article on SPS coloring

[duke62]

did a little bit of researching and came across this article
http://reefbuilders.com/2008/09/03/guide-of-sps-coral-coloration-make-them-more-vivid-bright/

 

[tenMann2]

Nice find, liked the article. N&P undetectable are key, then lighting.

 

[pauliwalnuts]

Imo 0.00 PO4 is nearly impossible and you'll see bad results in your coral colors. 0.02-0.03 (tested with a Hanna low range tester, or a pocket checker) is a more desirable level of PO4 for most coral.

 

[smoq]

That article was originally posted on RC and was bashed by being questionable and not backed by any science. I would say it's interesting, but very dangerous- I bet a lot of people after reading it run to their LFS to buy lugol's solution and iron and dumped them in the tank without testing. As one person stated in the comment section, dosing potassium and iron to the reef tank is extremely risky and should be avoided.
For me key elements to coral coloration are water quality and light source. The latter is visible when you see a frag you gave someone under their lighting- it always look different.
Take this article with a grain of salt IMO

And one more thing: the author states that yellows are the easier color to control- please, find me a specimen that looks like the one in his picture and I will gladly buy it

 

[duke62]

whats questionable.i know a couple of sps tanks that use iodide and potasium in moderation for color.just like with everything if your going to use these supplements you need to test.it not an important piece in sps thriving but it helps.just like anything you read and everything people say you need to take it with a grain of salt.i for one wouldnt use iron after doing some research and talking to some fellow reefers but not opposed to trying iodide and potasium

 

[pauliwalnuts]

Nicely said buddy. I think this guys was payed off by the new RedSea products out there. Lmao... j/k
From my experience, here are some parameters and maintenance that work for me in keeping good coloration in coral:
Nitrates - SPS 0 - Soft & LPS 5-10 ppm
Phosphates - SPS 0.02-0.03 - Soft & LPS 0.03-0.10 ppm (Hanna & Martini low range testers should be used for testing PO4 and not a Salifert PO4 test kit)
The one thing that works wonders for me is the 10-15% weekly water change. Not only is it a way to remove some nutrients, but also acts as a repellisher for trace elements that are being consumed by the ecosystem. So really, if you're doing these water changes weekly, why test or even dose for the parameters mentioned in the article.
Now back to what Smoq just finished stating. Light source, spectrum + intensity, and even dialing in the light cycle. These seem to be the key factors to good coloration and over all growth of the coral in my tank. :goldfish2

 

[pauliwalnuts]

Btw, I dose Potasium Iodine Floride (all in one). But, I only recommend it to advanced reefers.

 

[smoq]

whats questionable.i know a couple of sps tanks that use iodide and potasium in moderation for color.just like with everything if your going to use these supplements you need to test.it not an important piece in sps thriving but it helps.just like anything you read and everything people say you need to take it with a grain of salt.i for one wouldnt use iron after doing some research and talking to some fellow reefers but not opposed to trying iodide and potasium

I agree with you completely, but those kind of articles not backed up by any science or authority in the reefing world are a real danger to noobs that will nuke their not matured tanks with chemicals in order to achieve results as shown in pictures provided with that article. Nowhere in the article he says about tank size aspect- overdosing potassium in a nano-reef even slightly can have catastrophic effect on it's inhabitants.

 

[DCG1286]

Nice find (although the article was rather vague)

Here was a good thread on our own MR a while back ... Just throwing it out there. Definitely worth it to read!
http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/advanced-reefs/17828-coloring-up-sps.html

 

[duke62]

I read that thread on mr it was pretty good.

 

[prattreef]

Nice find (although the article was rather vague)

Here was a good thread on our own MR a while back ... Just throwing it out there. Definitely worth it to read!
http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/advanced-reefs/17828-coloring-up-sps.html

That is an excellent thread. One observation --- more than 90% of the core posters on that thread are no longer in the hobby. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but it is true. SPS addicts and color seekers beware!!!

 

[duke62]

well the guy with some serious input shaunw moved to australia.he might still be reefing

 

[DCG1286]

That is an excellent thread. One observation --- more than 90% of the core posters on that thread are no longer in the hobby. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but it is true. SPS addicts and color seekers beware!!!

This is very true ... UNFORTUNATELY they aren't around, but you are still here to guide us, SOOOOOO ... I am sure we can learn a lot from your system. :duh:


BTW, I saw Tony Vargas's Lecture at House of Fins, your tank was featured in it. (I am sure you already knew that. ) Fantastic speaker, I enjoyed him VERY much.

 

[batt600]

I read this years ago it a good article but in order to dose all that you have to have a ULNS (Ultra low Nutrient System), Most salt have low levels Potasium and Iron but dosing theys in a None ULNS will cause a nutrient problem . The reason you have to dose in a ULNS is beacuase all nutrients are getting striped from your system including potasium Iron ,Trace elements all that corals need so all must be dosed on a daily basis.