Help with Reef Breeders Photon v2

[stefdvm]

I recently purchased several of the photon v2s when I upgraded my tank from a 135gal to a 220. I had Arctic Reviv T247s before, but I had had them for many years and I felt it might be time to replace them. At the time, I felt like I was upgrading slightly... but my corals seem to be unhappy with the new lights... all of my euphyllia have wasted away, my lobo deflated and gradually receeded to just a skeleton, and now my once huge Duncans are also dying off. My BTA also uprooted itself and suddenly walked off and disappeared. My softies are doing great - in fact one leather than hasn't changed in over a year is suddenly flourishing and has tripled in size, my gorgonians don't appear to be affected, my zoas are thriving. I don't know for sure that it's the lights, but that is the only thing that has really changed. My parameters are within reasonable limits (I'm not at home right now, I'm out of state, so I don't have the exact numbers); I did have a drop in Mg at one point, but that has been corrected and it has been stable since. Alk is between 9.5 and 10, Ca is between 420 and 450, Mg is 1290-1310; no significant nitrate, nitrite or ammonia.

This new tank does have bracing on the top which I'm sure blocks the light in the center of my tank... the center is completely closed with 1/4" glass, approx 1/4 of the total top surface. The glass is "clear" but it gets hazy from salt etc which likely blocks more light. I believe that this tank is also about 3" deeper than the 135gal was which would affect items on the sand, but the Duncan's were about half way up in the tank.

Maybe it's my settings? Does anyone have any recommended settings for the photon v2? I'm starting to regret that I got rid of my T247s...

 

[WVNed]

How do you have them set now? channels 3, 5 and 6 should be around 70-80%. I run mine at 70,70 and 75 and your tank is deeper than mine.

 

[Neo Jeo]

My lights are 8” off the water. All blues and Vilot are at 75 with max burn 8hrs and they ramp up and down .

I’m having some issue with a torch, frogspawn and a hammer but others are fine. Maybe my lights but I think it’s just not working out those those 3 corals. Could be flow, perimeters or my alk swing.

 

[Mark Gray]

Start low on those lights I fried some coral with them I am not at home so I don't have my settings but turn them down for at least a week it took my a long while to get mine set where I liked them

 

[Neo Jeo]

Start low on those lights I fried some coral with them I am not at home so I don't have my settings but turn them down for at least a week it took my a long while to get mine set where I liked them

+ 1

Ya maybe start at 30% and move 10% up each week?

 

[stefdvm]

I fried my monti when I first got the lights, so I turned them down to about 30 and have been increasing them by 5-10 each week or two - I work out of state so I can't always change the settings weekly. I am up over 50 at this point... maybe they just needed more light and I've been too slow with the ramp up. **sigh** I will work towards the values above - I appreciate the input. My husband will feed the fish, but that's it. He wouldn't begin to adjust the lighting for me lol. I was also thinking of adding a third light. I only had 2 on the 135 gal and it was fine; I have 2 of the 24s on this new tank, but maybe putting an additional light in the center would also help? Of course, it will be above the glass bracing, but some light will still get through.