Nutrition effect on SPS Clean vs. Dirty..

[ctxmonitor]

I was unloading all my coral into a temporary holding tank and this is what I noticed after the change. It was coming from my 75gallon tank and now into a fishless 55 gallon holding tank.

I used to see alot more darker brown on some of the sps and now most of them have lighten up.. I don't know if there were any other factor that could have cause this..

Here is one sps that changed the most.. You can see the brown is now a totally different color..

Hmm.... Don't know what to think.. Is this good or bad?

Before:

After:

 

[ShaunW]

Here is one sps that changed the most.. You can see the brown is now a totally different color..

Hmm.... Don't know what to think.. Is this good or bad?

Before:

After:

Tom you have got to be kidding right? Good or bad? I would say that the color difference it AWESOME! I knew that piece was going to be a beauty, great growth also in a short time.

 

[ShaunW]

Usually color in SPS indicates growth and good health.

 

[Deanos]

It does look improved, but the lighting looks very different as well.

 

[nyfireman3097]

do you have more info on the diffrence in the setups

 

[ctxmonitor]

The setup is very simple.

55 gallon tank
1 Tunze 6000 on controller
1 200 ebo-jager heater
no sump

As for the lighting, I just transfer the whole canopy over to the 55g.
2x 175 XM with 2 54 T5..

Using Tropic Marine Pro salt mix.

Did I miss anything else...

 

[alrha]

As for the lighting, I just transfer the whole canopy over to the 55g.
2x 175 XM with 2 54 T5..

perhaps the relative lighting is now stronger

Did I miss anything else...

Skimmer?

 

[jhale]

the after looks better to me.

perhaps the total lack of crap in the water?
otherwise known as pristine water qualities caused the coral to color up.

 

[ctxmonitor]

no skimmer..

I don't know. It does look better, but from dark brown to light brown, i'm just hoping that its changing because of being more healthy.. And not bleaching or something...

Do you guys think I should put my pair of dispar anthia into the tank? I read or heard somewhere that a little nutrition is actually good for the coral..

That piece was actually higher up on the rock compare to now that its all the way down on the bottom of the tank.

 

[Deanos]

Light brown!? I don't see any brown in the after shot. If that after shot was on a website, and they sent me the before coral, I'd be raising hell. That's a big difference. Was there a skimmer on the 75g? That would be a major difference in setup as well.

Also, I'm not an SPS guy :sgrin: so bear with me, but in other situations of acros "coloring up", does the entire coral color up, or just the new growth? :scratchch

 

[jackson6745]

Tom if the coral colored up in a fishless 55gal it is probably because you have a lower phosphate/nitrate level than the 75. Higher nutrients "spur zooxanthale" (spelling?) which mask the corals colors with a turd brown covering. BUT you have to be careful because too low of a nutrient level with too long of a photoperiod can totally bleach your SPS. You have to find a happy medium which it seems you did.......The coral looks great!

 

[jhale]

it depends on the coral, but most often the entire coral will color up, or color down.

 

[ShaunW]

Tom, isn't that the new coral from midwest? If it is it is just responding to being in a stable environment. Remember it has been shipped around the country in the last month or so! and is now starting to grow again, hence the color.

 

[ctxmonitor]

Tom, isn't that the new coral from midwest? If it is it is just responding to being in a stable environment. Remember it has been shipped around the country in the last month or so! and is now starting to grow again, hence the color.

Yup that was the same coral I got where from you from midwest.

Sadly, it remind me of the a. gomezi rtn from last week. It started to turn brown and then the skin was off in a day or so.. I tried to frag as many pieces as fast and good as I can, but it didn't make it.. ..

Rich, I thinking the same thing.. But I'm just afraid of the too less nutrition part, now...