Lighting upgrade

[Travis Stewart]

Currently running a 30 cube. It is doing very well but have some zoas stretching in the middle of the tank. Currently running ai prime and it covers majority, but I think I need to pack a little more punch! Any recommendations? I thought about getting an additional prime..

 

[Travis Stewart]

Bump

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Wow. you've got nothing left on the dimmer? What year / model prime is it?

 

[Sm51498]

That is a tough size. Ordinarily I would suggest a t5 retro to add diffuse light but that is not a good size for it.

Another prime might be a good bet. Or step up to a hydra 26 and sell your existing prime one or other.

 

[Peter Blue Reef]

That is a tough size. Ordinarily I would suggest a t5 retro to add diffuse light but that is not a good size for it.

Another prime might be a good bet. Or step up to a hydra 26 and sell your existing prime one or other.

+1.

 

[Travis Stewart]

Wow. you've got nothing left on the dimmer? What year / model prime is it?

I can increase white intensity but that's it.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

K, well your right, the choice would be to add a second one or look at a little more powerful fixture.

Here's the AI computer/Par Bot. You can compare the light output of their fixtures. http://www.aquaillumination.com/science/par.html

In either case, Id look at a LUX meter(par too, but in this instance Id say a lux meter. Measure intensity you have now, match color(that's why you don't need the par meter), match the intensity , then slowly increase the intensity(thus increasing par).

Two fixtures would def give you better coverage if it'll fit over the tank.

Like this. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/lighting-upgrade-with-a-lux-meter-saltyfilmfolks.248417/

If you choose a more powerful(intensity) fixture Id do the same. But wait longer before increasing intensity in case there's a bit more PAR in the new fixture or a color the tank just doesn't like.

fwiw adding the white would increase the par but Ill assume you like the colors you have now.

 

[Travis Stewart]

K, well your right, the choice would be to add a second one or look at a little more powerful fixture.

Here's the AI computer/Par Bot. You can compare the light output of their fixtures. http://www.aquaillumination.com/science/par.html

In either case, Id look at a LUX meter(par too, but in this instance Id say a lux meter. Measure intensity you have now, match color(that's why you don't need the par meter), match the intensity , then slowly increase the intensity(thus increasing par).

Two fixtures would def give you better coverage if it'll fit over the tank.

Like this. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/lighting-upgrade-with-a-lux-meter-saltyfilmfolks.248417/

If you choose a more powerful(intensity) fixture Id do the same. But wait longer before increasing intensity in case there's a bit more PAR in the new fixture or a color the tank just doesn't like.

fwiw adding the white would increase the par but Ill assume you like the colors you have now.

Well that's it, can I increase white to increase PAR? I'm okay with it just need to take slow..

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Well that's it, can I increase white to increase PAR? I'm okay with it just need to take slow..

yea, what % are the whites on now? Love slow.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Oh and depending on your Photo period you can change the length of the peak lighting time too.

 

[Travis Stewart]

Oh and depending on your Photo period you can change the length of the peak lighting time too.

My peak is 4 hours..my whites are currently getting up to 35%

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

My peak is 4 hours..my whites are currently getting up to 35%

yea a bit of both maybe. If you like how it looks, just add more time. My peak is more than six.

 

[Travis Stewart]

And have some stuff reaching

 

[Travis Stewart]

yea a bit of both maybe. If you like how it looks, just add more time. My peak is more than six.

I'm going to try and start with making the peak 2 hours log totaling 6 hours but still leaving total light time at 10

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I'm going to try and start with making the peak 2 hours log totaling 6 hours but still leaving total light time at 10

Cool. good luck.

 

[Travis Stewart]

Cool. good luck.

So if eventually I got an additional prime would I need to change my white percentage?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

So if eventually I got an additional prime would I need to change my white percentage?

Need. No.
No. You would keep the color ratio you like

just change/ match the intensity of the two lights. That way they are evenly matched in intensity.

 

[Travis Stewart]

Need. No.
No. You would keep the color ratio you like

just change/ match the intensity of the two lights. That way they are evenly matched in intensity.

So keep 30% whites and all other colors the same to keep the spectrum I like?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

So keep 30% whites and all other colors the same to keep the spectrum I like?

Yes. Then just adjust intensity. Actually makes it easy. With a lux meter you can adjust the light exactly in intensity.

If you devide the lux by 60(or65) you get a pretty close idea of your par.
Check out my thread.

It's also a cheap way keep the same intensity (par). If you want to raise or lower your light rather than guess the percentages. A lux meter is about $16.

If more people would do that we could share our color profiles and they could set thier light exactly like yours on a tank the size or yours. Or copy your colors and use a higher or lower intensity if they have a different tank.

 

[Travis Stewart]

Yes. Then just adjust intensity. Actually makes it easy. With a lux meter you can adjust the light exactly in intensity.

If you devide the lux by 60(or65) you get a pretty close idea of your par.
Check out my thread.

It's also a cheap way keep the same intensity (par). If you want to raise or lower your light rather than guess the percentages. A lux meter is about $16.

If more people would do that we could share our color profiles and they could set thier light exactly like yours on a tank the size or yours. Or copy your colors and use a higher or lower intensity if they have a different tank.

If you guessed, what would the intensity need to be reduced to?