T5 and SPS observation

[Justin74]

smokez01: I have a UVL sup.act, and act+ come on @10:00a-10p,
The rest come on @noon-7pm, so I have a 2 hr dawn period, and a 3 hr dusk. Im gonna wind it down though and shorten the evening period to 2 hr dawn and 1 hr dusk, so I'll eventually be running 10 hrs a day instead of 12.

-Justin

[Creetin]

I have MH's and if i dont feed enough they all turn pale and lose color.

[fijiblue]

Flint&Eric - your missing the point The corals(sps) are not dependent on nitrogen in the water column. They get 60% + of their carbon and nitrogen from actual prey capture feeding on plankton (bacto/zoo).

[Pitcom]

I'm kind of new to SPS but I'm going to post some pictures of my acros under T5. I can only say that under my t5 acros that are green/blue retain very dark colors. Acros that i get that are tan/pink/brown evolve to have very bright colors.

[drouner]

Nice closeups

[HBtank]

Originally posted by Pitcom
I'm kind of new to SPS but I'm going to post some pictures of my acros under T5. I can only say that under my t5 acros that are green/blue retain very dark colors. Acros that i get that are tan/pink/brown evolve to have very bright colors.

What kind of T5 setup and what fish load? Do you feed heavily? Photoperiod?

Thanks..

Nice pics and acros BTW

[stony_corals]

Originally posted by fijiblue
Flint&Eric - your missing the point The corals(sps) are not dependent on nitrogen in the water column. They get 60% + of their carbon and nitrogen from actual prey capture feeding on plankton (bacto/zoo).

This is from the wild where zooplankton levels are much higher than in aquaria... Potentially, they could absorb some N from the water column, and may be some heterotrophic feeding... I'm still thinking that this is N limitation, or at least I haven't been sold on T5s causing pale colorization yet

[stony_corals]

Originally posted by fijiblue
Very interesting observation, Flint&Eric. I, too have this algae.

Are either of you doing a carbon source?

[stony_corals]

Originally posted by Flint&Eric
i have t5's and my sps are rich in color...no pastels what so ever.

maybe the spectrums generally used in t5's promote different algae growth. many t5 tanks i have seen have a simmilar algae on the LR, clearish/brown and fuzzy. even in the lowest nutrient tanks they seem to grow. perhaps animals that t5's "better support" are removing more N via nitrogen fixation and thus the pastel colors of SPS.

just a wacky idea.

eric

There could be something to the spectrum difference... that however is way over my head...

[Rickyrooz1]

Pitcom, nice pics. Where is Southeast PA do you live?

[Flint&Eric]

Flint&Eric - your missing the point The corals(sps) are not dependent on nitrogen in the water column. They get 60% + of their carbon and nitrogen from actual prey capture feeding on plankton (bacto/zoo).

i dont think i am. any links to this in captive aquaria? most plankton life lives on substrates e.g. LR and not in the water column making it very difficult for corals to catch them. since these algae can survive in ULNS systems i'd also venture a guess that they are extremely efficient and quick to use what limited N & P is available... possibly limiting the growth of other goodies such as bacteria, zooplankton etc...

imo, nitrogen limitation can be a real problem with todays technology and this does effect sps.

[Amphiprion]

Nitrogen limitation is nitrogen limitation, be it a lack of prey capture or absorptive sources (or both)--although the former is the usual culprit, iMho. They do absorb some from the water column, but it is very small compared to prey capture. Higher feeding frequency would overcome that limitation in both respects (at least to a degree).

One factor in my tank in particular I forgot to mention is age--it has been established for over 12 years. Bacterioplankton densities, as well as small zooplankton is higher than in many of these younger tanks--which could potentially support a the idea of a limitation of sorts via a food source.

[Serioussnaps]

Originally posted by fijiblue
Flint&Eric - your missing the point The corals(sps) are not dependent on nitrogen in the water column. They get 60% + of their carbon and nitrogen from actual prey capture feeding on plankton (bacto/zoo).

And according to Eric B.(take it FWIW) that makes up only about 2% of their feeding for the average coral. Some much higher, but nonetheless its worth mentioning. So how important is C and N in a closed aquarium?

[Horace]

I must agree, that there is a correllation between pale colors and T5. That being said, correllation does not necessarally mean causation. I think its probably a synergistic problem.

Myself, I also experienced pale colors with T5s. Switching to MH was not the miracle cure though either. Today most of my corals look great...but I can not say 100% what was the cause for deeper colors. I suspect it was more related to feeding though..

Those of you with pale colors, I highly suggest simply doubling or trippling your feedings for a couple months and see the result.

[stony_corals]

Originally posted by Serioussnaps
And according to Eric B.(take it FWIW) that makes up only about 2% of their feeding for the average coral. Some much higher, but nonetheless its worth mentioning. So how important is C and N in a closed aquarium?

Was he saying inside aquaria?

I'd say they are equally important in aquaria as they are on the reefs.

