Maintain Torch Coral Color

[Cole_Voeller]

Hello all! So I have a good bit of Dragon Soul, Gold and 24K, Jester, and etc. torches. They look amazing when I first add them
Into my tank, but over time I always lose the really bright coloration. The tentacles begin to look somewhat clear under white lights, and I only see the intense coloration when the torches are extremely closed up at night. In this picture, the front four torches are brand new. The ones in back are a mix of Indo Gold, Dragon Soul and some others, but obviously they don’t look very colorful. The ones in front have since lost the majority of their super bright coloring, which I can take a picture of if anyone requests in a while. Torches are the only coral I have this issue with.
How can I make my torch corals keep the bright and colorful look, rather than them begin to look drab? Thanks all!

 

[Uncle99]

What’s PAR?
Do you know this value?
Whats phosphate run at?

 

[RedReefer]

In that pic colors look good. Most likely a water issue. Stability is key for torches. Keep your water as stable as possible. Med light and med flow.

 

[Cole_Voeller]

What’s PAR?
Do you know this value?
Whats phosphate run at?

Due to a previous recommendation for keeping bright torch color, my par is at roughly 300 with just blues. When the whites go on, which is for roughly 3.5 hours, the par climbs to about 350. Last I tested phosphates were a bit below 0.2.

In that pic colors look good. Most likely a water issue. Stability is key for torches. Keep your water as stable as possible. Med light and med flow.

This picture is from when they had just arrived, the front ones have lost this coloration for the most part.

 

[Uncle99]

For reference, mine have kept colour for years under 125-150 PAR. 300 seems very high to me. Maybe getting bleached?

 

[Cole_Voeller]

For reference, mine have kept colour for years under 125-150 PAR. 300 seems very high to me. Maybe getting bleached?

My green torches have all kept their vibrant green. The main colors I have lost ate just the bright yellows of dragon soul and gold torches. The store I got the front 4 torches provided me the recommendation of this par to keep the bright coloration,

 

[Shibaken3]

low nutrients?
feeding?

 

[Cole_Voeller]

low nutrients?
feeding?

So my nitrates are lower than I would like. This is only a 20 gallon aquarium (college apartment lol), but since there are so many corals in here it’s hard to keep nutrients up, but I plan to get another fish in here to help with that.
I actually don’t really feed my torches, but I’ve been wanting to start. What would you recommend?

 

[Shibaken3]

neo nitro to raise nitrate.
I feed reef roid to all my corals but tidal garden states it doesn't do much towards torches.
Also polyp lab amino acid.

 

[kevgib67]

So my nitrates are lower than I would like. This is only a 20 gallon aquarium (college apartment lol), but since there are so many corals in here it’s hard to keep nutrients up, but I plan to get another fish in here to help with that.
I actually don’t really feed my torches, but I’ve been wanting to start. What would you recommend?

I feed mine mysis and keep them in 100-150 par which is considered moderate par. Yours is set at high par. Read Tidal Gardens care guide for torches which recommends medium flow and par. Also could you list nitrates, phosphates, magnesium and calcium?

 

[Cole_Voeller]

I feed mine mysis and keep them in 100-150 par which is considered moderate par. Yours is set at high par. Read Tidal Gardens care guide for torches which recommends medium flow and par. Also could you list nitrates, phosphates, magnesium and calcium?

I run 420 Calcium, 1400 Magnesium, 10 kh, a little under 0.2 phosphates currently, and nitrates are currently around 5.

 

[kevgib67]

All looks good but I would get your nitrates up to 10-15. I still feel your par is to high is the cause of your problem. I think your lfs gave you bad advice. I’ve been there, done that and got the T-shirt. I would slowly lower the par over the next few weeks and spot feed them mysis 2-3 times a week. You have got some real beauties there.

 

[mtraylor]

I have allot of torches and let me share what I have learned on torch coloration to see if it helps you.

As everyone has said. You need good steady parms to keep torches. Keeping your nitrate, phosphates in good order and making sure your calcium, Magnesium, alk, etc is in check. But this doesn't keep my torches colorful with that super pop. It keeps them healthy and growing.

