currentking
Rookie
I have Radion pros gen 2 and am trying to figure out the correct lighting to make the can colors pop the best. would anyone have insight to intensity and color variation? I don't want any rainbows to lose any color.
LED's and acans.... how much intensity?
- Thread starter currentking
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OP
OP
currentking
Rookie
Forgot to mention the tank is 18" deep and lights sit 9" above tank.
I don't get why people say that acans will not do well under type X light, light is just light. Color spectrum and light intensity can change but light emitted from a T5 is no different than light emitted from a LED. As for the acans, they like pretty low light so if thats all you really have in the tank then I would go with about as low as you can go and slowly work your way up until you find a point where the corals look happy.
OP
OP
currentking
Rookie
I have the lights at 45% now and they look happy just don't want to lose color. I'm getting a ton of babies on the frags also. Was just looking for someone that uses LED's on a lps tank.
I have LEDs and all my acans look great. I have teals, yellows, greens, purples, red, orange and just about every other color acans have lol If they look happy and are doing great you'll be fine
I keep my Acan on the far side. Not directly under my LED's. So far it's loving it 
Not what I said. I actually only run leds and generally stand by them. Acans IME though can wash quite easily under leds, and need to be acclimated gently. Even if this happens, the color can come back in time, but takes a while. I have recently had much better luck placing some of my newer acans under a ledge, rather then on the sandbed of my tank. And my tank is 27 inches deep. So more specifically what I would suggest is starting out in indirect light for a week or two before even placing on the sand bed.
Eckolancer
LED GURU
Mine do fine without acclimation to leds ran at 100%. In a 20" tank.
mrcoffee2
Valuable Member
They will do fine under direct LED, but they will lose almost all of their color if you keep them in direct light. Put them out of direct light and they will color up well.
I personally use the AI hydra cloud setting at 5-10%. I find it helps keep their color better
I personally use the AI hydra cloud setting at 5-10%. I find it helps keep their color better
I did not mean you, sorry if I sounded rude lol When ever there is a LED vs T5 thread someone usually says my corals did not do well under X light and thus light Y is better. I just don't get it becuase light is light.
PedroYoung
Valuable Member
If you have lots of babies and they look great don't fool around. I fall victim to wanting to tweak stuff all the time. My acans do great under AI Sol blues, but only run the white at about 45%, and blue/ royal blues at around 65% as full daylight. Just got AI hydra 26's yesterday and can't wait to see what the new LED colors/ spectrum do.
Big E
Valuable Member
Yes, light is light, but spectrum, coverage, and intensity play large roles in results.
Big E
Valuable Member
No, not even close to true.............you're trying to break down variables into two or three when it's a lot more complicated than that.
For example just because a manufacturer claims they have a "full spectrum" unit means nothing. You have to look at how many diodes(actual number) there are in relaton to each other, how the are configured, ect. and on & on.
No two LED "full spectrum" unit brands are even the same.
You didn't even mention coverage, consistency, among many other variables.
I don't want to sidetrack the the OP's thread on acans anymore than I already have............ If you want to talk more we can do it off line.
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N1Husker
Active Member
I had my acans under Current Lumen Pro 48" LED strips. Two were marine fushion (combination of blue and white) and two were all blue. The acans color turned from a beautiful red and all puffed up under the previous T5's. to under the LED's, they turned to an orange color and shrunk up, not puffy at all. I added a cheaper Coralife 48" T5, not HO, just T5 dual lamp, one atinic and one 10,000k and put the acans under the acans and they returned to their beautiful red and all puffed up again within 15 minutes. There has to be something different between the two lights.
Hope to not offend you, but IMO those are looking washed. They can still be healthy and doing well and growing even, and still be washed.
Not at all, I just wanted to clarify since I was initially quite short, and most likely misunderstood as usual. lol
homegrowncoral88
Active Member
I have 2 ai vegas over a deep blue 60 rimless that is only 12 or 13in deep and lights are over about 14in. Ramp time 3 hours, white 20% red 15% green 30% royal blue 90% deep blue 100% and the other blue is at 100% as well. I have a ramp time of 3 hours and lights are on total for 11 hours and my acans are doing amazing. Have held color and growth for almost 2 years. The acans are all the way at the from left corner so I would agree with the low light. I have found that they have better color and especially growth if I have a decent amount of flow on them. Good luck and happy reefing!
