Anemones and lighting/flow- a discussion

[GlassMunky]

I tried that app, it did not seem very accurate. It said I was close to 1000 par at the surface, with the intensity at like 53%, and I can't stick my phone under water.

mine was super accurate.
just put your phone in a plastic bag to go underwater.

 

[iceman14555]

mine was super accurate.
just put your phone in a plastic bag to go underwater.

Wouldn't the plastic affect the accuracy by creating extra parallax or not allowing the camera to accurately read the correct parameters due to the extra layer?

 

[GlassMunky]

Wouldn't the plastic affect the accuracy by creating extra parallax or not allowing the camera to accurately read the correct parameters due to the extra layer?

How to Measure Underwater

Step-by-step instructions to use Photone underwater

growlightmeter.com

 

[iceman14555]

I got a par meter. I took several measurements from to to bottom and both sides of my tank with flow on. I'm pretty much around 100 on the entire bottom of my tank and the highest peak of my scape hit 185 for a moment.

These measurements were from my first 4hr full spectrum photo period.

These two measurements are from my second 4hr BRS blended spectrum photo period.

I have also attached PDFs of my measurements that include the spectrum data with the par reading.

Since it looks like my tank is pretty evenly lit, should I drop my intensity a small amount or just leave it as is?

 

[skey44]

Leave it? Are you having issues?

 

[iceman14555]

Leave it? Are you having issues?

I guess you could say, "some,"maybe. My anemones shriveled up when I put the Radions on after having AI Prime Sols for years. My zoas, feather dusters, and Kenya tree all seem very happy, but they were added after the lighting change or very close to before the change. However, I've not been able to get clove polyps to stay alive, they seem to just melt away in my tank, no matter where I put them.

I don't have any SPS or anything high maintenance. I only keep softies and nems. So I'm wondering if a slight drop in intensity would help

 

[reefsaver]

I have a mixed reef with a Forest fire Bubble Tip nem and a Green bubble tip nem under a Radion G6 Blue and I'm about 57% now and have been ramping up the intensity to 60% for the past 27 days from about 18%.
My nem seemed to do really well around the 50% ish mark but I think it's too soon for me to judge anything.
Give it more time I think, your parameters are good. I don't actually have PAR measurements though the tank is 400mm deep with the same stands as yours.

 

[iceman14555]

I have a mixed reef with a Forest fire Bubble Tip nem and a Green bubble tip nem under a Radion G6 Blue and I'm about 57% now and have been ramping up the intensity to 60% for the past 27 days from about 18%.
My nem seemed to do really well around the 50% ish mark but I think it's too soon for me to judge anything.
Give it more time I think, your parameters are good. I don't actually have PAR measurements though the tank is 400mm deep with the same stands as yours.

Yeah I think I'm in a good spot with my par and spectrum. I'll just leave it alone and see where it goes.

 

[skey44]

How are the men’s now?

 

[skey44]

Nem’s now?

Honestly you won’t kill them by going down in intensity or more low intensity hours. I’m also starting to think new flow might be as much the issue as your lights.
What are your water parameters? Did you change anything else?
If they’re still hurting I’d definitely turn back the lights and flow

 

[iceman14555]

Nem’s now?

Honestly you won’t kill them by going down in intensity or more low intensity hours. I’m also starting to think new flow might be as much the issue as your lights. What are your water parameters?
If they’re still hurting I’d definitely turn back the lights and flow

I'm now starting to think my flow is overkill more than the lights. They actually seem to be perking up, however, still a bit stringy looking. Their color looks good and their oral disc looks closed up tight.

My flow switched from Neros to MP10s. I did throw on urchin wide flow guards to compensate a bit, but I believe the Neros still had a wider more gentle flow. I've dialed back my MP10s down to 4% lagoon mode for most of the schedule, then a 5% reef crest, 3 hour 10% nutrient mode for detritus cleanup, and then a 6% tidal swell.

Last parameters were 7/6,
Temp: 76.4F (my wife cranked the AC down a lot that day, normally I'm at 77F)
PH: 7.6
Alk: 8.4
Salinity: 1.026
Nitrate: ~50
Next testing day is tomorrow.

 

[rawrsean]

I'm now starting to think my flow is overkill more than the lights. They actually seem to be perking up, however, still a bit stringy looking. Their color looks good and their oral disc looks closed up tight.

My flow switched from Neros to MP10s. I did throw on urchin wide flow guards to compensate a bit, but I believe the Neros still had a wider more gentle flow. I've dialed back my MP10s down to 4% lagoon mode for most of the schedule, then a 5% reef crest, 3 hour 10% nutrient mode for detritus cleanup, and then a 6% tidal swell.

Last parameters were 7/6,
Temp: 76.4F (my wife cranked the AC down a lot that day, normally I'm at 77F)
PH: 7.6
Alk: 8.4
Salinity: 1.026
Nitrate: ~50
Next testing day is tomorrow.

A nitrate level of 50 will cause many corals to close up, and potentially dissolve away if they are closed up for too long. I would be worried about this parameter being that level.

 

[iceman14555]

A nitrate level of 50 will cause many corals to close up, and potentially dissolve away if they are closed up for too long. I would be worried about this parameter being that level.

You'd hate to see how high my tank has been historically. Many years ago, after my tank cycled, my Nitrates were too high to register on a red sea test kit. My Nitrates have never been below 40. I'm not sure why they've always been high, but they always have been for years; I only feed once a day, I never really have any excess detritus. My zoas and many other tank inhabitants don't seem to mind. My clowns and potter's angel have been in the tank since the end of cycle and they're fat and healthy.

I did recently add a macroalgae reactor to the system, we'll see what it does.