How about these lights?

[Philipgonzales3]

I'm not sure I can really help here....I have the SB Reef Basic fixtures.....same PCB board, but not the fancy electronics to slowly ramp up and down. I simply have two knobs (potentiometers) for predominately blues/predominately whites. For what it's worth, here is how I'm running three fixtures over a five foot tank (I think 12 - 13 inches above the waterline). Whites are set at 30 percent, blues at 60%, and here's the timing of them running....to mimic a normal 12 hour day:

Sunrise (Moonlights) ----------- 1 hr --- 10AM-11AM
Morning (Blues only) ----------- 3 hr --- On at 11AM
Mid-day (Blues and Whites) -- 4 hr ---- 2PM - 6PM
Afternoon (Blues) ---------------3 hr ---- Off at 9PM
Sunset (Moonlights) -------------1 hr --- 9PM-10PM

Ok, thank you. At least it gives me an idea. I'll measure the distance off the waterline tomorrow once the lights come in. Just trying to have a basic idea, so this helps. I'm thinking of starting at 40% blue and 15% white peak %'s and adjust from there, unless anyone thinks this is a bad idea. I'm sure once I get it going someone will be able to assist as to whether it is too bright or too dull according to how my frag reacts.

 

[redfishbluefish]

I'd also suggest picking up a LUX meter......the poorman's PAR meter. They are a fraction of the cost of a PAR meter.....15 - 20 bucks. THIS ONE is the one I have. @saltyfilmfolks is the expert on using these. It made me realize I was setting my lights too high.

 

[Philipgonzales3]

I'd also suggest picking up a LUX meter......the poorman's PAR meter. They are a fraction of the cost of a PAR meter.....15 - 20 bucks. THIS ONE is the one I have. @saltyfilmfolks is the expert on using these. It made me realize I was setting my lights too high.

Ok, perfect. I will grab one and come back with more questions for saltyfilmfolks and anyone else with answers. Thanks!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I'm not sure I can really help here....I have the SB Reef Basic fixtures.....same PCB board, but not the fancy electronics to slowly ramp up and down. I simply have two knobs (potentiometers) for predominately blues/predominately whites. For what it's worth, here is how I'm running three fixtures over a five foot tank (I think 12 - 13 inches above the waterline). Whites are set at 30 percent, blues at 60%, and here's the timing of them running....to mimic a normal 12 hour day:

Sunrise (Moonlights) ----------- 1 hr --- 10AM-11AM
Morning (Blues only) ----------- 3 hr --- On at 11AM
Mid-day (Blues and Whites) -- 4 hr ---- 2PM - 6PM
Afternoon (Blues) ---------------3 hr ---- Off at 9PM
Sunset (Moonlights) -------------1 hr --- 9PM-10PM

Basically this.

Mine started at 6am and off at 10pm.

Set the WB ratio at the peak time to your eye and taste. Mine ran a 1:1 ratio.

 

[Philipgonzales3]

Basically this.

Mine started at 6am and off at 10pm.

Set the WB ratio at the peak time to your eye and taste. Mine ran a 1:1 ratio.

So running whites too high is not an issue? I prefer more white so a 1:1 ratio would be good. Which for now would peak at 40%. Does white light increase the chances of nuisance algea?

 

[Philipgonzales3]

Got exactly one light setup before my daughter woke up. The model is Sbox Extreme 16". Set them up as high as they go on the mount so far. These things are going to be perfect because I'll still be able to use my mesh lid.

 

[Philipgonzales3]

@Why-Me @Hemmdog all set!

 

[Hemmdog]

That looks so good man!

 

[Morelia]

They look great! Glad to see you got them all setup Philip.

 

[Philipgonzales3]

Just a few more pics of the different colors.

 

[Philipgonzales3]

They look great! Glad to see you got them all setup Philip.

Thank you! Everything was packed perfectly and in mint condition just as described! You rock!

 

[Why-Me]

They look great and give you amazing coverage...I wouldn't be afraid to throw any coral in there at this point.
Your lil acro is gonna love getting full light.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

So running whites too high is not an issue? I prefer more white so a 1:1 ratio would be good. Which for now would peak at 40%. Does white light increase the chances of nuisance algea?

White is not actually a good way to describe he color of a light. 5600 kelvin to 14, 000 kelvin is often described as white light.

Coral and algae have very similar needs in fact. Blue being one they both use most.
What the designer of this light did was to eliminate two very important ones , yellow and orange and limit the red. (Most Corals actually do need it.)
So If you do see algae(you likely will soon now ) , don’t blame light like most do and have for decades now(t12/MH/CF/t5/led), add snails and Cuc and have an eye on your co2/ph.

 

[Philipgonzales3]

White is not actually a good way to describe he color of a light. 5600 kelvin to 14, 000 kelvin is often described as white light.

