Current USA IC Loop Lights

jsiker · Jan 31, 2017

Anyone else using the new lights from Current USA on a coral tank?

How have they responded?

What settings do you have the light on? W/B/R/G?

If you are using the new light, are you also using the powerheads and/or pumps as well?

I've got the 72" IC light with no powerheads/pumps at this point. Settings 50 W/80 B/25 G/20 R.

Still waiting to see how the corals respond.

Any info would be great from others that are using these lights.

mcarroll · Feb 2, 2017

Did you already have this tank set up and you switched it to new lights?

Did you do anything to match lighting levels from the old light?

If not, and it's still possible, I'd take some measurements with a lux meter or PAR meter to make sure you're at least close.

If you're not at least close, at least you'll know and be able to take action now vs waiting for an adverse reaction to show up.

jsiker · Feb 2, 2017

Tank had been setup for 4 months at least before I switched to these lights. I was originally using the Current Orbit lights as my starter lights. The tank is now 7 months old and settling in nicely.

I do have a lux meter and used that to initially set the new lights to what my originals were as I read (here of course) that doing so would help prevent a lot of shock to the few corals that I do have in the system.

I was able to match it almost perfectly from the beginning.

I've had some other tank issues (due to having to go fallow) so I haven't played with the lights beyond my initial setup so I was hoping to find someone around here that might be using the new IC lights and get a feel for what they had their lights set up.

mcarroll · Feb 2, 2017

Gotcha – that should be a really good start then!

What levels are you seeing over the tank?

You mentioned other issues.....what have you been seeing/what else is going on exactly?

mcarroll · Feb 2, 2017

(Sorry I can't comment directly, but we can at least keep your thread bumped up at the top of the list.)

jsiker · Feb 2, 2017

I appreciate it!

Mainly I let my nitrates completely bottom out while the tank was fallow and it caused some coral die off. I was ghost feeding it and keeping the calc/alk/mag up and testing all of that, but I will admit, I neglected to watch the nitrates and still had my skimmer running. I've pretty much lost all of my Zoa's, and a few other pieces. Extremely sad about it to be honest.

Before I went fallow everything was really thriving and growing.

Other than that, the parameters it have been solid.

I have fish back in the DT and I'm over feeding them but I honestly haven't seen a spike in the nitrates yet. I haven't even turned the skimmer back on. I am seeing traces of nitrates, but I'm guessing everything I have is consuming then as quickly as I can get it in the tank.