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Eagle Eye Zoas look awful

7K views 16 replies 4 participants last post by  ThalesthePearsei 
#1 ·
I just got a small frag of eagle eye zoas. they opened up and are brown. They are suppost to be bright green with orange centers. Will they eventually get their color back or what?
 
#3 ·
Your lighting is going to play the main factor in this. If you have any actinics then you may get the color the place you bought them from had, or if you have the same amount of actinics or more you'll get the same coloration, but if you only have 10,000k lights or other, you'll never get the coloration that you're wanting and expecting.
 
#4 ·
Yes they are under actinic. I have had these zoas before in my tank and they didn't look like this. I got them from a vendor my local forum. They looked awesome in the picture, but as soon as they opened up they looked like crap. I think I got ripped off.
 
#7 ·
Cichlids coloring up in time? Not really sure, but i do know that zoas will, as long as you have some colored lights. Depending on your light config you can get extremly diff colors, better, or worst.
 
#9 ·
Okay, thanks for the info! I see that there may be hope for my eagle eye colony. They actually do look a little better today, its not as brown, more yellowish like its on its way to becoming its green color.
I have never ad this problem with zoas before. Although all I have had previously brown buttons, green stars, and pink panthers.
Does anyone know how fast eagle eye zoas reproduce? I heard that all zoas have differing growth rates. My brown buttons and stars reproduce like there is no tomorrow, but i have heard that eagle eyes reproduce very very slowly, which is why they are a bit pricey.
 
#10 · (Edited)
If these zoanthids were kept under inadeequate lighting, the colors may look very poor. Given time under T-5 or MH lighting, they should color up in due time.

The spectrum of light will also have impact on the appearance. Corals kept under 14000k lighting will appear to flouresce more then they would under 10000k. the drawback is the growth will be slowed under the higher spectrum. Basically, corals look best under the bluer 14000k spectrum, but grow very slowly. The corals kept under 6500k will show the best growth, but look like garbage in the more yellow spectrum of light.
 
#13 ·
Thanks, I am going to try and forget. I always make sure to get a look at them as soon as they have opened up, to see if all of a sudden they colored overnight, I have to get over that :wink: I think the remedy is adding another new coral to fuss about.:-D
 
#15 · (Edited)
Parameters:
Ph: 8.1 (trying to raise)
Calcium: 650 ppm
Alkalinity: 8
Salinitiy: 1.026

Is there anything else i need to test for?
I do not have a nitrate or phosphate test, but i know my phosphates are a little high because of my recent algae growth, I have some phosban in the back and have been doing extra water changes to correct this.

My lighting is just the regular power compacts that the biocube 14 comes with.
The tank is 6 months old, as the pc bulbs are as well. I had a 30 gallon reef for several years until I got my 14 biocube, and just transfered most of what I had in the 30 to the 14, and sold what couldnt fit in the smaller tank.

I once heard the vitamin c thing as well. I have not tried it though. It makes me curious...I have also heard that adding vitamin c to the fishes food can boost immunity to disease, I have tried that with a perc I had that had ich. He did get better but I do not know if the vitamin c helped or if he just got better on his own as fish do.
 
#16 ·
why are you trying to alter your pH and what are you using to do so?
i wouldnt touch it esp in such a small tank. pH swings will be to large and will make matters worse.

why and how is your Ca 650? i think your testing incorrectly. what test kit do you use? what salt mix?
i find it hard to believe your Ca is 650, hasnt precipitated and your alk stayed at 8. do you have a mag test kit? Ca effects Alk which effects Mag which effects pH, they all work in tandem with eachother.

the phosphates would most likely give you a false reading if algae is present. the algae would be using these nutrients so a test would prob. read 0 when chances are they are still present.

do you use RO water?

do the PCs have actinic bulbs with them? the actinics will help make colors "pop" more. regardless defferent tanks have different lights which will make colors of corals look different all the time. you may love something at your LFS, buy it, take it home to find it looks tan or brown under your lighting (or a different color for that matter) or you may buy something brown and find it colors up for you under your lights.
 
#17 ·
I havent been adding anything to raise ph. I just hoped it would go up on its own, since a higher ph is better in a reef. My Ca is high because of an overdosing accident. I use distilled and oceanic salt.
 
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