Lighting advice?

[bryan oestreich]

So just here to get opinions on how I should run the lights as to ok intensity % of blues and white and how long to run them at.

Light specs. I have 2 16" LED fixtures. 55x3watt each.

I have a 65gallon 48x12.5x24tall tank. 60lb live rock 55lb live sand. I have LPS and softies. Oneol monti cap and I have Xmas tree worm rock.

Currently running the lights 18" above tank rim. 50%blue from 12pm-9pm. 25%whites 1pm-8pm.

I have the lights lower now due to heavy diatoms growth and wondering if it's from lights.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Diatoms are a nutrient or silicate issue. Or a truly invasive diatom. Different story and not a common one IMO.
Lowering light level helps slow the growth while you lower the nutrient issues or the diatoms burn throug the silicate.
Diatom cycle aside.
Its your choice as far as time you run them I run a full 12 hrs with an extra hour blue ramp down.
Intensity I set with a lux light meter $15 on Amazon or a par meter and set it to the coral species type.
Same for color temp some corals prefer less blue. That seems to be a trial be error there and the super blue nowadays is a fad and preference. I set me blue by eye and mark the ratio. Then lux meter each ones intensity. Then measure thier overall intensity and raise and Lower them equally.
On a tank 24d I'd target about 30 to 40,000 lux but go slowly getting there. like weeks or a month.
20,000 lux is prob a good starting point to acclimate from.
Fwiw I have LPS and softies Xenia actually too growing in near 350 to 500 par. Not all softies and LPS or SPS for that matter are high or low light.