Zoanthid colors

[Young Frankenstein]

Perfect its not a lighting question but a chemistry question iron, strontium will help with colors, do very low dosing and test, also recently copper is a concern for loosing color.

 

[Davesgt]

What's a good iron supplement. Im a big seachem fan so does seachem offer any

 

[Young Frankenstein]

Sachem makes them also get a test kit

 

[oceangirl2009]

I know there is chemistry to it as well, but I just switch from PCs to LEDs (and you can get them so your tank is doesn't look 20k) and as soon as they went on the colors changed dramatically. Zoas that used to look brown now have crazy colors that look amazing. I've also noticed more growth.

 

[joshporksandwich]

I don't know who would want a zoa tank without blue leds. All the people that buy frags from me go buy leds within weeks after they see my tank. Sps is different they look awesome with halides but zoas are different. Actually I have a halide vho setup and I think the vho are making my zoos loose color I want to add T5 to supplement or go all leds.

Sent from somewhere

 

[Pappy]

Doesn't iron cause algae issues? And since when isn't 20k natural? Any place I've snorkeled or pics I've seen of reef, the water is generally a deep blue (aka 20k spectrum). Just a couple pics I pulled offline

 

[Tenor]

Led make corals look nicer, pop out more.

 

[Davesgt]

Ok Frankenstein here are some pics i said id take, under my compacts, no leds or anything else just my compacts.

 

[Davesgt]

Oh yea and its a phone pic so its doesnt really do them any justice they look alot better in person.

 

[Davesgt]

If i was to accent this tank with leds what is a good combo?

 

[Young Frankenstein]

Ok Frankenstein here are some pics i said id take, under my compacts, no leds or anything else just my compacts.

I love the colors perfect, natural, just great, if you like more green some iron would do it.

 

[Mtuned]

We use chemistry to achieve a better color, not LED's its like photo shop vs real photos so you look under normal lighting and say ...............nahhhhhhhhhh let me make them look better turn on the LED's LOL, on this one ritter i thing you are wrong

I do this. I run my MH 14k Bulbs 95% of time and achive the best color i can out of the coral... But i’m not going to lie. I have a custom led strip thats setup to come on for a hour at 9:00 tanks in my room. And i love the insane color i get. But i dont use led to color up my coral!

I had radions and sold them as fast as i bought them. I lost all the colors unless the royal blue’s were on!

 

[ritter6788]

We use chemistry to achieve a better color, not LED's its like photo shop vs real photos so you look under normal lighting and say ...............nahhhhhhhhhh let me make them look better turn on the LED's LOL, on this one ritter i thing you are wrong

We? You got a mouse in your pocket? What are you doing to your water chemistry that makes zoanthids color up?

The OP asked what makes zoa colors POP. I've used halides too and my zoas looked nice under them. Dim light makes them dull and pale. Bright light makes them color up no matter if it's MH, t5 or LED. Blue LEDs make them POP whether you like it or not. So do blue t5s, 20,000k MH and actinic PCs...not as much as blue LEDs though.

 

[joshporksandwich]

Frankie is old school. I love my tank to look like a night scene from avatar. A lot of my pictures are taken under 20k halides and I don't have to do much in photoshop. I have a 10gal frag tank next to my display and plumbed to my display sump, it has a chinesse 1w led fixture and the zoas are coloring up so much brighter than in my main display its ridiculous. I will try to do a side by side for you guys to see the difference.

 

[Davesgt]

Thanks guys alot of good info. Getting ready to setup a new 40g breeder so I might have to try halide or leds. Are these 120w ebay leds thay are justout white and blue worth the money. Not gonna spend alot on this build so I was leaning that way. Let me know

 

[revhtree]

I have to say that proper placement in the tank is conjunction with the proper lighting is the key.

 

[buddythelion]

IME, it's the amount of lighting that they're getting that gives them the most color. Most morphs, more light = more color. Candy Apple Reds are a good example! Mine get a lot more color in higher light vs lower. It might take awhile, but if they're left alone and happy then they should color up.

 

[joshporksandwich]

Thanks guys alot of good info. Getting ready to setup a new 40g breeder so I might have to try halide or leds. Are these 120w ebay leds thay are justout white and blue worth the money. Not gonna spend alot on this build so I was leaning that way. Let me know

That's what i have in the frag tank and I say yes. But you might need 2

 

[Davesgt]

Josh did you get the dimmer controlled unit. Plus im gonna start another 10g would one be too much for it

 

[Dsdaley77]

-IMO- With Zoas and really most corals, it comes down to this; Proper placement, individual lighting requirements (remember, different zooanthelle need different spectrums to fluoresce) , a water column that suspends their food if needed and a way to discharge waste away from them.
Once these basic needs are meet, the rest at least in regards to different lighting is based on personal preference. What I mean is this...... If you have three lights (MH, T5 and LED) all the same spectrum and par, you should get similar results not withstanding out side factors like the heat from MH's etc. I have never seen a T5 or PC provide the glitter effect that we naturally see when in an ocean reef. You do get this effect with LED and MH's though. I can also say that 420nm spectrum lighting will make just about anything and everything in your tank look like it was colored with black light paint. I can vouch from experience that all are great options as long as you choose a light that fits your tank and personal preferences on temp color.