 28, 2020

my wd was growing good at 300 par but mostly green
when i moved some frags to 500-600 par i got the purple tips
i’ll try to post both with more whites on

mitch91175 · Mar 28, 2020

BYU said:
my wd was growing good at 300 par but mostly green
when i moved some frags to 500-600 par i got the purple tips
i’ll try to post both with more whites on

Thanks for the tip. I will be making a few slight coral placement changes, but will need to find either some Tonga Branch (not the thick branches, but the thinner ones that are a little more difficult to find these days) to allow me to position corals better. I think that's one of my issues, when I start with SPS I bought like 50+. Fortunately majority survived, unfortunately majority survived.

Growth will cause me to begin taking out those that I'm not too fond of to give others better growth room or fragging the heck out of them.

BYU · Mar 28, 2020

we all started like that lol
you will make some good reefing friends

Graffiti Spot · Mar 28, 2020

BYU said:
my wd was growing good at 300 par but mostly green
when i moved some frags to 500-600 par i got the purple tips
i’ll try to post both with more whites on

Amazing coloration on that wd! I love that coral in high par. What lights are you using and what are your nutrients?

snowhite · Mar 28, 2020

Wish Apex and AI would figure out options for controlling the new HD 32/64's via the new Bluetooth connections.
AI says talk to Apex. Apex says talk to AI. I sense some appendage shaking.

mitch91175 · Mar 28, 2020

snowhite said:
Wish Apex and AI would figure out options for controlling the new HD 32/64's via the new Bluetooth connections.
AI says talk to Apex. Apex says talk to AI. I sense some appendage shaking.

That’s part of the reason I haven’t upgraded yet but not solely. I’ll need 4 of them for my system so that’s a decent amount to spend on lighting. I’d rather upgrade to a larger tank first.

Rockmp · Mar 29, 2020

Have you noticed any difference since you started the Red Sea program?

mitch91175 · Mar 29, 2020

Rockmp said:
Have you noticed any difference since you started the Red Sea program?

Yeah my growth has increase for sure. But I also increased my Strontium since it was 0. This dKH usage shows that as well:

Everyday since my dKH consumption drops decently. I do see slight improvements in colors as well on some coral. Also better polyp extension. It'll take a while to get some of the coral to color like I want though I'd imagine. Just moved my HW to better position in the tank for more PAR. Will do the same for WD. Imagine with having nutrients under control and better water parameters that things should HOPEFULLY color even more.

I have a few months of Red Sea program so will see how it goes over a 3 month period.

NanoDJS · Mar 29, 2020

If you have the non hd version your better off ,they have the other white bulbs with better 450nm spike, you need to balance in more white channel to pull out the best colors also the red spectrum 660 spike has to be more like 40% to pull out the reds/pinks/ purples better , the problem with LED ab+ is its not as white as the real t5 ab+ which is around 15k . If you look at almost all lights with all channels on 100% the color is ................15k I understand that BRS says this and that , but historically it takes them around a year or so to realize something more to the story and change thier tune, going off their own video archives full of contradictory sentiment depending on timeline . Love em to death but trying to imitate 1 part of multi part "system" without all the rest is recipe for disaster. Unless you are coral labs , or follow the whole white paper fully , dont try to use AB+ (which is for gen3 xr30 pros anyhow, diff leds ) The known science is a 660nm spike and 15k will color SPS the most fully . Which is why they made C+ t5 bulb to begin with. If you were really slick you had KZ fiji pinks, which is a actinic blue/ red bulb and hits those same spikes . Been cookin corals for a min over here....