Red watermelon chalice Questions

Creetin · #1 10/20/2007, 05:50 PM

I have had mine for 6 or so mos, and though it has green eyes the body is brown/tan. I am thinking it's way too high but the watermelon next to it is happy and PINK. I dont get it it was RED when i got it from snipersps.
I am setting up a small tank and keeping a cheap set of t-5's on it. Hopefully i can get it low enough for the red to come back.
Where do you have yours placed??
TIA

roblack · #2 10/20/2007, 05:57 PM

More info on your tank and exactly where you have your red chalice would be helpful. They are sensitive to too much light. I have worked alot with mine to get them happy, and almost killed a few with too much light and a Ph spike. They are all now on the bottom of my tank, 24 inches below my Solaris LEDs (H4). Much happier there. Good luck!

Creetin · #3 10/20/2007, 07:11 PM

Well it is 4 inches under the surface of the water on my 180 gal with a 400 watt 20k halide above it. I have 2 400w se's and a 250w hqi de in the center of the tank. Its a standard 180 gal.
6 ft by 2 ft by 2 ft. I have aussie acans, zoa's, sps, micro's all in that same area on a frag tray there. The watermelons are there to grow outtill i can make sure that none of my fish knock them over or they get pushed on another coral.
Its growing crazy fast. I got a small piece and now its almost 5 times the size it was, Just lost alot of color.
I am getting rid of the 250w in the center and i'll keep my lps there and sps at the top. I will replace it with 4 54w t-5's on a icecap ballast. 2 being superactinics and 1 pro color and 1 blue plus. I want more blue and red in my tank. I may switch the 400 20 k XM's with radiums.
I wish i could keep on the sand bed, But i have a large elegant coris wrasse and he likes to flip corals and rocks there.

Scythanith · #4 10/20/2007, 08:04 PM

Many corals will lose vibrant colors if they come into a system that has more nutrients in the water than the tank they came from. There is always a chance it has nothing to do with your lighting and everything to do with your water.

I'm not trying to say your water quality is bad, I'm just trying to think of some reasons for your color change.

Cheers,

Scott

reef2 · #5 10/20/2007, 08:12 PM

chalices will get better color if u keep them low in the tank. ive had them up high and they lose color when i keep them in low light they color up better.

Creetin · #6 10/20/2007, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Scythanith
Many corals will lose vibrant colors if they come into a system that has more nutrients in the water than the tank they came from. There is always a chance it has nothing to do with your lighting and everything to do with your water.

I'm not trying to say your water quality is bad, I'm just trying to think of some reasons for your color change.

Cheers,

Scott

Well i would think that too, But my tank is mostly SPS and i keep tabs on the water. My po4 is kept close to .04 Per hanna, and undetectable nitrates. If anything i under feed the tank.
Thanks though.

Reef2, Yeah thats what i am thinking. I hope to have the new fishless tank up soon so i can put it on the bottom with low light.
The funny thing is that my other LPS are very happy and full colored, with the exception of a green acan getting more brown, But i have 10 acan colonies, 4 chalice's micro's,I have had them for some time (some of them years) All but the one chalice and one acan have great color though. Go figure.

reef2 · #7 10/20/2007, 08:46 PM

i ve got a couple acan lords and subs that i can keep high up and they have great color others just seem to lose the color with to much light.

neyugn0w01 · #8 10/20/2007, 10:20 PM

I have own both the pink and red. The red likes lower light. The pink loves mod to high light. Move yours down and give it some time before it colors up again.

Creetin · #9 10/20/2007, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by neyugn0w01
I have own both the pink and red. The red likes lower light. The pink loves mod to high light. Move yours down and give it some time before it colors up again.

Thanks, Good to know. Will do!

reefey · #10 10/20/2007, 10:51 PM

have any pics

slojmn · #11 10/21/2007, 12:07 AM

I have my red watermelon on the bottom with a cap shading it somewhat. It has been a very vibrant red the whole time. I find that if it gets moved out into the light by a snail or soemthing and I don't notice it starts to look more like the pink watermelon...go figure.

Thhitman · #12 10/21/2007, 01:30 PM

I have almost the same setup, 135g w/ 3 400w XM 20's. I also have af rag rack about 4 inches below the water.

Some corals will burn up and others thrive. I have a alien eye chalise up there and its beautiful, but I had to take the watermelons (two different ones) down because they were bleaching.

It seems to depend on the coral. All seem to grow OK for a while, but I have actually almost killed a few leaving them that high. Same thing for acans and micros, montipora's also, some can take it others can't.

Creetin · #13 10/21/2007, 03:17 PM

Anybody else have this problem?? A friend is having the same problem with a frag he got from me of it. If i didnt see it when i got it i would have thought it wasnt a watermelon at all.

roblack · #14 10/21/2007, 09:10 PM

I keep mine on the bottom, and have been better since. I think many of them (in nature) only get partial sunlight, and only more direct light for short periods per day.

Creetin · #15 12/31/2007, 08:36 PM

Well it appears i do not have a Red watermelon, But a tubs alien eye. Its been 8 or so mos, and i am just plain angry i was sent this as a red watermelon. I sent him an email and i hope he see's this here as well.
I dont want to drag him into this thread as it may have been a mistake, But i am hoping it will be taken care of.
I will have pics up soon, This is not a red watermelon.

ghostman · #16 12/31/2007, 11:07 PM

Could you explain why you now think it is an alien eye versus a red watermelon after all this time? I hope it all goes well, but I just want to know. If you think details would be better in a pm, please shoot me one. Good luck.

bigian · #17 12/31/2007, 11:26 PM

the alien eye is a light/dark grey with neon green eyes and no color on the growth rim. The red watermelon has a different body color as well as a green growth rim. Both can be seen on reeffarmers . com. Take a look and make your i.d. before any false accusations are made...

revautosports · #18 01/01/2008, 12:21 AM

My alien eye has a green rim.

Creetin · #19 01/01/2008, 06:20 AM

The last thing i want to do is mis id it, But at this point i just want to see what this coral really is, A RW or not. I am just interested in seeing why this thing is not looking good if it in fact is a RW.
I have alot of respect for the guy i got it from so this is not going to turn into a bashing in the least, Thats why i waited so long to begin with and tried to get it to color up.
I am sure it will get worked out, and if not I did get some other very nice stuff from him, and I am happy with the rest of the stuff he sent. I am sure i will get the real one eventually if this is not.
I was in the heat of the moment earlier, and over reacted a little, sorry all.