Colouration of Acros

[X_Japan]

hi all....

this website has something to say about the colouration of acros

it may not be the light alone......

read more about it and give your comments please.

http://www.aquarium.net/0597/0597_2.shtml

[Tanzy]

Ja it's not light alone but light plays a large part. Intensity gives growth but spectrum determines the pigment that is induced, in other words colour of the acro. If the acro doesn't grow it won't have nice colour, so high calcium and alk is necessary along with light to keep it growing. Good water quality is also a must to facilitate growth and decrease disease.

[Achilles Tang]

Yeah, to highlight the point below:

"In conclusion, I am suggesting that diet may be as important, if not more important than lighting in maintaining coral coloration in the aquarium. As to what the actual constituents of proper diet are is entirely beyond me. I have seen relatively little research in this area, outside analysis of gut contents of Montastrea annularis, Acropora cerivicornis ( a brown species), and various other unrelevant studies of anthozoans and cnidarians. It would be interesting to gain feedback from hobbyists who are presently feeding their corals, or those who may begin to do so after reading this article." - Eric Borneman.

Some hobbyists do not bother 'feeding' corals with anything else but light. Almost every coral has polyps and a polyp is a feeding mechanism. Just what diff corals eat is still under study... although for those who feed live phytoplankton and rotifers, it would be an excellent step towards observing increased healthy growth in our corals, even SPS. Of course, not forgetting about the 'unmeasurable stuff' like trace elements!

The Germans and Japanese SPS reefers are strong advocates of dosing trace elements while some US counterparts disagree. Comparing photos of acros show great colours in acros from German & Japanese reefers but you can also see those from US reefers. My HK friend who has an acro/SPS tank advocates dosing good quality trace supplements from Germany. He actually says the US/Uk products are inferior... eg. kent, seachem etc.

Oh well...