how to get that purple/ red color

[Coleus]

I am using 3x 14K Ushio MH and 4xATI Blue Plus T5 bulbs, but I don't get the pink and purple color of my coral like others do. For example


Green monti with purple rim: I don't see the purple rim :-(

Pink monti cap : I see dark red

What bulbs I should change to get these colors?

I also dose Coral Snow, B-Balance, K-Balance, amino acid

Please help. Thanks

[gobytron]

switch 1 or two of your atis for Fiji Purple...
I was blown away by how that brought the pinks and reds out...

[Bblinks]

+1 on Fiji pink. It looks awesome.

[Lance]

Yup Fiji pink

[MMAX]

Is that the same as a Fiji purple?

[viperfish]

I think someone has their colours mixed up. Giesemann makes an Aqua Pink bulb, KZ's is Fiji Purple.

[spawn]

I think someone has their colours mixed up. Giesemann makes an Aqua Pink bulb, KZ's is Fiji Purple.
+1... & mix a couple of fiji purples with some super blue. both KZ bulbs.

[Myka]

Hehe, ya you could try adding one Fiji Purple. Be aware some people get increased algae growth with the addition of the red spectrum.

I have a feeling that it is likely something else going on in your tank. I have plenty of pinks and reds in my tank, and I don't have a Fiji Purple bulb over my reef. What are your parameters?

[MMAX]

I swapped one of my Blue Waves out for a Fiji purple--now have 2 Super Blues, 1 FP and 1 BW on my actinic lighting. Made all the difference in the world for coral colors and no algae problems at all.

[Coleus]

Hehe, ya you could try adding one Fiji Purple. Be aware some people get increased algae growth with the addition of the red spectrum.

I have a feeling that it is likely something else going on in your tank. I have plenty of pinks and reds in my tank, and I don't have a Fiji Purple bulb over my reef. What are your parameters?


ph: 7.8 -8.05

Salinity: 35ppt

Calcium: 400-420

Alk: 8.0- 8.7

Mag: 1350- 1400

Nitrate, Amonia= 0

Phosphate : 0.01 with hanna test


I am runnning carbon, GFO and bio pellets, chaeto

Well, my red montipora is still red. Probably will try add purple bulb and see how it does

[Myka]

Why do you think the red Monti is supposed to be pink? These colors that are bothering you, were they different before you started the Biopellets? Also, I found Sponge Power to make quite a difference on my purple rim green Monti cap.

[Coleus]

I am not expecting red monti to be pink. But I want my pink monti to be pink and purple rim to be purple :)

[Myka]

You said, "Pink monti cap : I see dark red"

So that's why I'm asking are you sure it is a pink Monti cap? Why do you think it is not supposed to be dark red?

[Coleus]

Because I bought the pink monti from Lfs and put in my tank it is dark red and they said it is pink monti

[Myka]

My guess is that it was partially bleached in the dealer's tank, and is healthier in your tank now. You will find that happens with a lot of corals...you buy them they change color in your tank. It's a nice surprise sometimes, and annoying other times. I don't think there is anything you can do about this one.

[Coleus]

My guess is that it was partially bleached in the dealer's tank, and is healthier in your tank now. You will find that happens with a lot of corals...you buy them they change color in your tank. It's a nice surprise sometimes, and annoying other times. I don't think there is anything you can do about this one.

oh that sucks. I want the pink color lol

[TimT]

IMHO there are several factors which affect coral colouration; lighting, genetics, zoozantheallae, phosphate and nitrate levels, nutrient and mineral loading of water, stress and food.

I have a very nice neon pink milli with baby blue tips and neon pink polyps. I recently changed out my XM 20k 400w bulb for a 20k Radium 400 watt. The rims of the coralites are now going baby blue.

At roughly the same time as changing the bulb I moved the system sump and consequently the ETSS 1000 downdraft skimmer has been offline for a few weeks, thus giving higher nutrient loading.

So what is causing the colour shift... lighting or nutrient load? I suspect it's a combination of both.

From my experience those pink caps require a lot of light. Mine is hot pink and it sits directly under a 20k radium 400 watt but it also gets natural sunlight. When the sun is shining you cant even notice that the Halide is on. My suspicion is that the coral you have was pink at one time, hence the name, but do to lack of light and other conditions(shipping stress) it has lost the pink color. If conditions in your tank are favourable to it the colour should return.

[Ryan]

I am using 3x 14K Ushio MH and 4xATI Blue Plus T5 bulbs, but I don't get the pink and purple color of my coral like others do. For example


Green monti with purple rim: I don't see the purple rim :-(

Pink monti cap : I see dark red

What bulbs I should change to get these colors?

I also dose Coral Snow, B-Balance, K-Balance, amino acid

Please help. Thanks


When i took out my ushio 14k and replaced with Phoenix 14k i got a much beter colour to all my corals. I dont run any actinic or supplements either. I have a pink cap that is hot hot pink too.

Back when i had mt T5 i did as other suggested and put a fiji pirple in. I seen a huge algea bloom but the purple on my cap was wicked.

I only dose vodka too i stopped zeo with this new build and havent looked back.

[Coleus]

I will try to move it to the top and see how it does. Most of my montis are in middle of my tank and has excellent growth.