Gorgonian Regrowth

[+Grog]

So, I've had this gorg since the beginning. Its been fragged and was doing great under T5, when I switched to LED it went down hill slowly.

I thought maybe it didn't like something in the tank, so I moved it to another tank. Other tank had LED, typical blue and white, and the gorg continued to waste away. The base was withered down to the central skeleton. This picture shows where it was, marked in red. I wish I had taken a picture, but honestly I was too bummed and was about to give up on it. The area that was 'degenerated' was about 2.5" long and went up each of the stalks to the base. The base had a bit of flesh left when I moved it to the third tank.

This is a picture from about three weeks ago, it had been in the new tank for about three weeks and began to show signs of healing. I was totally surprised. The difference in this tank and my others is the lighting. This is using a PAR38 LED in the 4500k range, very yellow brown color. Just a stock floodlight from Lowe's but it works great on the 10g tank. I think it is 35W.

Last picture is from today. No skeleton is visible and it is much more normal looking. Not only is there flesh but there are extended polyps where there used to be bare-bones. I'm very happy this recovery has taken place.

I'm thinking it was the brownish yellow lighting that the gorg was enjoying, so on a whim I moved some other corals with brownish colors under this simple PAR38 bulb. They have only been in the tank for one day but have opened nicely. This tank will remain my "brown coral" tank. "A Study in Brown"

More palys

[Richard L]

That's pretty cool. I think in the last couple of years we've proved that LED's can sustain a reef tank but I think the next couple of years we are going figure out what combination of LED's gives you the best chance of thriving reef tanks with great colors. For example, I've noticed that although my red acans are happy and growing under LED"s, they have slowly turned orange. I found lot's of people on Reef Central have the same issue. There's got to be something in spectrum missing that these acans need.

[+Grog]

Update from today, the end of May, so about three months. Gorg is looking great and the palys are growing well. Cheap PAR38 LED from Lowes is doing the job! The stalk has total polyp regrowth and looks like it never had a problem. I had thought this one was a goner, so this goes to show to not give up hope.

Gorg

First set of Palys, pics of the second group didn't turn out so well and I don't fee like reshooting them. I know they are not exactly on topic but they are in the same tank so it is close enough IMO. These palys are large, the disks are easily the size of a silver dollar, 1.5", in diameter when opened.

[Jimbo662]

Where did you get the palys? i've been wanting some that color.

[+Grog]

The two groups are from different sources. 1X from Aquadome and 1X from a club member.

I fragged them yesterday but I'm not trading/selling right now. Trying to grow them out and fill the area.

[FarmerTy]

Am I the club member? I can't remember! Haha.

-Ty

[+Grog]

Am I the club member? I can't remember! Haha.

-Ty

I got some from Tim and some from Aquadome.

I think I got Purple Death from you a while back.

[Timfish]

This is really good info Grog! It really helps show how important matching lighting conditions to the corals requirements is. There's no such thing as an "ideal" lighting setup. Whatever choice is made someone is being left out.

That's pretty cool. . . . I've noticed that although my red acans are happy and growing under LED"s, they have slowly turned orange. I found lot's of people on Reef Central have the same issue. There's got to be something in spectrum missing that these acans need.

A coral speciman can code for as many as a dozen of the several dozen different fluorescing proteins and the spectrum the coral is getting will influence the proteins it is going to make. Research with Green Fluorescing Protein production is influenced by intensity so GFP has a photoprotective function⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾ and is essentially a sun tan to deal with excess light of a certain wavelength. It's my understanding this is essentially the same process with many of the other fluorescing and chromo proteins corals code for. However some have been shown to decrease when light intensity reaches a certain point. My own experience is the red to orange change in red plating monti's and red blastos is influenced by by changes in both intensity and spectrum becoming more orange with a change in spectrum reducing the yellow/orange/red spectrum and increasing the blue. It appears to me the coloration is a balance of an orange fluorescing protein and a red chromoprotein and the amounts produced are changed by the coral. It is important to point out some metals can reduce the fluoresence of certain proteins⁽²⁾.

(1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20952612

(2) http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/12/corals see fig. 13 & 20

[offroadodge]

I agree Tim, when I was pondering taking out all 8 of my T5HOs I really didn't wanna loose any color. It took me forever to do it but I did, I replaced all 8 T5s with 10white 20k 10w LEDs, 10blue 450NM 10w LEDs, and 8UV 395NM-405NM 3W LEDs. I was blown away with the color being put out by this combination. I figured that I would have to be adjusting the color to my liking but havnt. The only thing I have notices is that the corals in general do not like the white turn up all the way, I run my blues at 100% but under voltage, and my white at 75% way under voltage. The combination of the LEDs and the 2x400W MHs is awesome. I wish a camera would do pics justice, it just has to be seen in person. I think in the years to come LEDs will get to when they are coral specific but not sure how long it will be until they completely take MHs out.