Acclimating to my new AI Sol

impur · May 15, 2012

I am just looking for some additional suggestions/comments to acclimating my tank to this new light. I previously used a 250w Radium bulb in a Lumen Bright pendant run by an Icecap ballast. Before installing my new LED light, i took PAR measurements of my tank with the MH on it, then replaced the MH with the LED and again took PAR measurements with the light at 75% for all colors. This gave me roughly equal PAR numbers at the top and mid-level of the tank, and dropped off compared to the MH at the edges and on the sandbed. So I programmed the Sol and set it at a max of 60% during high noon for 3 hours, then it ramps back down over the course of the afternoon. The light comes on at 8am and slowly ramps up, then down and goes to lunar mode at 9pm. Previously the MH ran only from 2pm to 8pm with no other supplemental lighting.

So I think the intensity is taken care of due to setting the LED light at a lower max output, but I am wondering about the duration of the light. How concerned do I need to be about the light being on for twice as long as the MH? Should I set the LED even lower, and raise the output each week instead? What would be a better starting point?

TIA for any help/comments

revhtree · May 15, 2012

From experience I would set the LED's lower in the 30% range and slowly increase.

Reef Breeders · May 15, 2012

I matched my LEDs by eye to the mh, and it worked out just fine. I would bve carefull like rev said, and start at 30%, then go up 5% every 2-3 days.

Reef Breeders · May 15, 2012

Oh, and stop every 15% increase for a week, don't go past 80% for a while, I left my DIY fixtures at about 60%, all you really need to do is match your mh, or surpass it if it was inadequate.

impur · May 15, 2012

Ok so i guess i should go back to my original program where the blues maxxed out at 40% and the white at 30%. It just looked so dim!

Thanks for the suggestions! Keep em coming

revhtree · May 15, 2012

LED are far more potent that your MH lights. It looks dim but your corals will have to adapt.

impur · May 16, 2012

Ok i have modified the schedule to this:

Time | WH% | BL% | RY%| Ramp
8:00 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 30min
9:00 | 10 | 20 | 20 | 59min
11:00 | 20 | 30 | 30 | 59min
12:00 | 30 | 40 |40 | 30min
3:00 | 20 | 35 | 35 | 59min
6:00 | 15 | 25 | 25 | 59min
8:00 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 30min
9:00 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 30min

I will increase by 5% per week until I get it to about 50-60% or so