For coloration for me. First it's the lighting. Heavy blues/actnics/uv. The spectrum really helps determine where the color goes on these. I don't have a super saturated blue tank, but I have heavy blue/actinics in morning and evening peaking to around 10k during the peak day.

This being said. This keeps the corals with that deep coloration, but you can mainly see it during morning evening when you have heavy actinics and the coral is not extended as much.

If you want the super pop when it's extended. You have to dose trace elements. That's my secret sauce after lighting. If you have calcium reactor. Reborn will do most the work for you. If you use man made stuff. You need to dose trace elements. Get yourself an icp test and see what you are mising.

I found that if you hit these guys with the right spectrum and have trace elements, they always look amazing pretty much under any par from 150 to 350.

Good luck.

 

[kevgib67]

I have allot of torches and let me share what I have learned on torch coloration to see if it helps you.

As everyone has said. You need good steady parms to keep torches. Keeping your nitrate, phosphates in good order and making sure your calcium, Magnesium, alk, etc is in check. But this doesn't keep my torches colorful with that super pop. It keeps them healthy and growing.

For coloration for me. First it's the lighting. Heavy blues/actnics/uv. The spectrum really helps determine where the color goes on these. I don't have a super saturated blue tank, but I have heavy blue/actinics in morning and evening peaking to around 10k during the peak day.

This being said. This keeps the corals with that deep coloration, but you can mainly see it during morning evening when you have heavy actinics and the coral is not extended as much.

If you want the super pop when it's extended. You have to dose trace elements. That's my secret sauce after lighting. If you have calcium reactor. Reborn will do most the work for you. If you use man made stuff. You need to dose trace elements. Get yourself an icp test and see what you are mising.

I found that if you hit these guys with the right spectrum and have trace elements, they always look amazing pretty much under any par from 150 to 350.

Good luck.

Pictures?

 

[mtraylor]

All of my torches are somewhere between 250 and 425 PAR.

 

[kevgib67]

Beautiful!

 

[VintageReefer]

I keep mine around 150 par.
The knicks torch started as one head and currently is 4

The holy grail started as 1 head and now is 5

I run heavy blue. Phosphate .02-.05 and nitrate varies 0-5. I don’t think alk matters but my tank is 7.5

 

[Cole_Voeller]

I have allot of torches and let me share what I have learned on torch coloration to see if it helps you.

As everyone has said. You need good steady parms to keep torches. Keeping your nitrate, phosphates in good order and making sure your calcium, Magnesium, alk, etc is in check. But this doesn't keep my torches colorful with that super pop. It keeps them healthy and growing.

For coloration for me. First it's the lighting. Heavy blues/actnics/uv. The spectrum really helps determine where the color goes on these. I don't have a super saturated blue tank, but I have heavy blue/actinics in morning and evening peaking to around 10k during the peak day.

This being said. This keeps the corals with that deep coloration, but you can mainly see it during morning evening when you have heavy actinics and the coral is not extended as much.

If you want the super pop when it's extended. You have to dose trace elements. That's my secret sauce after lighting. If you have calcium reactor. Reborn will do most the work for you. If you use man made stuff. You need to dose trace elements. Get yourself an icp test and see what you are mising.

I found that if you hit these guys with the right spectrum and have trace elements, they always look amazing pretty much under any par from 150 to 350.

Good luck.

Unfortunately I don’t have a calcium reactor. I did do an ICP test at one point, but I have gradually changed salts to reef crystals since then. I do run very heavy blue and actinic haha. What do you recommend for trace elements if I don’t have a calcium reactor?
Would products like brightwell replenish work?

 

[VintageReefer]

I don’t have a calcium reactor either. I also don’t do water changes nor do I run a skimmer

I replenish Alk, Ca, and trace elements with All for Reef added to my top off water once a week

 

[mtraylor]

Just to name a few brands. I listed a few below. The Brightwell has iron in and I believe the Korallen doesn't. The price ranges differ allot on brands. If you have never replenished them, then you will see immediate results in coral color....within several days. Once you start dosing over a couple weeks you will be amazed of the difference. Its easy to see in any coral IMO. Especially LPS and SPS.

Brightwell
Korallen-Zucht
Tropic Marine