ATI Help

[arichmond1003]

Hey guys so I need some help figuring out my lighting. Part of me feels I have too much if that’s a thing, and I just need some help getting the right lights in my sun power. I have an 48” 8x54w sun power with Reef Brite Lumi Lite Blue Actinic LED Strip 48” and Reef Brite Actinic Blue XHO LED Strip 48”...
My current photo period comes in at 8a with the lumi, 830a the XHO, 9a with 2 actinic, then at 12p the whole fixture is light with 1 purple plus 2 coral plus and 3 blue plus until 6 pm. From 6 to 9 it ramps down again.
I personally feel like I either have the wrong bulbs or I’m blasting too much light. So I need some advice.
Thank you in advance

 

[vetteguy53081]

brightness. Starting out with XHO is not ideal.
You want to start with blue, then blue plus, then lumi, then actinic, then xho ramping down early afternoon, then ramp down coral plus, then actinic, then, blue plus, then finally blue off at night

 

[A. grandis]

Hey guys so I need some help figuring out my lighting. Part of me feels I have too much if that’s a thing, and I just need some help getting the right lights in my sun power. I have an 48” 8x54w sun power with Reef Brite Lumi Lite Blue Actinic LED Strip 48” and Reef Brite Actinic Blue XHO LED Strip 48”...
My current photo period comes in at 8a with the lumi, 830a the XHO, 9a with 2 actinic, then at 12p the whole fixture is light with 1 purple plus 2 coral plus and 3 blue plus until 6 pm. From 6 to 9 it ramps down again.
I personally feel like I either have the wrong bulbs or I’m blasting too much light. So I need some advice.
Thank you in advance

Please tell us what makes you think you have the wrong bulbs or too much light? There must be a reason. Pics? Details of your system and organisms?

 

[Mike konesky]

Following

 

[arichmond1003]

Sorry so let me add some more info...
Tank was set up for 8 months, couldn’t keep coral with stable parameters.
Thank was moved and has been set up for another 4 months using same rock, it was kept wet. I moved 30 min away.
my parameters are stable and stay stable.
when I put coral in the tank it initially looks great and happy but slowly day by day the polys retract when all the lights are on and then extend as they go down in intensity in the evening and vice versa in the AM. Eventually leading to death.
It may not be the lights but I’m assuming, based on the way the coral acts under full blast that it is lights.

 

[arichmond1003]

brightness. Starting out with XHO is not ideal.
You want to start with blue, then blue plus, then lumi, then actinic, then xho ramping down early afternoon, then ramp down coral plus, then actinic, then, blue plus, then finally blue off at night

I see what your saying as as far as intensity per light/fixture. My sunpower has the ability to turn 2 bulbs on then another 6. I can run 6 bulbs, two bulbs or 8 on

 

[Casket_Case]

Sorry so let me add some more info...
Tank was set up for 8 months, couldn’t keep coral with stable parameters.
Thank was moved and has been set up for another 4 months using same rock, it was kept wet. I moved 30 min away.
my parameters are stable and stay stable.
when I put coral in the tank it initially looks great and happy but slowly day by day the polys retract when all the lights are on and then extend as they go down in intensity in the evening and vice versa in the AM. Eventually leading to death.
It may not be the lights but I’m assuming, based on the way the coral acts under full blast that it is lights.

Are you able to adjust lights to be dimmer?

 

[RedReefer]

You need to run your LEDs for 10 to 12 hours. Then two of the T5 bulbs for 9-10 hours. And then the other six bulbs for 6 to 8 hours. I personally would not have that many white bulbs. In my 8 bulb ATI sunpower I run (5) blue plus, (2) ATI actinic, (1) tropic bulb (daylight). Set the light at 10” above the water and leave it.

 

[RedReefer]

You need to run your LEDs for 10 to 12 hours. Then two of the T5 bulbs for 9-10 hours. And then the other six bulbs for 6 to 8 hours. I personally would not have that many white bulbs. In my 8 bulb ATI sunpower I run (5) blue plus, (2) ATI actinic, (1) tropic bulb (daylight). Set the light at 10” above the water and leave it.

I do not ramp my lights. My fixture is not dimmable. It’s on & off only. I also have two reefbrites attached to my sun power that run 11 hours.

 

[A. grandis]

We will first make sure IF what you think is true and the light is the only problem. Do this:
Use ONLY the T5s for now.
2 bulbs starting at 11:00am and the other 6 bulbs starting at 12:00pm, then you turn off the 6 bulbs at 7:00pm and the other 2 at 8:00pm.
Do that for a week or 2 for now.

 

[arichmond1003]

Are you able to adjust lights to be dimmer?

No I’m. It able to run a dimmer

 

[arichmond1003]

You need to run your LEDs for 10 to 12 hours. Then two of the T5 bulbs for 9-10 hours. And then the other six bulbs for 6 to 8 hours. I personally would not have that many white bulbs. In my 8 bulb ATI sunpower I run (5) blue plus, (2) ATI actinic, (1) tropic bulb (daylight). Set the light at 10” above the water and leave it.

So I should ramp the same way? Lumi bar then XHO 2 T5 then 6.... what are the two bulbs you turn on? Actinic?

 

[arichmond1003]

We will first make sure IF what you think is true and the light is the only problem. Do this:
Use ONLY the T5s for now.
2 bulbs starting at 11:00am and the other 6 bulbs starting at 12:00pm, then you turn off the 6 bulbs at 7:00pm and the other 2 at 8:00pm.
Do that for a week or 2 for now.

So only run a 9hour photo period..?

 

[A. grandis]

So only run a 9hour photo period..?

Yup. Do that for a week to see if the problem is with the light.
Forget the LEDs for now.
9 hours is what you need to know what's going on.
After that we will see what needs to be done...