how fast can I bump up the lighting.

petemichelle · Jan 2, 2016

I have a 150 gal tank that's 30 inches high. 4 inch deep sand bed. I have 3 razor 120 lights that are 6 inches from the glass tops. the PAR reading at the top of my rocks are 160 and 52 at the bottom 25 if shadowed by something like a rock or the crossbars of the tank. I want to raise the PAR at least 50 at the bottom. the hammers at the bottom don't seem to be doing as well as I would like. how fast do you think I can raise the settings. ie 10 par a week, 20 par a week? without the corals going into shock and bleaching or closing up. and how far do you think I should raise them.

I know I will get a variety of answers, on m next question, but I have some zoanthid at the top. what's the highest reading somebody has had zoas at for an extended time and are doing well? I hear 100-150 ideally but can go higher if I do it gradually, but how high has somebody done it? also, how low has somebody had hammers at the bottom of their tank?

right now I have the blues and whites the same percentage. 55% and 55%. I was going to raise the blues to 85% and 55% on the whites. any thoughts. ultimately I want more blue than white so to get more color. I do have the blues only come on for a half hour in the morning and 2 hours at night. but I'm thinking for the rest of time maybe I should have them 85% blue and 55% white. and then bring it up from there to meet my par of around 750-100 at the bottom and 200-250 at the top.

elishapep · Jan 3, 2016

I have the razor 300w 16k on my 120gal .. Allot depends on what you had as far as lighting before the razor .. But I broke mine in at 10% increments on the blues and 5% on the whites .. Now I am maxed out at 100% blue and 90% whites .. My lights go on at 10am 20% blue then 50/ 65 then 65/100 then 90/100 then 5/70 then 0/0 at 10pm ... From 7-930 you get mostly all blue ... Corals are doing GREAT growth is insane sps/lps The only thing I was contemplating wAs getting a another led strip for additional blue .. But totally not necessary ..

petemichelle · Jan 3, 2016

i had nothing before. I am at 55% blue and 55%white. its been 3 days on this. before that it was 50% blue and 50% white for 10 days. before that it was 45%blue and 45% white.

what i'm asking is 3 days long enough before I jump up to 60%, or should I wait 10 days, like I have been,- can I go to 65%?

what's the highest par level you have zoanthids under? really worried about over zapping them...
what's the lowest you have hammers under. having trouble keeping them alive lately. they are at 50 par right now on the sand bed.

thanks by the way for replying. i appreciate the help and advice. really i do.

elishapep · Jan 3, 2016

I would do 10% increases a week .. Zoas I have at all different heights in the tank .. They are fine under strong light .. The hammer 50 par is a little low for that but you are not at full power .. Mine is in the sand bed And my tank is 24 inch deep and the lights are 6-8 inch above and doing fine. Go to 75% on blue and 65% on whites .. And raise 10% each week .. Raise up the hammer to about mid way in the tank and see how it does .. How are your water parameters ? The zoas it is a matter of just finding the rite spot .. You will know when they are happy when they are all wide open .. How is the flow in the tank ? Hammer likes some flow but not pounded