Are these good parameter's?

Navarchus · #1 03-26-2011, 02:25 PM

At this stage of the tank what would you consider more important for you, Growth or Colors? Or maybe you just want to enjoy slow growth and nice colors?

vks · #2 03-26-2011, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Navarchus

At this stage of the tank what would you consider more important for you, Growth or Colors? Or maybe you just want to enjoy slow growth and nice colors?

What would you consider to be good parameters to have good growth and good colors?

Right now I have significant coral growth but my corals are not as bright as I would like them to be. I know my nitrates are high (over 10) and just started up a bio pellet reactor and changed to a bag filter in my sump to bring the nitrates down. I only feed my tank twice a week but nitrates are still high. I do a 10% water change weekly.

I want good coral growth and bright colors, Can you get best of both worlds?

spawn · #3 03-26-2011, 07:08 PM

Growth 1st & nice colors2nd, but again this is my 1st setup, it's 10 months old and I really have no comparison for growth rates. Everyone tells me patience is important, & that my tank looks great. That being said every single frag in the tank has doubled in size after growing substantial bases 1st. So if there is literature that I've yet to read, that will convince me to change my parameters to achieve better growth at this point, then please post a link, because that would be more helpful than insinuating that you know so much,on any topic friend.

This is one that I've read & found helpful. http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

Quote:

Originally Posted by Navarchus

At this stage of the tank what would you consider more important for you, Growth or Colors? Or maybe you just want to enjoy slow growth and nice colors?

Navarchus · #4 03-27-2011, 01:14 AM

Well usually for growth I keep ALK around 10-11 dKH and CA around 450 MG 1300.
I have friends that wanted an extreme growth, so they went on 500-550 PPm of CA and ALK of around 14dKH.

The thing is that with these parameters you will get the skeleton growing faster than the coral tissue, and you will get thin finger like corals.

spawn · #5 03-27-2011, 04:33 PM

What happens to the coloration when para's are held at 10-11, 450,1300. Does it become washed out due to the faster calcification of the coral or is it from the concentration in the w/column with precip? & with the extreme growth they'll be very brittle? So yep pretty happy still over here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Navarchus

Well usually for growth I keep ALK around 10-11 dKH and CA around 450 MG 1300.
I have friends that wanted an extreme growth, so they went on 500-550 PPm of CA and ALK of around 14dKH.

The thing is that with these parameters you will get the skeleton growing faster than the coral tissue, and you will get thin finger like corals.

Navarchus · #6 03-28-2011, 01:15 AM

The thing is that you probably keep some of the colors as the color has a direct link to the nutrients in the water and as long you keep the nutrients very low your corals won’t become brown. But….in order to get the bright colors you need to force the coral to invest its energy in production of color proteins instead of growth, the only way to do it is to keep parameters in a range that the coral can survive but with very kittle growth.

I must say that you can enjoy both of the worlds at the same time but in the price of not getting the full potential. Keep low nutriments with alk of 8 and ca- 420-430 will get you there. And do remember that low nutrients means that the zooxanthellae is in very low concentration in the coral, therefore can’t provide him with energy so feeding is important.