Palmer's Blue Mille is not blue?

[Hiker4twenty]

So I've had this Palmer's Blue Mille frag for a few months. Its supposed to be a very striking blue color. Mine only has a faint hint of blue at the very tip of the frag. Not sure what the deal is with this coral. All of my other SPS that are supposed to be blue are actually blue in color. All of my levels are perfectly fine so that's not the issue. Any ideas as to why its not coloring up? Its pretty much a furry white coral with a slight blue tint at the tip. Its also fully encrusted the frag plug so its growing.

 

[bjohanson1234]

Maybe the lighting on your tank isnt the same as the lighting on the tank you got it from? It could just not be popping as much.

 

[lilduud]

Yea what's your lighting like? Also what do perfect params mean? Run alllll our tests and post results

 

[dcantucson]

Maybe more magnesium is needed in your water chemistry?

 

[Bifferwine]

Maybe you need to eat some peach cobbler with cool whip on top?

 

[Hiker4twenty]

Sal - 1.026
Alk - 10dkh
Calc - 420
Mag - 1350
Nrite - 0
Nrate - 0
Amm - 0
Phosphates - 0

Yes, my lighting is different from the tank I got it from. The guy I got it from runs 400W radium metal halides and I run 8x54W t5's. The other SPS I got from him colored up without any issues in about 2-3 weeks. Maybe this one is taking loger for some reason.

Peach cobbler sounds nice!

 

[Hiker4twenty]

Hmmmmmm....maybe its getting too much lighting. I looked at pics from when I first got it and it was more blue than it is now. Do you think the lighting could be bleaching it?

 

[yote]

Hmmmmmm....maybe its getting too much lighting. I looked at pics from when I first got it and it was more blue than it is now. Do you think the lighting could be bleaching it?

That would be my guess.

 

[dcantucson]

Maybe you need to eat some peach cobbler with cool whip on top?

Duh! WTF? Everyone knows BLUEberry cobbler would be a better choice in Dave's situation. Geesh, Biff! :mrgreen:

 

[Hiker4twenty]

That would be my guess.

I'm going to move it lower in my tank and see what happens over the next few weeks. I'll update then.

 

[ccCapt]

Those 400w Radiums pump out some bigtime PAR. I don't know if your lights are more powerful, but dropping them down a bit is worth trying.

 

[Hiker4twenty]

Those 400w Radiums pump out some bigtime PAR. I don't know if your lights are more powerful, but dropping them down a bit is worth trying.

That's what I thought as well Larry. I don't know what else could be causing it to not show its true color. Maybe moving it down might help. Dan said it might be because T5's produce more UV than MH?

 

[BL1]

. Dan said it might be because T5's produce more UV than MH?

I was reading an article the other day and I believe it said that the glass covers over the MH bulbs filter most of the UV from the bulb.

 

[Hiker4twenty]

I was reading an article the other day and I believe it said that the glass covers over the MH bulbs filter most of the UV from the bulb.

That is true, but only for Double End HQI MH bulbs. The regular Single End mogul base bulbs do not need a glass shield.

 

[BL1]

Ah ok, thanks I didn't see that in the article

 

[Oscarsdad608]

Actually the outer glass on the single end bulb is the uv shield.

 

[yote]

Those 400w Radiums pump out some bigtime PAR. I don't know if your lights are more powerful, but dropping them down a bit is worth trying.

I dont this as fact.Its just my guess.But by having enough watts of the right par could give you just as much as the 400 watt Radiums if not a little more. :dunno:
But when I was burning 432 watts of T-5s over my old 75,I really had to watch it when I added new corals.If I didnt,they would bleach out every time.
Either way,itd sure be fun to compare the 2 lights with a lux or par meter.:D

 

[ccCapt]

That's what I thought as well Larry. I don't know what else could be causing it to not show its true color. Maybe moving it down might help. Dan said it might be because T5's produce more UV than MH?

If you got that from Dan the club Pres, he runs 250w Radiums. Your T5's more than likely have more PAR than they do.

Not sure about the UV thing. I don't know what T5's emit, but the glass shield in reflectors for DE bulbs blocks the UV and in SE bulbs the whole glass encasement is the UV shield.

 

[Hiker4twenty]

If you got that from Dan the club Pres, he runs 250w Radiums. Your T5's more than likely have more PAR than they do.

Not sure about the UV thing. I don't know what T5's emit, but the glass shield in reflectors for DE bulbs blocks the UV and in SE bulbs the whole glass encasement is the UV shield.

I did get them from Dan. I thought he said 400W Radiums, but I'm going by memory from talking to him at the last swap a few months ago. I got the Radium part right.

Anyway, I moved it about 8" lower in the tank so we'll see how it does in the coming days/weeks. Hopefully it will color up better. Other than the color it looks like a perfectly healthy mille. It's hairy as can be and has encrusted the plug and grown another branch since I got it.

 

[Hiker4twenty]

I dont this as fact.Its just my guess.But by having enough watts of the right par could give you just as much as the 400 watt Radiums if not a little more. :dunno:
But when I was burning 432 watts of T-5s over my old 75,I really had to watch it when I added new corals.If I didnt,they would bleach out every time.
Either way,itd sure be fun to compare the 2 lights with a lux or par meter.:D

I think Larry has a PAR meter if I'm not mistaken? Well see when he chimes back in.