Coral and algae have very similar needs in fact. Blue being one they both use most.
What the designer of this light did was to eliminate two very important ones , yellow and orange and limit the red. (Most Corals actually do need it.)
So If you do see algae(you likely will soon now ) , don’t blame light like most do and have for decades now(t12/MH/CF/t5/led), add snails and Cuc and have an eye on your co2/ph.

So are you saying this light is a poor design because it eliminates yellow, orange, and limits the red?

Also you have a 16 hour photoperiod? I was just going to ask if the recommended 14 hours was too long? 1 hour of moonlights, 2.66 hours of ramp up, 6.66 hours of peak, 2.66 hours of ramp down, then lastly 1 hour of moon lights.

My lux meter comes in tomorrow. How should I start? Just take a measurement at peak at the water surface and give you the value?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

So are you saying this light is a poor design because it eliminates yellow, orange, and limits the red?

Also you have a 16 hour photoperiod? I was just going to ask if the recommended 14 hours was too long? 1 hour of moonlights, 2.66 hours of ramp up, 6.66 hours of peak, 2.66 hours of ramp down, then lastly 1 hour of moon lights.

My lux meter comes in tomorrow. How should I start? Just take a measurement at peak at the water surface and give you the value?

No. Reread that please.
Algae likes the same light corals do but with the addition of Y O.
This light is engineered to to reduce the transmission of those additional colors.

I don’t belive I mentioned time.
SBreeflight has a sched posted on thier site , similar to what redfish blue posted.

Set the intensity at the peak to about 20,000 lux.

Most who run a short total photoperiod will have a longer peak and often a peak higher intensity, to run longer , a shorter peak and peak intensity.

 

[Philipgonzales3]

No. Reread that please.
Algae likes the same light corals do but with the addition of Y O.
This light is engineered to to reduce the transmission of those additional colors.

I don’t belive I mentioned time.
SBreeflight has a sched posted on thier site , similar to what redfish blue posted.

Set the intensity at the peak to about 20,000 lux.

Most who run a short total photoperiod will have a longer peak and often a peak higher intensity, to run longer , a shorter peak and peak intensity.

Basically this.

Mine started at 6am and off at 10pm.

Set the WB ratio at the peak time to your eye and taste. Mine ran a 1:1 ratio.

Ah OK, that makes sense. I thought that's what you may have meant but wasn't sure.

You said yours started at 6AM and ended at 10PM. But I do like the hours posted in the schedule. It is a 14 hour schedule. 1 hour of moonlight before and the ramping up and down.

What I did is modify the "white" channel to run at 50% of the blue channel. It looks more pleasing to me that way.

For example here is 4% blue and 2% white and it continues like this. My eyes prefer more of the white channel than the suggested schedule. My peak right now is 40% blue and 20% white.



Is it OK to run my whites at 50% of the blues instead of following the schedule?

For example the schedule does not add whites until 11AM. The way I set it now is to start whites at 2% at 9AM and ramp up to 20% by 11:40AM.



Thank you for your time by the way.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Ah OK, that makes sense. I thought that's what you may have meant but wasn't sure.

You said yours started at 6AM and ended at 10PM. But I do like the hours posted in the schedule. It is a 14 hour schedule. 1 hour of moonlight before and the ramping up and down.

What I did is modify the "white" channel to run at 50% of the blue channel. It looks more pleasing to me that way.

For example here is 4% blue and 2% white and it continues like this. My eyes prefer more of the white channel than the suggested schedule. My peak right now is 40% blue and 20% white.



Is it OK to run my whites at 50% of the blues instead of following the schedule?

For example the schedule does not add whites until 11AM. The way I set it now is to start whites at 2% at 9AM and ramp up to 20% by 11:40AM.



Thank you for your time by the way.

Yea. It’s fine that way.
A lot of why the coral need is in the blue side. There is some of what the cora needs in the white side.

Basically, long and low intensity or high and short.
Set the color by eye , and then set the intensity at peak , with the time in mind.

 

[Philipgonzales3]

Mp10...might add another on the other side yet.

Does your pump have trouble staying attached to the glass? Supposedly 9.5mm is the max thickness of glass for the mp10. My glass is 10mm. Yours is too right? Does it fall off easily?

 

[reef lover]

Does your pump have trouble staying attached to the glass? Supposedly 9.5mm is the max thickness of glass for the mp10. My glass is 10mm. Yours is too right? Does it fall off easily?

If you make sure not to use the gasket they stay fine. Just added another yesterday. And the first has a 3d plastic guard for the nems as well.

 

[Philipgonzales3]

Getting more algea growth after running these lights a couple of days. Still waiting on lux meter to be delivered. I assume this is diatoms and just part of the cycle? Just wanted to check. Should I get some snail's now? Or just let it be?

White light only turned on to take pictures.