How high you set your T5's from the water

renato120 · Jul 23, 2015

Hey guys Im sure thats not the first time you hear this.
For all T5's reefers, how high you set your lights off the water?
I have one Acro That is bleaching from the tip down very slowly. I just saw another one that looks like its starting to bleach. Maybe its just some descoloration.
My lights are 10 inches away from the water and 17 inches from the highest coral.
All parameters are perfect. I triple checked.
I have an ATI fixture 6x24w all the bulbs are 2 months old.
Tank is been running for 9 months.
I have a big collection of zoas, and acans that are doing excelent. They are Mostly on my sand bed.
I dont know how powerfull those lights can be. The light is 17inches from the corals. It cant be too much light.
Could this be not enough light?
Thank you all!
Tell me how high is your light.

melypr1985 · Jul 23, 2015

Mine are 6-7 inches off the water. 8 bulb fixture with guiesman (spelling is way wrong) bulbs

hybridazn · Jul 23, 2015

How long are your lights on for? It could be the acro wasn't properly light acclimated. But it could also be something else such as alk burn

renato120 · Jul 23, 2015

hybridazn said:
How long are your lights on for? It could be the acro wasn't properly light acclimated. But it could also be something else such as alk burn

Lights are on for 11 hours total.
All my sps corals are a least 5 months in the tank.
My alk is @ 10 now.

renato120 · Jul 23, 2015

dieselkeeper · Jul 23, 2015

I have an AT I fixture in a 27 inch deep tank. Tank is 2 years old. All my acro' s bleached, even on the sand bed. After two years of guessing, low nutrients was my problem. Ended up turning off skimmer, filter pads and all media. Even pulled everything out the macro algae. After 3 months, I finally turned the skimmer back on and put back in the filter pads.

kendavjac · Jul 23, 2015

Nice tank. Mine are about 6-8 inches off the water. What are your Nitrate/phosaphate readings? If they are close to 0, you may be burning your SPS with alk at 10. I'm no SPS expert, maybe someone who is will chime in.

renato120 · Jul 23, 2015

melypr1985 said:
Mine are 6-7 inches off the water. 8 bulb fixture with guiesman (spelling is way wrong) bulbs

Sorry. Im still learning English. Its not my first language as you noticed lol. Practice makes it perfect!
Everyday I learn a little more. You probably know a second language as well, and know how complicated it is to learn when you are older.

melypr1985 · Jul 23, 2015

No no! Im so sorry! I was referring to my own spelling being way wrong. Not yours.... sorry again

renato120 · Jul 23, 2015

kendavjac said:
Nice tank. Mine are about 6-8 inches off the water. What are your Nitrate/phosaphate readings? If they are close to 0, you may be burning your SPS with alk at 10. I'm no SPS expert, maybe someone who is will chime in.

Thank you.
Nitrates are 5ppm
Phosphates are .05
Im trying to lower ALK to 8/9 doing very slowly.

melypr1985 said:
No no! Im so sorry! I was referring to my own spelling being way wrong. Not yours.... sorry again

No worries... Lol I do spell wrong sometimes.... (Most of the time) english is hard.... Really no worries..

renato120 · Jul 23, 2015

dieselkeeper said:
I have an AT I fixture in a 27 inch deep tank. Tank is 2 years old. All my acro' s bleached, even on the sand bed. After two years of guessing, low nutrients was my problem. Ended up turning off skimmer, filter pads and all media. Even pulled everything out the macro algae. After 3 months, I finally turned the skimmer back on and put back in the filter pads.

Wow! I hope things are getting better for you.

kendavjac · Jul 23, 2015

renato120 said:
Thank you.
Nitrates are 5ppm
Phosphates are .05
Im trying to lower ALK to 8/9 doing very slowly.

With those numbers low nutrients may not be the issue. Hopefully a SPS expert chimes in.

mfinn · Jul 23, 2015

Very nice renato120.
I have my ATI 6 x 24 watt fixture 8" over the water.
I have a mixture of sps, lps, and zoanthids, and 2 pipefish.

Reef-roach · Jul 24, 2015

I have a 60" 8 bulb Miro LET retro mounted in the canopy 7-8" off the waterline, and a single Reefbrite XHO strip. I run the T5s 8 hrs a day and the reefbrite about 13. Have you tried cutting back your photoperiod?

Reef-roach · Jul 24, 2015

Great looking tank, by the way!

renato120 · Jul 24, 2015

Thank you for all the replies! I think it could be my ALK been too high. If it was too much light, most of the sps would it be bleaching as well.
The two acros that is bleaching are the lowest one placed in the tank. Im lowering my ALK slowly... Trying to keep at 8 now