Need help with light set up

[Shana]

I have a Kessil AP700.
My tank is 4’wide by 2.5’ deep
The light is mounted at 16” above the water
My frogspawns and torches are dying but my leathers and mushrooms are thriving. I have a mixed tank. I’m looking for someone to help me program my light on the proper settings to make everything happy. PLEASE HELP! I have torches and frog spawns dying all the time since I’ve gotten this light. Thank you!!

 

[Crabs McJones]

Welcome to R2R!

#WelcometoR2R
Can you please provide us with some more information? What is your current lighting schedule, water parameters and flow? Any pictures of the setup and the coral in question? Thanks

 

[Shana]

Welcome to R2R!

#WelcometoR2R
Can you please provide us with some more information? What is your current lighting schedule, water parameters and flow? Any pictures of the setup and the coral in question? Thanks

I’m on the standard set up that is preprogrammed on the Kessil. I’m clueless as to how the app works. I just had my water tested and it is spot on. It’s also spot on when I test it myself. I have two powerheads with plenty of flow as far as I know. This issue definitely started when I went from T5’s to the Kessil. I will provide pictures of the tank as soon as I can.

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

Welcome to R2R where there are so many adorable people and they all thrive with knowledge. We are all glad your here with us.

Did you acclimate the new light fixture when you switched from the T5- the led. They will be a much stronger point and shoot light beam, aka similar to a laser. If you went with a normal light setting it could be just way to much light.

A simple example is I went from two current orbit marine pros to three of them. My corals were already use to my lights and have been doing amazing. Yet when I added, the third light most of my corals did even better. Some though started to suffer and I lost a few small ones. I lost a few very small acan colonies, and my wells and trac have seen better days. But all my sps are growing like weeds, and all my softies and lps do just fine. So its really hit and miss and takes time to find the sweet spot. I found it once and was dumb enough to change it. Corals do not like change lol specially when it comes to light. You have to warm them up to the idea they are going from a more natural light to a tanning bed lol.

 

[Crabs McJones]

I’m on the standard set up that is preprogrammed on the Kessil. I’m clueless as to how the app works. I just had my water tested and it is spot on. It’s also spot on when I test it myself. I have two powerheads with plenty of flow as far as I know. This issue definitely started when I went from T5’s to the Kessil. I will provide pictures of the tank as soon as I can.

Did you run the acclimation program first, or just run the standard program right away?

 

[cracker]

Hi Shanna, what is it your looking for? I mean changing something? turn them down or up ? Could be something else. Did this happen soon after using these new lights?

 

[Shana]

Did you run the acclimation program first, or just run the standard program right away?

Yes, I sure did. From what I’ve been reading it doesn’t seem like the preset is what I need. I have the lighted mounted higher than recommended for my size tank.

 

[Shana]

Hi Shanna, what is it your looking for? I mean changing something? turn them down or up ? Could be something else. Did this happen soon after using these new lights?

I guess I’m looking for a manually set schedule for the lights that will work with a mixed reef tank for the size of my tank. I’m just not sure where to start and I feel when I switched to the Kessil from the T5’s, everything started to become unhappy and now I’ve lost quite a bit of soft coral.

 

[Dom]

I’m on the standard set up that is preprogrammed on the Kessil. I’m clueless as to how the app works. I just had my water tested and it is spot on. It’s also spot on when I test it myself. I have two powerheads with plenty of flow as far as I know. This issue definitely started when I went from T5’s to the Kessil. I will provide pictures of the tank as soon as I can.

Hello Shana and welcome to R2R!

I think you've made a good lighting choice. The AP 700 was one of my the finalists while researching my last light purchase.

First I have to ask; how do you define "spot on" when you speak of your water parameters? While there are accepted "industry standards" where Calcium, Magnesium and other parameters are concerned, water parameters are unique to the individual and what they are keeping in their tanks. So I would ask you to post your actual numbers.

You wrote that your tank is 30 inches high. Additionally, the AP700 is hanging 16 inches above the water line. That is almost 4 feet from light to tank bottom. If the problem you are experiencing is light-related, the issue may be too little light. If that is correct, backing off on your light intensity will only make your problem worse.

Have you used a meter to test your light intensity at the tank bottom? Personally, I use a lux meter and shoot for about 8000 at the points furthest from the light. Do you have access to a LUX or PAR meter?

 

[Crabs McJones]

Hello Shana and welcome to R2R!

I think you've made a good lighting choice. The AP 700 was one of my the finalists while researching my last light purchase.

First I have to ask; how do you define "spot on" when you speak of your water parameters? While there are accepted "industry standards" where Calcium, Magnesium and other parameters are concerned, water parameters are unique to the individual and what they are keeping in their tanks. So I would ask you to post your actual numbers.

You wrote that your tank is 30 inches high. Additionally, the AP700 is hanging 16 inches above the water line. That is almost 4 feet from light to tank bottom. If the problem you are experiencing is light-related, the issue may be too little light. If that is correct, backing off on your light intensity will only make your problem worse.

Have you used a meter to test your light intensity at the tank bottom? Personally, I use a lux meter and shoot for about 8000 at the points furthest from the light. Do you have access to a LUX or PAR meter?

Agreed, when the AP700 was measured at 16.5 off the waters surface 18" under the water it was rated at low 100s high 90's. And that was at 100% intensity ocean blue 4 setting. You may need to turn it up Were the T5's mounted closer to the tank than the ap700 is now?