Noticed that the SPS I add, specifically "easy" SPS, i.e. encrusting monti and birdsnest, tend to bleach over the course of a week or more. They don't STN or RTN. Just slowly fade. I don't think anything is wrong with my numbers since LPS and such are growing, but the LPS I put into partial or direct shade. The SPS I stick on the sand bed in direct light. I stuck a season's greeting monti into direct shade after about a week of it slowly bleaching and it seemed to be coming back. Stuck it back into direct light and it started fading again. Purchased a birdsnest a week ago, placed it on the sand bed and it has had PE the whole time, but bleaching on the branches facing the light. Underside of branches are still good. Retained PE the whole time.
Been reading to see if maybe my lighting is actually too strong. My PAR readings with a 3 year old Apogee SQ-120-SS wouldn't seem too high. Sand bed ranges from 100-150. Top shelf reads 200-250. But the way the corals are acting would imply differently. If I stick the LPS into the direct light, they also react negatively. Lost several before, but I thought it was other issues. I know the lighting is strong because my zoas grow very close to the rock work, even on the sand bed. I think I'm going to try and "calibrate" my PAR sensor. Maybe if I can take it outside around noon in full sun and see what it reads. Should read 400mV on the DMM.
From what I read, a 6 bulb T5 fixture should be enough light for a reef tank. I have 6 bulb and two Lumia 5.2 pucks. Recently swapped out the coral+ bulbs for 6500K bulbs. Like the warmer color better. I have been running my T5s for 12 hours a day, going to shorten that down to 10 hrs starting tomorrow. Will run that way a week or two and see what happens. I have a black light flashlight and will monitor florescence of the corals. From a Dana Riddle talk, he discussed that coral fluorescence, specifically polyps, increases as photosynthesis decreases. Have noticed that the SPS I put in the tank tend to glow very brightly under the black light just before they start to die.
Another observation is that the neon green goni I have inflates really big early in the morning and stays like this for most of the day, but the last several hours of the T5 period it stays extended, but wilted looking. Not sure if this is the lighting or not. The red goni doesn't deflate as much, but does look less inflated. Maybe getting too much light. Have a Psammacora that I had in partial light and it started to bleach. Moved into full shade and it has grown a good amount.
Might buy a lux meter just to compare to the PAR meter.
Sorry to those reading my posts. I know they ramble on, but I use my build thread as a journal.
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