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Innovative Marine Aquariums

The Zoa and Paly Club


kveekx

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I looove zoas and palys. Now I have more than 25 varieties but I am really sad because just 3 or 4 of them show their true coloration. Almost all of my zoas are "washed out" :angry: I have: fire and ice, eye of rath, green bay packers, armageddon, orange delights, eagle eye, rastas, hot pinks, kedd red, watermelon, and others that I can't remember. I didn't buy zoas that are not gorgeous, but right now all mine look pale. I am using LEDs (16 bulbs 4 x 1w ea: blue, cool white and warm white) over a 36 gal. All my water parameters are OK: PH 8.2, Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 0, Calcium 420, KH 8 (8 drops, 143.2).

 

What can I do to make their color improve!!! Here some examples:

120623_0010.jpg

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120728_0021.jpg

120728_0026.jpg

120905_0023.jpg

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120928_0022.jpg

121004_0014.jpg

121004_0016.jpg

121004_0018.jpg

(Sorry for the "bad" pictures)

As you can see some of them show some signs of different color rings, but the colors are really pale. Can you share your "secret" for colorful zoas???

Edited by bebecr
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@ bebecr: Whats your lighting?

I have a DIY LED lamp with 16 4x1w GU10 LED bulbs: 8 blue, 6 cool white and 2 warm white. The bulbs are arranged in two rows of 8 bulbs alternating blue and white.

 

Bulbs like this one:

led.jpg

 

Photoperiod: blue (only 2 bulbs without optics) for 1 hr, then all lights for 5 hrs, blue (only 2 bulbs wihtout optics) for 5 hrs and then turn off for the rest 13 hrs.

 

The tank is 36 g bowfront, dimensions (L x W x H) are: 30 1/4 x from 12 to 16 (bow front) x 20 1/2

 

What I have to do or change to make my zoas color POP??!!

Any help would be appreciated!!! :)

Edited by bebecr
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Wow!! Those are sick Tenor! Nice pics too! I can't wait to get both of them!! Once I get the picture thing down better I'll post some of mine! I just ordered some Mandarin's, Captain America's & Yoda's! They'll be here tommorow! Can't wait!!

Edited by J_Bones
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How far from the sand bed are the leds? Also your pics look very white, could be you don't have enough blue to bring out the color.

The leds are 21 inches from the sand bed.

Here is the lamp color scheme:

lamp.jpg

 

I noticed something today. When all the lights turn on (the 16 bulbs), some minutes later the 2 blue bulbs without optics (used as moon lights) shut off; it leaves the tank with only 6 blue 4x1w bulbs, 6 4x1w cool white bulbs and 2 4x1w warm white bulbs (more whites than blues) and then, turn on again half an hour before all the other bulbs turn off. I make a change in the programming today so the two blue bulbs without optics keeps on during all the photoperiod (12 hrs=1hr before+5hrs during+6hrs after) not just before and after the lamp is on.

 

As you said, when all the lights are on, the blues are less than perfect.

 

After the change in programming, could the problem be solved? How much time I have to wait until I began to see improvement? Is there anything else I can do to improve coloration?

Edited by bebecr
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Space Monster

spacemonster.jpg

 

Utter Chaos

utterchaos.jpg

 

You need to stop posting these because with each post my coral wish list from you keeps getting longer! Great looking Utters though!

 

The leds are 21 inches from the sand bed.

Here is the lamp color scheme:

lamp.jpg

 

I noticed something today. When all the lights turn on (the 16 bulbs), some minutes later the 2 blue bulbs without optics (used as moon lights) shut off; it leaves the tank with only 6 blue 4x1w bulbs, 6 4x1w cool white bulbs and 2 4x1w warm white bulbs (more whites than blues) and then, turn on again half an hour before all the other bulbs turn off. I make a change in the programming today so the two blue bulbs without optics keeps on during all the photoperiod (12 hrs=1hr before+5hrs during+6hrs after) not just before and after the lamp is on.

 

As you said, when all the lights are on, the blues are less than perfect.

 

After the change in programming, could the problem be solved? How much time I have to wait until I began to see improvement? Is there anything else I can do to improve coloration?

 

An Ecoxotic panorama pro 445nm would bring out your zoas colors!

Edited by kveekx
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You need to stop posting these because with each post my coral wish list from you keeps getting longer! Great looking Utters though!

 

Hehe, don't worry. I only post 2 different zoas pictures a day.

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Hehe, don't worry. I only post 2 different zoas pictures a day.

 

By the time I order there will be practically 50 zoas on the order then!

 

 

 

 

Sorry to people that have been waiting to be added to the members list I have been busy this week with school and furan 2 dipping my Red Hornets member list will be updated tonight! I would also like to thank everyone in the group for the 2,500+ Views and 160+ replies!

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The leds are 21 inches from the sand bed.

...

 

I noticed something today. When all the lights turn on (the 16 bulbs), some minutes later the 2 blue bulbs without optics (used as moon lights) shut off; it leaves the tank with only 6 blue 4x1w bulbs, 6 4x1w cool white bulbs and 2 4x1w warm white bulbs (more whites than blues) and then, turn on again half an hour before all the other bulbs turn off. I make a change in the programming today so the two blue bulbs without optics keeps on during all the photoperiod (12 hrs=1hr before+5hrs during+6hrs after) not just before and after the lamp is on.

 

As you said, when all the lights are on, the blues are less than perfect.

 

After the change in programming, could the problem be solved? How much time I have to wait until I began to see improvement? Is there anything else I can do to improve coloration?

I forget it completely: I also have a Coralife T-5 Fixture 30" Twin Lamp with one 10,000K Daylight and one Actinic Bluelight High Output lamps. It turn on dayly the same 5hrs as the led lamp.

 

An Ecoxotic panorama pro 445nm would bring out your zoas colors!

I currently have the leds and T5. Do you thint it will help? That will be an easy fix!

After buying and installing the Ecoxotic panorama pro 445nm Do I need to keep the T5 running?

Edited by bebecr
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I forget it completely: I also have a Coralife T-5 Fixture 30" Twin Lamp with one 10,000K Daylight and one Actinic Bluelight High Output lamps. It turn on dayly the same 5hrs as the led lamp.

 

 

I currently have the leds and T5. Do you thint it will help? That will be an easy fix!

After buying and installing the Ecoxotic panorama pro 445nm Do I need to keep the T5 running?

 

I would leave the t5 on. More light is always a plus! Also you can run the Panorama for 2 hours before and after the main lights if you want to make the corals glow like crazy!

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