What causes/creates the color in coral?

[kwl1763]

theplatypus;63777 wrote: My apologies I missed the previous thread. THey;re great links, but how many people will actually read them? How many people read through there to find that temp can/will affect color? How many people read through there to find out that they aren't just "pigments"? That these "pigments" include things like Cyanobacteria living in a symbiotic relationship? Did you ever think that in the ongoing quest to create the optimum growing conditions for the coral you might have created a suboptimal condition for the symbiant that gives the coral it's color?
Again it was an attempt on my part to get away from the bs that has become so prevalent within the ARC.

Totally agree with you on this one. If people seriously won't take the like 30 minutes it takes to read the 5 articles then why ask! It's not a simple answer. It's not just pigments, it's not just zoox, it's not just nutrient levels, or temps, or any one other factor! It's all these things working together and on top of that coras are very different in their needs and "optimums. Read the articles. they'll tell you most of what your looking for. Dry Yes, but you asked the question and he gave you the best possible answer which was to link to some actual testing and science rather then our armchair guessing and you bash him for it? I don't get it.

 

[dakota9]

OK, theres been some science geek answers in this thread,

......and here comes the geekiest.

My spouse is a hairdresser/stylist in Peachtree City, I read one of the books on color that came from the cosmotology school. Interesting facts about color. Like red molecules are HUGE so they require more of the red molecule to attain a red hue, and are the quickest to disapate and dull because of the molecular size.
A brilliant blue might </em>turn green on its way to turning brown, or once some red pigment might be introduced.
Yellow has the smallest molecule and therefore should be the longest lasting pigment, but being on the lighter end of the spectrum, its brillance can be masked quickly due to color tinged residues.

This info is less about corals coloration, and is (I guess) an attempt to better explain their DIS-coloration. I entered a fuque state once I typed the word "molecule".

 

[ouling]

Money

 

[izib]

Im about to up the flow in my 90 from 3 mj1200s to 3 mj1200s and 2 koralia 4's. Im really curious to see if this has any effect on my coloring after reading this post. Do you all think a month would be long enough for it to have any effects on it? I'll be sure to document everything with photos at the same time of day, same angle, same...

 

[cameron]

Joe was having a problem with a green slimer I gave him turning brown. He upgraded his flow and it greened right up. I am sure there are other factors in there, but certainly indicates that increasing low effects coloration.

 

[wbholwell]

Noone has mentioned phosphates contributing to corals turning brown. I thought this was a big factor. ???

 

[cameron]

wbholwell;64433 wrote: Noone has mentioned phosphates contributing to corals turning brown. I thought this was a big factor. ???

I haven't heard this. It would seem some phosphates in moderation would be a good thing as it would stimulate growth. If shown to be true, it could go along with my belief that rapid coral growth tends to brown a coral.