[Roshan]

Hello All,

I hoping that some of you may be abl eto help - Jas/Linds your advise would be very welcome as you guys seem to do very well these.

http://s128.photobucket.com/albums/p185/ac...oot/Pic10_S.jpg

http://s128.photobucket.com/albums/p185/acropora_nut/13-03-2008%20sps%20shoot/Pic10_S.jpg

I've got two of these types of monti - see link below. One came from Jas and another from a local lfs. In both cases they have lost the colour and reverted back to a dull tanish colour. I'm puzzled as I have numerous monti's in my system and all have excellent colour - some very nice blue digi's, pink digi, purple digi, yellow digi, rainbow superman, etc etc. For some reason its only this variety that I cant maintain the colour with. Any suggestions or thoughts. Both the noted corals are lower down in the tank along with the superman monti's. My tank is only 18" tall and has 2 x250w reeflux 12k over them so I would have thought plenty of light etc. All other sps doing fine and growing so my parms are all ok...............very puzzled. I know Jas/Linds have quite of these regularly and they always look great with the blue backgrounds.

Any help much appreciated guys

Roshan

[Social D]

Wish in knew Ros i have the same Monti under my 12k ok 400w but its 2 foot deep and they have kept colour .. so personally i dont think its a light issue but Lindsay may have different opinions on that as he knows his montis better than me.

[chriss]

At first guess I would say light or nutrients.

I also had one from Jas, it's under 400W 10K Reeflux about half way down, so should be plenty of light, but it too changed to a duller color, but I wouldn't say it is brown or tan even, it's gone a more dirty purple'y color not dissimilar to the rock work. In the shop they were on the top rack under the same 400W lamps, so mine is probably getting slightly less light, but probably more of a factor is the water quality, mine will never match Lindsay's. I have noticed that even some in the shop changed to these duller colors whilst other ones sat next to them retained the vibrant blue.

When I was mounting mine I broke a few 'crumbs' off, I stuck these on a piece of milliput and placed it on the top of the reef, about 6 inches higher than the mother colony. Now, a month or so later, they have fully encrusted but more interestingly it is more colorful, but still not quite matching what it was when I first got it.

Does that help?

Chris

[lindsay]

Hi Roshan , if it was me ide move one mid way up under the light and the other on the top right under the light .Keep an eye on the top one for signs of light shock but this should not happen as they like a good amount of light .This is only a guess but recon in 4 weeks time both montys will be at the top of your tank m8 ..

[Roshan]

Cheers Chriss and Tim for info. Hopefully Linds will chip in soon with some thoughts.

It could be a light intensity issue i reckon - i see both you guys are on 400w, which will deffo help with colouration. I may have to try a couple of 10k's - but i do love the colour of the 12k reeflux. The other thing is i use DE bulbs in mini lumenarcs - I doubt the 250de is disadvantaged to the 250se bulbs?

Nutrients - yep a possibility but i would expect to see other high colour sps also losing colour - which i dont. Its only this type of monti............perhaps they prefer higher dkh etc. Linds if you see this thread can be tell me what parms you maintain plse.

cheers guys..............its getting late but i'm stopping up to watch the new F1 season kick off from OS! Next to reefing my other interest is F1 - unfortunatelt cant afford a Ferrari!

Roshan

[Roshan]

Cheers Lindsay - will give it a go....

[simon]

chriss, on Mar 14 2008, 10:45 PM, said:

At first guess I would say light or nutrients.

I also had one from Jas, it's under 400W 10K Reeflux about half way down, so should be plenty of light, but it too changed to a duller color, but I wouldn't say it is brown or tan even, it's gone a more dirty purple'y color not dissimilar to the rock work. In the shop they were on the top rack under the same 400W lamps, so mine is probably getting slightly less light, but probably more of a factor is the water quality, mine will never match Lindsay's. I have noticed that even some in the shop changed to these duller colors whilst other ones sat next to them retained the vibrant blue.

When I was mounting mine I broke a few 'crumbs' off, I stuck these on a piece of milliput and placed it on the top of the reef, about 6 inches higher than the mother colony. Now, a month or so later, they have fully encrusted but more interestingly it is more colorful, but still not quite matching what it was when I first got it.

Does that help?

Chris

I thought jas's lights were 250's. i have one of those monti's half way down my 2ft tank. No problems with colour fading as yet as i run 400w 10k lamps.
As chris said it might be to do with water quality!
At present i run no calcium reactor only phos reactor,I try to keep good water parameters spot on and everything looks ok.
Si.

[simon]

Roshan, on Mar 15 2008, 01:03 AM, said:

Cheers Chriss and Tim for info. Hopefully Linds will chip in soon with some thoughts.

It could be a light intensity issue i reckon - i see both you guys are on 400w, which will deffo help with colouration. I may have to try a couple of 10k's - but i do love the colour of the 12k reeflux. The other thing is i use DE bulbs in mini lumenarcs - I doubt the 250de is disadvantaged to the 250se bulbs?

Nutrients - yep a possibility but i would expect to see other high colour sps also losing colour - which i dont. Its only this type of monti............perhaps they prefer higher dkh etc. Linds if you see this thread can be tell me what parms you maintain plse.

cheers guys..............its getting late but i'm stopping up to watch the new F1 season kick off from OS! Next to reefing my other interest is F1 - unfortunatelt cant afford a Ferrari!

Roshan

I was thinking of giving a pair of 12k lamps a go! what do you think!!! Im looking to go a bit more bluer!

[chriss]

simon, on Mar 15 2008, 01:31 AM, said:

I was thinking of giving a pair of 12k lamps a go! what do you think!!! Im looking to go a bit more bluer!

Nah, you'd loose par output, I'd go for a T5 Narva Blue atinic, thats what I'm using on mine. same lamp as Jas has over the zoo tank.

Chris

[Social D]

12k 400w would be fine Simon you will lose par but as they are 400w but who cares

[lindsay]

10k....................

[Social D]

If 10k is so bloody great why does everybody cover the disgusting yellow colour with blue actinics

And dont say growth as mine are growing like weeds ....

[Roshan]

Social D, on Mar 16 2008, 11:58 AM, said:

If 10k is so bloody great why does everybody cover the disgusting yellow colour with blue actinics

And dont say growth as mine are growing like weeds ....

Have to agree with Tim - the 12k are excellent, especially if your looking to not have to supplement with T5's. 10k will give out much more par but as Tim says a 400w 12k will be the same if not a little more par than a 250w 10k. I would love to go 400w but it would just cost too much now to replace my 250w's. Besides I prefer the shallow setups so 250w is plenty for my setup.

My water quality is pretty spot on and as noted all other monti's are very good strong colours. It may be that as these two specimens came from 10k environments the shift to 12k may be making a short term diff and subsequent colour loss. I will try Lindsay's advice and see what happens - may also just stick a couple of 10k's in for the new build setup and see what happens.

Cheers Guys - good to know that you always get replies to queries on this forum! Right off now to spec my new cabinet - keep an eye out for new build soon - gonna be a very modern looking setup.....

Roshan