Torch colors washed out under halide lighting

[Formulator]

I am trying to create sort of a euphyllia garden on one of the sides of my tank and I’m a little disappointed in the colors so far under my metal halides. I run 2x 250w 16k bulbs with 2x actinic and 2x blue plus T5 bulbs. I got a Joker and a Knicks Torch. They look better in the evening under my T5s without the metal halide washing them out.

Is it just the particular torches I chose that don’t pop without a lot of blue light, or will I have the same problem with all torches? I really want a banana and holy grail, but can’t justify the money if they are just going to look washed out and dull under my lights.

 

[KrisReef]

I can’t even tell what name of my torches is under mh.
They are growing and sometimes I turn on just blues to see them glow.

 

[helmsreef]

It’s going to happen to a majority of your torches but a Holy Grail will still show pretty bright still

 

[Lavey29]

I had my holy grail in the center middle portion of the tank and although it was bright yellow there it was washed out. I assumed to much par for it so I moved it to the side and it darkened up.

 

[Big E]

They look washed out because that's what they are.............heavy blue creates fake colors and makes them look much nicer. Also, the happier they are the more extended/expanded and that will make them look more washed out.

If they aren't getting enough light the coral can look pale. High light you'll see less extension or it could be bleached.

Holy grail looks good under whiter light but it's going to look more green than under all blue.

Bright green and deep purple body torches look better and vividly colored under whiter light. These tend to be less expensive because the blue heads don't see as much fake colors.

 

[Faurek]

Those types of coral will look way better under spectrum between 400 and like 480 nm, so violet, royal blue and blue, which having all of them and only that, will excite only fluorescent proteins. When you add green, yellow, orange, amber, you get the colors from chromoproteins as well, and that's what you call "washed" now you see ALL colors, giving the true color. Adding only red to the blue spectrum can get crazy fluorescence tho.

 

[Faurek]

Those types of coral will look way better under spectrum between 400 and like 480 nm, so violet, royal blue and blue, which having all of them and only that, will excite only fluorescent proteins. When you add green, yellow, orange, amber, you get the colors from chromoproteins as well, and that's what you call "washed" now you see ALL colors, giving the true color. Adding only red to the blue spectrum can get crazy fluorescence tho.