# Broms fading because of too much light?



## ecichlid (Dec 26, 2012)

Has anyone experienced reds on Broms fading because of too much light? I have two Fireballs (not a personal issue!) that started out the same, the one that sits about 6" from a Jungle Dawn has faded to mostly green while the other one that is planted in a more shaded area is still completely red. 

Perhaps it has nothing to do with light. The plants were purchased from a grower in Florida and were both labeled identically and looked identical at the time. 

I should also mention that there are three bulbs in the fixture, two are Jungle Dawns and one is a ReptiSun 5.0.


----------



## JPccusa (Mar 10, 2009)

I thought they need bright light in order to get colors (reds, purples, etc.), or in other words, the opposite of what you are experiencing. I'm interested in hearing what the experts say.


----------



## ecichlid (Dec 26, 2012)

Yes, exactly the opposite.


----------



## eyeviper (May 23, 2006)

yes I have had exactly this in my euro style viv. I am running 2 HO T-5 bulbs and the broms colored up amazingly then a month or so later started looking stressed then turned green and became happy. Very odd I haven't figured it out yet.


----------



## MeiKVR6 (Sep 16, 2008)

Brightness isn't the sole determining factor for making a Bromeliad color up. A healthy amount of _stress_ (Heat/humidity/brightness/watering/etc) all play a critical part in pushing the plants to color up. The heat given off by the UVB bulb might be keeping that plant a little hotter & dryer than the other plant, which could be playing a role in it's coloration in my opinion...


----------



## ZookeeperDoug (Jun 5, 2011)

One thing to keep in mind about all these badass broms grown down in Florida to remember is generally they're grown outside, or at least in a greenhouse where they are blasted by natural light. You have to expect some color loss unless you can provide lighting that approximates natural sunlight.

We Coral Reef People learned that along time ago too. Just because that Super Man Candy Can Rainbow Neon Fricka Fracka Chalace coral was one color, doesnt mean it will stay that way when moved to a new tank/location. Same with broms.


----------



## ecichlid (Dec 26, 2012)

MeiKVR6 said:


> Brightness isn't the sole determining factor for making a Bromeliad color up. A healthy amount of _stress_ (Heat/humidity/brightness/watering/etc) all play a critical part in pushing the plants to color up. The heat given off by the UVB bulb might be keeping that plant a little hotter & dryer than the other plant, which could be playing a role in it's coloration in my opinion...


 Defintely could be a factor. I do remember reading about one member who thought UV light may help Broms color up better, because once he took his Broms from out from the LED lights and put back his full spectrum UVB bulb, the Brom colored back up. Sounded possible to me, but it did get me thinking that perhaps it wasn't the added UVB but the fact he had less light instead of more. That being said, it certainly could be temperature or humidity related. You would know better than I and I defer to your expertise.




ZookeeperDoug said:


> One thing to keep in mind about all these badass broms grown down in Florida to remember is generally they're grown outside, or at least in a greenhouse where they are blasted by natural light. You have to expect some color loss unless you can provide lighting that approximates natural sunlight.
> 
> We Coral Reef People learned that along time ago too. Just because that Super Man Candy Can Rainbow Neon Fricka Fracka Chalace coral was one color, doesnt mean it will stay that way when moved to a new tank/location. Same with broms.


 Good point Doug, but it doesn't explain why the Brom that is lower down the wall, in a more shaded position, is still looking very red. The faded Brom is getting blasted with light and the more shaded one is looking very red. The Brom that is very red is definitely not getting light that is remotely close to full sun, that's for sure.


----------



## ZookeeperDoug (Jun 5, 2011)

Yeah I really don't know what to tell you on that one. Probably a combination of factors. Could be too much light, light of a different spectrum, intensity. I can't begin to tell you why it is happening.


----------



## ecichlid (Dec 26, 2012)

ZookeeperDoug said:


> Yeah I really don't know what to tell you on that one. Probably a combination of factors. Could be too much light, light of a different spectrum, intensity. I can't begin to tell you why it is happening.


 You and me both! So you think too much light is a possibility?


----------



## ZookeeperDoug (Jun 5, 2011)

ecichlid said:


> You and me both! So you think too much light is a possibility?


A possibility yes. I can't say with any certainty of course. It seems unlikely, I would at least think that more light would translate to brighter color, but as Ive seen in the case of some corals and plants, this is not always the case. It could be that in close proximity to a stronger light source, that bromeliad is adapting faster than the other to the new lighting conditions. The other brom may follow suit or it might not.

Which brom is getting more UV exposure?


----------



## ecichlid (Dec 26, 2012)

ZookeeperDoug said:


> Which brom is getting more UV exposure?


 The Brom on top. whose red has faded, is getting more LED *and* UV light. Much more.


----------



## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

Is it a possibility that it's getting too much light and being burnt?


----------



## ecichlid (Dec 26, 2012)

frogfreak said:


> Is it a possibility that it's getting too much light and being burnt?


 Great question but the answer is no. Does not look dried up or brown or anything like that.


----------



## morphman (May 20, 2011)

I've had the same happen to me and also with a fireball. Started to fade while others further from the light did fine. Wish I knew the cause. I'm very curious to find out


----------



## joel grassmann (Apr 26, 2012)

I never thought that the light would make any difference but I noticed my stuff not keeping good color either an yup they came from florida to.


----------



## Epiphile (Nov 12, 2009)

Are you able to switch them around? It's be interesting to see what happens if they were reversed.

Perhaps it's a water issue? Is the one higher up getting more water? I find my bromeliads colour up best when I run them really dry.


----------



## evolvstlldartfrogs (Oct 5, 2007)

Did you just plant them? The bright orange and red broms tend to become stressed and lose color for a few months or weeks after being transplanted. 

Stress is usually caused by too much heat, too much light, too much/not enough water, ect. I would suggest either moving your lights a little further away or moving the brom to a shadier area. You also need to check the substrate around the brom and see how wet it is. Broms do best if the substrate is lightly moist but not soggy. If the substrate seems dry, try watering very lightly a few times a day. Broms tend to have very shallow roots that are prone to rot, so watering heavily or for long periods isn't a good idea. 

If your brom isn't actually with frogs yet, you should mix up a little fertilizer. Miracle grow works fine, as does Super Bloom if you can get it in liquid form. Just make sure you dilute it by at least half or even to quarter strength, then mist the leaves directly. Brom leaves absorb fertilizer more efficiently than any other part of the plant, so this will help your plant recover more quickly.

If the plant is with frogs, fertilizing obviously isn't an option. You could move it to an empty tank and working on it until you figure out what you're doing, or you can just move the plant inside the tank and wait for it to recover on its own. Stressed broms take a while to die usually, so as long as you move it to better conditions, it should be fine. It just won't be as beautiful for some time, probably a few months.


----------