[fijiblue]

stony_corals - I don't run any carbon source, but I have not had to yet - knock on wood. I feed 3 cubes a day (mysis,rotifer,cyclops) and my natural filtration does ok with this. I changed 5 gals every 2 weeks. I like the spectrum thought. In my observations, I've notice that the whiter the bulb, the more bleached out the corals appear. The bluer, the better. Has anyone else noticed this?

A coral is a coral whether it comes from the ocean or someone's tank. Their individual enviornment they grow in is different. Everyone's tank is different so to narrow it down to captive aquaria coral and natural coral is limiting at best. Joe Schmo feeds his tank everyday and Slick Rick doesn't. Each coral is in a different enviornment so can we really classify them in only two categories; both captive aquaria and wild even though 1 guy feeds about 40% of what the ocean provides and the other one doesn't at all? Of course not.

Flint&Eric - I'm not disputing a coral can absorb N through the water column because we know this to be true. However, they do not rely on this as their primary source for N. Can a coral adapt and become more reliable on it than others - sure, but regardless their basic function as a feeding (prey capture)photosynthetic coral is met way before they absorb N. Besides, majority of plankton and/or food that makes it into our tanks comes from a frozen package...or a fishes' butt for many reefers

[Pitcom]

Originally posted by HBtank
What kind of T5 setup and what fish load? Do you feed heavily? Photoperiod?

Thanks..

Nice pics and acros BTW

I'm running a tek 6 bulb 39w fixture. I run A dawn/dusk time of 1.5 hrs with a Geismann Actinic+ and a Pure Actinic. I run full day lights for 9 hours which are in the fixture in this order.

Geisemann Actinic +
Korallen Fiji Purple
Korallen Coral Life
Geisman Actinic +
Korallen Fiji Purple
Geisman Pure Actinic

I have a very heavy fish load as some of you would consider. I have a refugium and do a 7-10% water change every week. I used to add live rotifers and pyhto live but i've stopped that. I use Golden pearl a couple times a week now and maybe once every 3 weeks I will target feed. I always have polyp extension and have yet to have an SPS die in my tank.

I will perfectly honest, I absolutely don't know much about SPS. I'm kind of a trial and error guy. I like to put things in my tank and see how they do. I don't normally run carbon and i have 30 different corals in my tank ranging from zoas, lps, leathers (including green sinularia) and sps. I had a brain melt due to a cleaner shrimp picking at it about 3 weeks ago, so i ran my first ever bag of carbon for 4 days.

I forgot to add. My feeding schedule changes all the time. I feed almost every day at least 1 time. I over feed some days because i keep a pair of twin spot gobies and for them to get thier share i need to over feed the tank. Every 7th day or so, i dont feed the tank. I feed a different food every day. Don't ask why, i just knwo i like variety in my life so im sure my fish enjoy the different foods.
I feed Kelp flake, mysid shrimp (frozen), spiru enriched brine, Spectrum One Pellts, Marine Granule Cyclopeeze, Formula One Garlic enriched flake and vitamen fortified krill.

One thing i like to do with my tank is i stir my sandbed every single week. I have sand sifters in my tank but i dont think they turn it enough. I've got a pretty good routine down with my system. I don't add many chemicals other than small doses of magnesium and calcium and a drop of iodine every now and then.
I'm a firm believer of refugiums and water changes.

[Pitcom]

Originally posted by Rickyrooz1
Pitcom, nice pics. Where is Southeast PA do you live?

Thanks, i live in aston, deleware county.

[barjam]

I feed 3 cubes a day (mysis,rotifer,cyclops) and my natural filtration does ok with this.

What size of a tank do you have? I feed one cube (mysis, cyclops, other) a day in a 75.... does that sound like too little or too much?

[fijiblue]

What size of a tank do you have? I feed one cube (mysis, cyclops, other) a day in a 75.... does that sound like too little or too much?

barjam - it is a 30gal. IT is all a matter of what your system can handle and what your tank is accustomed to. If you can feed more without a negative consequence, by all means...feed more!

[Rickyrooz1]

Pitcom, I know where that is. I grew up there.

[CamBarr]

what are you guys feeding???

[stony_corals]

Originally posted by fijiblue
barjam - it is a 30gal. IT is all a matter of what your system can handle and what your tank is accustomed to. If you can feed more without a negative consequence, by all means...feed more!

I totally agree, the sentiment back in the 90s was to feed as sparingly as possible. The key, like you said, is knowing what you can export. I think I asked you on another thread, but have you measured how much food your putting into the tank daily? This is one area where I'd like to improve on, a more quantitative approach to feeding. While I consider myself a heavy feeder, I probably could do more...

[fijiblue]

I think I asked you on another thread, but have you measured how much food your putting into the tank daily?

I feed 3 cubes a day (1 mysis,1 rotifer,1 cyclops) and my natural filtration does ok with this.

[magnoliarichj]

fiji check out panamax.com then pm me.