How much uv light?

[Reefthedayaway]

I've got evergrow it 5060 pro reef leds and I've the uv ramping up & running at 100% for 5 hours then ramping down again. A fella I was doing a coral swap with was showing me his tech on his phone and with the hydras he was using he could show me that his were running around about 50, 60% max, and that got me thinking. Even though my uv wont be as good as the hydra, am I running my uv to high and be causing some sort of light saturation?

 

[EmdeReef]

I've got evergrow it 5060 pro reef leds and I've the uv ramping up & running at 100% for 5 hours then ramping down again. A fella I was doing a coral swap with was showing me his tech on his phone and with the hydras he was using he could show me that his were running around about 50, 60% max, and that got me thinking. Even though my uv wont be as good as the hydra, am I running my uv to high and be causing some sort of light saturation?

I would not run the UVs at 100%, my hydras peak at 40%. Too much UV may cause bleaching, to get a sense if 100% on your lights is too much you’d need to measure the output spectrum.

 

[Reefthedayaway]

I would not run the UVs at 100%, my hydras peak at 40%. Too much UV may cause bleaching, to get a sense if 100% on your lights is too much you’d need to measure the output spectrum.

I think I will drop it over a period of time to about 40%, cheers. Does it not take an expensive but of kit to get a reliable reading of light?

 

[EmdeReef]

I think I will drop it over a period of time to about 40%, cheers. Does it not take an expensive but of kit to get a reliable reading of light?

Seneye reef is the cheapest I know of at about ~$200.

 

[Reefthedayaway]

Seneye reef is the cheapest I know of at about ~$200.

Maybe not expensive for some lol I just went ahead and dropped it to 50% max

 

[DaneGer21]

Don’t be fouled, BRS AB+ Hydra setting runs UV’s overdrived at 118%. It was proven to match the radion AB+ settings.

But, how high your lights are mounted determines the par in the tank.

 

[Reefthedayaway]

Don’t be fouled, BRS AB+ Hydra setting runs UV’s overdrived at 118%. It was proven to match the radion AB+ settings.

But, how high your lights are mounted determines the par in the tank.

My lights are mounted around 12" above the water line.

 

[hart24601]

I run UV at the same levels as my other blues in leds. Most UV is really just near uv, and even fixtures with true uv it's a pretty small amount the leds generate. I have never had an issue with LEDs generating too much UV. FWIW I ran 5 hydra 26s over a 120 with UV at 80% matching blues, radion g3 pros, and now orphek – none of them with UV turned down lower than any other channel.

 

[Reefthedayaway]

I run UV at the same levels as my other blues in leds. Most UV is really just near uv, and even fixtures with true uv it's a pretty small amount the leds generate. I have never had an issue with LEDs generating too much UV. FWIW I ran 5 hydra 26s over a 120 with UV at 80% matching blues, radion g3 pros, and now orphek – none of them with UV turned down lower than any other channel.

Should I turn them back up then lol I'm trying to get conditions just right for zooxanthellae to populate my nems. 2 of them were pretty dull when I got them. 1 is an ultra I've seen it shining under T5s. So I'm trying to get it back to all its glory. I know I have to get manganese.

 

[hart24601]

I personally would run uv higher, just watch the nems and see how they respond. They give a lot more indication how they feel about the light than coral can with ability to expand or shrink (more than sps anyway) and moving.

With any change look to see how the livestock responds, surprising how many people don't! If they don't look happy the change wasn't good!

 

[Dana Riddle]

I wouldn't be concerned about running UV LEDs at 100%. These LEDs have a lot of visible (violet) radiation that the eye can perceive (otherwise you'll think the LEDs are 'burned out.') Metal halide lamps generally produce a lot of UV at 365nm - well below what most LEDs produce.

 

[Butuz]

Don’t be fouled, BRS AB+ Hydra setting runs UV’s overdrived at 118%. It was proven to match the radion AB+ settings.

But, how high your lights are mounted determines the par in the tank.

I like the Saxby type peaks and valleys you have added to AB+. Can you share your settings file for this?

 

[Dana Riddle]

I wouldn't be concerned about running UV LEDs at 100%. These LEDs have a lot of visible (violet) radiation that the eye can perceive (otherwise you'll think the LEDs are 'burned out.') Metal halide lamps generally produce a lot of UV at 365nm - well below what most LEDs produce.

Correction - Metal halides generally produce much more UV than UV LEDs.

 

[Reefthedayaway]

Correction - Metal halides generally produce much more UV than UV LEDs.

I'll run them at 100 then. Is there a forum on zooxanthellae production?

 

[Steve180]

It’s not the uv you should worry about. It’s the Cw that will cause bleaching

 

[A. grandis]

No need to worry about UV LEDs too much...
Here:

 

[Dana Riddle]

I'll run them at 100 then. Is there a forum on zooxanthellae production?

This forum! Ask away!

 

[Reefthedayaway]

No need to worry about UV LEDs too much...
Here:

interesting. Now I know to ignore anyone that tries to bamboozle me with par or lumen readings lol spectral power distribution is the way to go. Is the spectrometer the next must have gadget in the hobby lol

 

[Reefthedayaway]

This forum! Ask away!

I've got nems. 1 was really really bright when a friend got it. It split and when I was waiting to get the split 1 it decided to take a trip into his wavemaker, so by the time I got it it wasn't anywhere near its best and was very very dull. It was growing and getting a little brighter before it took another pilgrimage though a wavemaker, where everything bar its foot was turned into soup. Everything is on the mend and I've got a bit of a bug for BTAs, I've got another 2. 1 was from the LFS and doing fine and the other was a brown blob when I got it of someone. This 1 has gained a good bit of colour but not entirely bright and I want the best for the nems. So off late I've been trying to do a bit of research on how to get zooxanthellae to populate. I read an article yesterday, I think may have been done by yourself on zooxanthellae. It explains what it is what it needs, that's why I know I need manganese as I have had a ATI water test done and I know I'm low on manganese. What it doesn't explain is ( for the stupid amongst us ie me) what are the best ways of getting it populate in coral. It explain it needs light, food source ( I think) and flow. But I suppose I'm looking for people that have actually thought along these lines and not just what lights are best for coral and filtration & the likes. Do people think what's best for zooxanthellae so they can get superbright coral.

 

[Reefthedayaway]

It’s not the uv you should worry about. It’s the Cw that will cause bleaching

Cw?