Fluval Evo 13.5 + AI Prime 16HD (Group Thread)

[lrp693]

There’s probably a post out there like this, but I wanted to create a thread to get specific answers for this question and hopefully help some others out along the way. I have been trying to tune in my AI Prime 16 HD over my Fluval Evo 13.5 for some time now. I’m slowly sorting out all of my other issues (stocking, flow, filtration, etc.) but I wanted to check about my lights to make sure that I’m providing enough light but not absolutely frying my corals.

If you are successfully running an AI Prime 16 HD over a Fluval Evo 13.5, specifically, please respond to this post with the following info:

1. Distance from water surface to fixture
2. Type of tank (SPS Dominant, LPS Dominant, Mixed Reef)
3. Screenshot/List of light settings
4. Photos of tank (if you would like)

Thank you in advance for your input! I know it will be greatly appreciated by myself (and hopefully many others)!

 

[lrp693]

Here’s my specs as of today:

1. 8” above water surface
2. LPS Dominant - would like to add SPS for Mixed Reef
3. Current Settings

1. Current Tank Shots

Here are some of the issues I’m having that I am trying to solve. Please let me know, based on my specs, if any of these are light related.

• Inconsistent Polyp Extension - some days everything looks good, some days certain corals are not very happy
• Zoas “melting” - every time I get a new zoa frag, I leave it on the sandbed for a couple of weeks and see great PE and growth. Then I will place them a little higher on the rock and they seem to do fine for another couple of weeks to about a month. Then all of a sudden, half of the frag is closed all day and soon the entire frag just disappears. I know that I do not have my Asterina Stars or Nudis that are causing this, but have not completely ruled out all potential pests.
• Inability to keep SPS - this is most likely from water parameters which I have recently solved by overhauling my entire filtration and water change regimen. I will be waiting for the new system to establish for awhile, but I want to make sure that when I do try some more SPS in the future, I won’t have to worry about the lights being the issue.

 

[lrp693]

.

 

[Just John]

Here’s my specs as of today:

1. 8” above water surface
2. LPS Dominant - would like to add SPS for Mixed Reef
3. Current Settings

1. Current Tank Shots

Here are some of the issues I’m having that I am trying to solve. Please let me know, based on my specs, if any of these are light related.

• Inconsistent Polyp Extension - some days everything looks good, some days certain corals are not very happy
• Zoas “melting” - every time I get a new zoa frag, I leave it on the sandbed for a couple of weeks and see great PE and growth. Then I will place them a little higher on the rock and they seem to do fine for another couple of weeks to about a month. Then all of a sudden, half of the frag is closed all day and soon the entire frag just disappears. I know that I do not have my Asterina Stars or Nudis that are causing this, but have not completely ruled out all potential pests.
• Inability to keep SPS - this is most likely from water parameters which I have recently solved by overhauling my entire filtration and water change regimen. I will be waiting for the new system to establish for awhile, but I want to make sure that when I do try some more SPS in the future, I won’t have to worry about the lights being the issue.

Your rhodactis is awesome!

 

[lrp693]

Your rhodactis is awesome!

Thanks! I got gifted one about the size of a quarter and a year later, here we are haha

 

[saltybees]

8inches from the water, mixed reef. Weekly easily visible growth on everything.

 

[lrp693]

8inches from the water, mixed reef. Weekly easily visible growth on everything.

I bumped most of my light channels up about 10% during peak a couple weeks ago when I started placing some acros in. I’m not sure how necessary it was though and most of my corals seemed to have an adverse reaction to it. It fried most of my zoas that were higher up so I had to relocate them back to the bottom. I am going to leave it for awhile to let everything get acclimated and see if it makes a difference. I was getting around 250 PAR at the top of the rock structure with the old settings so I wanted to bump it up a little, but it seems really intense. I guess I’ll wait and see what happens.

These were the PAR readings before (pink numbers) and after (green numbers) the change:

This is how it looks currently with the new corals

 

[LacViet]

Here is my current specs:
1. 10 in above water line
2. Mostly soft corals, zoas, anemones (BTA, RFA, mini maxi carpet). I have couples of Duncan, one small torch, and 2 acro
3. Current light setting: basically a copy of BRS AB+ setting at 70% level with little increase in blue spec and white light for my taste

Link to BRS recommendation:
4. View of my tank

and top view

 

[lrp693]

Here is my current specs:
1. 10 in above water line
2. Mostly soft corals, zoas, anemones (BTA, RFA, mini maxi carpet). I have couples of Duncan, one small torch, and 2 acro
3. Current light setting: basically a copy of BRS AB+ setting at 70% level with little increase in blue spec and white light for my taste

Link to BRS recommendation:
4. View of my tank

and top view

Nice! I like the “cloud” simulation of the up and down of their settings. I added that to mine when I changed my settings last.

 

[lrp693]

^

 

[FreshwaterConvert]

Here is my current specs:
1. 10 in above water line
2. Mostly soft corals, zoas, anemones (BTA, RFA, mini maxi carpet). I have couples of Duncan, one small torch, and 2 acro
3. Current light setting: basically a copy of BRS AB+ setting at 70% level with little increase in blue spec and white light for my taste

Link to BRS recommendation:
4. View of my tank

and top view

What’re your settings for your Nero? Is that the 3 or the 5? I’m having some cyano issues and I’m likely gonna get the 3

 

[LacViet]

Here is my setting for Nero3. I know some people has higher setting but i found setting at 10% is already created lots of flow already

 

[r98]

What’re your settings for your Nero? Is that the 3 or the 5? I’m having some cyano issues and I’m likely gonna get the 3

What mavemaker are you running at the moment?

 

[mikemathis555]

Here is my current specs:
1. 10 in above water line
2. Mostly soft corals, zoas, anemones (BTA, RFA, mini maxi carpet). I have couples of Duncan, one small torch, and 2 acro
3. Current light setting: basically a copy of BRS AB+ setting at 70% level with little increase in blue spec and white light for my taste

Link to BRS recommendation:
4. View of my tank

and top view

hello - nice tank!

im running a similar set up but haven’t really started building coral inventory yet. I do have the AI light & Nero 3.

you have a lot in that tank - what filtration are you running? I have 3 fish and about 8lbs of live rock, and I get some spikes occasionally. I see you have at least 7 fish…does your coral load just consume that much?

 

[ravila101]

Here is my current specs:
1. 10 in above water line
2. Mostly soft corals, zoas, anemones (BTA, RFA, mini maxi carpet). I have couples of Duncan, one small torch, and 2 acro
3. Current light setting: basically a copy of BRS AB+ setting at 70% level with little increase in blue spec and white light for my taste

Link to BRS recommendation:
4. View of my tank

and top view

Can you send me your schedule so I can save it?

 

[mathew.jarvis]

hello - nice tank!

im running a similar set up but haven’t really started building coral inventory yet. I do have the AI light & Nero 3.

you have a lot in that tank - what filtration are you running? I have 3 fish and about 8lbs of live rock, and I get some spikes occasionally. I see you have at least 7 fish…does your coral load just consume that much?

Maybe put some marinepure bio filter gems in the rear filter chamber. It works too well for me and my nitrates are less than 1ppm.