After viewing everyone's photos in here, and numerous photos on other threads (and other forums, etc), there is one thing that really stands out to me, and it has to do with the photo people post of the corals mounted in their system. In my experience, SPS coloring is HIGHLY dependent on the amount of nutrients in the water - particularly low, but measurable amounts of nitrate. We all talk about lowering nutrients all the time. However, SPS get color saturation from many things, but one of those things is nitrate from my experiences.
When I look at photos of Reef Raft corals (other SPS too generally) and I can see other corals in the system I can tell by reasonable guess how much nitrate is in the system. OR, it is a system with undetectable nitrate that is fed heavily either by high fish load (lots of fish poop) or feeding SPS directly with small micron foods (powders or liquids). My opinion, is that SPS are the
most visually appealing when the tank has as much food in it as the tank can handle without having algae trouble.
Of course, I'm not always right about this, these are animals we're talking about in systems that are anything but alike, so there are MANY variables. Though in my experience, this is certainly a
trend.
Here are some photos - the "low nutrient" photos were taken in spring 2011, and the "medium nutrient" photos were taken in winter 2013. These are in the same system, same bulbs (same amount of use on them at the time of photos), etc. Of course these are only a few photos, but take a look at your own tank, at others', and see for yourself.
Here is a piece in my system when the system had undectable nitrate and low fish load:
The same exact same piece in the same system when nitrate was barely detectable, fish load was higher, and I was feeding the corals:
This is
Acropora desalwii in low nutrients:
The same exact same piece in the same system when nitrate was barely detectable, fish load was higher, and I was feeding the corals:
