Faded Pink Montipora (but growing)

[mickeyfish]

I’ll start by saying it is hard to capture a picture of this because it is evident only under the actinics.

I got a pink Montipora frag 2-3 months back. It was a bright fluorescent pink upon putting in my tank, however, it faded significantly and no longer glows under the actinics. I have not been able to find out why.

The interesting part is it is growing well. The new growth is bright pink and flouresces greatly under the actinics. However the middle is still very dull.

Any advice? Is this normal? How can I color up the original portion of the frag?

Params:
Salinity: 1.026
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 5
Phosphate: .15
Alk:8.5
Calcium: 420


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[FullBoreReefer]

What lights?

...more info

[mickeyfish]

Originally Posted by FullBoreReefer

What lights?

...more info

This is in a Biocube LED with the standard lights and three supplemental ReefBars.
https://www.21ledusa.com/aquarium_le...rb5730blwp.htm


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[Uncle99]

Do you have other corals?
How long have you been running this tank?
I looked at the link but fail to understand how at light that's $20 can grow anything, especially a Monti which is a light lover.
I have my pinks under 165w LED, right at the top, and they hold all the color, and I only run at 50%.
I use VISPARSPECTRA, you may google them for a look, do yours look like this.
I understand there is no fan, that's not a good sign.
Sorry, just never seen lights like these but how much actual par intensity could one expect.
LED's that grow coral are usually about 40-60, three watt LED, in the white, blue, purple, and green spectrums.

Your parameters are on point and Monti is almost indestructible so I suspect intensity is your problem.

The correct water (which you have) and the correct light will grow virtual all corals, and make them happy for best colour.

[mickeyfish]

Yup, I think that is a fair assessment. The rest of the tank is mostly softies and a few LPS and they are doing great. These lights were supplemental to the Biocube stock lighting until I upgrade to something like RapidLED, or Steve’s LEDs for the cube.

Just wondering if there was anything else that could cause this. As mentioned, the new growth (about a half cm in all directions) is bright pink and flouresces on this monti. The tank is about 6 months old btw.


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[Uncle99]

I have found that great water (which you have) consistency (6 months, yup you have) plus great light (which we agree you likely don't have) will grow anything and colours should not fade, unless you overkill them with light, then they will bleach (turn whitefish)

If you do upgrade, a soft rule in LED is approx 150 watts will do a 24x24x24 tank.
Softies and LPS love LED light as well, man I do clams and SPS too with these.

And when ya get real comfortable after lighting, you can consider Red Sea Colurs Program, but be careful, overdoses of these, especially the metals one can kill a coral in days.

If you do change lighting, after 6 months the corals will not be used to the intensity, so turn intensity way way down, and slowly, very slowly, bring it up. It's a judgement call on what's too much, I stopped at 50%, when the corals looked great, wide open, when I surpassed this, some started to close. It's a balance you will find

Your Monti grows because you maintain the absolute correct amount of Nitrate, and some phosphate, maybe try to bring phosphate to about .02-.04 so GHA is not become a problem, but colour is a factor of lighting (as well as food for all photosynthetics)

Hope that helps

[mickeyfish]

Originally Posted by Uncle99

I have found that great water (which you have) consistency (6 months, yup you have) plus great light (which we agree you likely don't have) will grow anything and colours should not fade, unless you overkill them with light, then they will bleach (turn whitefish)

If you do upgrade, a soft rule in LED is approx 150 watts will do a 24x24x24 tank.
Softies and LPS love LED light as well, man I do clams and SPS too with these.

And when ya get real comfortable after lighting, you can consider Red Sea Colurs Program, but be careful, overdoses of these, especially the metals one can kill a coral in days.

If you do change lighting, after 6 months the corals will not be used to the intensity, so turn intensity way way down, and slowly, very slowly, bring it up. It's a judgement call on what's too much, I stopped at 50%, when the corals looked great, wide open, when I surpassed this, some started to close. It's a balance you will find

Your Monti grows because you maintain the absolute correct amount of Nitrate, and some phosphate, maybe try to bring phosphate to about .02-.04 so GHA is not become a problem, but colour is a factor of lighting (as well as food for all photosynthetics)

Hope that helps

Thanks Uncle99!


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