Current-USA light settings?

[Bester]

I installed a current led light on my 90 gal./24"deep tank I have Hammer, Duncan, Torch, Mushrooms, Palys, Zoa, etc. The light was set at 100% on all colors but it seemed too bright. I tried turning whites and reds down but I just don't know what the colors should be set at. I tried contacting current but no response, any suggestions would be appreciated

 

[Ron Reefman]

Which specific model of Current fixture do you have?

All their older stuff, although it looks intense (bright) it's really quite weak. Especially over a 24" deep tank. They do have a newer model that has better leds and is more intense.

 

[Act1n1c_L1fe]

Which specific model of Current fixture do you have?

All their older stuff, although it looks intense (bright) it's really quite weak. Especially over a 24" deep tank. They do have a newer model that has better leds and is more intense.

+1 I used to run the orbit marine on my 24 gallon nano cube (18in high) at 100% on all channels and it was only enough to grow lps at the top and an acan halfway down...
the pro, ic, and ic pro models however are a different story and are just as powerful as most other lights

 

[Bester]

it was an orbit marine I bought about a year ago and it said in the package it was upgraded to the newer "2.0" I think. Is this light insufficient for my tank? I've been struggling to get everything happy. Had many problems with algae and tried everything to fix so I don't know if lighting is my problem now that the tank is stable.

 

[Ron Reefman]

Here is the chart that Current has at their website for this fixture:

The spectrum is just fine for a reef tank. But look at the chart to the left. At just 21" deep the PAR is listed as 10-20. That's not enough to grow any kind of coral. With a quality fixture most reefers would say they want a PAR of at least 100 on the bottom, 150 would be better and if it's an sps tank, even 200 is good. This fixture is only 70-120 at 6" to 9" deep. That makes it an OK light for a 12" deep tank or a good fish only light.

I had one for a 14" deep 'spare' tank I have set up for a variety of uses. I kept corals alive, but not really happy and virtually no growth. I swapped it out for a 16" Reef Breeders Photon V2 and wow did that make a difference! The few 'spare' rock flower anemones and the zoa frags I have in there opened up and are now covering their frag plugs.

BTW, I'm a car guy and I have to ask, is that split window coupe in your avatar yours?

Oh, and seeing that it appears these are your first posts, allow me to offer up a belated, Welcome to R2R!

 

[Bester]

Thanks Ron and yes its a split window. Do you have a low cost solution for my tanks lighting? Possibly adding a couple T5 bulbs to my Current lighting or should I get a new light all together? I'm very disappoited to see how low the par is right now.

 

[cvrle1]

Thanks Ron and yes its a split window. Do you have a low cost solution for my tanks lighting? Possibly adding a couple T5 bulbs to my Current lighting or should I get a new light all together? I'm very disappoited to see how low the par is right now.

I would look into cheaper black boxes like mars aqua, vipar spectra, bloomspect and sb reef. These are great, cheap lights that will grow any coral without issues. They dont come with any bells and whistles like 6 channels of control, wifi, dawn/dusk, apex control and so on, but corals dont care about those features anyways.

For example, 2 viparspectra or bloomspect units (165W, not 300W) over your tank would be great.

And welcome to R2R

 

[Bester]

Thanks I’ll check into them

 

[Bester]

Thanks I’ll check into them

 

[Ron Reefman]

I would look into cheaper black boxes like mars aqua, viparspectra, bloomspect and sb reef. These are great, cheap lights that will grow any coral without issues. They dont come with any bells and whistles like 6 channels of control, wifi, dawn/dusk, apex control and so on, but corals dont care about those features anyways.

For example, 2 viparspectra or bloomspect units (165W, not 300W) over your tank would be great.

And welcome to R2R

Bester, all of these black box leds would be very good over your tank. As cvrle1 says, they don't have all the bells and whistles, but on the other hand, they all make very good light for a reef tank. I used led fixtures like these for many years and they did fine.

 

[BirdRockReefer]

I have an IC current running over a Nuvo 20 (probably 15-18") deep. Only had a gonipora die on me most likely due to light issues. Everything else has lived, but can confirm the growth rate isn't the best. I have a trumpet, red mushroom (both bottom) and duncan (12" deep) growing well. The rest ( a few acans, another mushroom (bottom), zoas, and a new alveopora) that are all open and fine, but aren't growing much.

I personally am saving and looking to upgrade to 2 AI Primes, but I'm in no rush since nothing is dying. Just confirming that a single IC Current light running at 100% Blues is barely enough on a 20 gal.