Need lighting for mixed reef tank

[BSej]

We can probably mount it higher in the front half, maybe 10” but more light would be blocked by the wall going to the back half. Is higher still better?

 

[Spare time]

We can probably mount it higher in the front half, maybe 10” but more light would be blocked by the wall going to the back half. Is higher still better?

Check out the BRS video on these lights so you can see how the spread changes from different mounting heights.

 

[VintageReefer]

I think you will need to try a few positions when you get them light and go from there. I think the angled approach is best and would provide most coverage. This is all certainly non standard, but doable.

 

[BSej]

I think you will need to try a few positions when you get them light and go from there. I think the angled approach is best and would provide most coverage. This is all certainly non standard, but doable.

How will I know which position is optimal? I don't have a PAR meter or any experience/intuition. The PAR charts that are available are for heights I can't reach and for standard setups.

 

[VintageReefer]

How do you like your tank to look? More white? More blue?

 

[BSej]

How do you like your tank to look? More white? More blue?

I like it a bit whiter as long as that is fine for the corals.

 

[steveschuerger]

I like it a bit whiter as long as that is fine for the corals.

Don’t need much with the photons to get a bit of whiter look. I keep mine at 1% during the peak times. I do have a bit of a hodgepodge set up, with my 32” photon covering ¾ of tank and a ReeFi Uno 2.0 pro for the left quarter.

 

[VintageReefer]

Ch 1/2 - red and green - 5%
Ch 3 - dark blues - 50%
Ch 4 - white - 10%
Ch 5 - light blue - 50%
Ch 6 - uv/purple - 45%

I would suggest to start with this and fine tune as needed. This should be appropriate par for most corals. Might need to bump it up a little. And you can fine tune spectrum to your liking

 

[BSej]

Ch 1/2 - red and green - 5%
Ch 3 - dark blues - 50%
Ch 4 - white - 10%
Ch 5 - light blue - 50%
Ch 6 - uv/purple - 45%

I would suggest to start with this and fine tune as needed. This should be appropriate par for most corals. Might need to bump it up a little. And you can fine tune spectrum to your liking

At what mounting height? Assuming it matters. I can probably do somewhere between 4-10". I'll have mostly soft/lps.
Looking at the BRS test video at a mounting height of 16" and 35% intensity, they're getting PAR readings about what I would want. Being that my light will be mounted closer, I thought I might need less intensity.

 

[VintageReefer]

Your measurements are diagonal not straight. I think the distance from center of light to center bottom of tank are longer

 

[BSej]

Your measurements are diagonal not straight. I think the distance from center of light to center bottom of tank are longer

I've mounted it about 5" above water level so it points straight down. The corals in the back half of the tank are at most half way deep in the tank, so I think they'd get adequate light from the two LED bars and whatever is making it there from the photon.

I bought a relatively inexpensive ($200) PAR meter from Amazon and used that to test around, but I've heard they can have trouble picking up blue light. At 40% intensity it was reading in ranges of 100-150 at most spots in the tank, but I was told it is actually higher because of this effect.

 

[VintageReefer]

I've mounted it about 5" above water level so it points straight down. The corals in the back half of the tank are at most half way deep in the tank, so I think they'd get adequate light from the two LED bars and whatever is making it there from the photon.

I bought a relatively inexpensive ($200) PAR meter from Amazon and used that to test around, but I've heard they can have trouble picking up blue light. At 40% intensity it was reading in ranges of 100-150 at most spots in the tank, but I was told it is actually higher because of this effect.

What settings are you running on the light?

 

[VintageReefer]

I think this will be fine. How does the measured par compare between the front under the led bars and the back half of the tank with the photon?

I would keep most the rock and coral in the back half and have the front half more open for swimming space and low-medium light corals on the sand.

Plenty of corals will thrive in 80-100 par. Most of my sandbed is 80-120 par and I’ve never had any issue with any lps on the sand due to lighting

 

[BSej]

What settings are you running on the light?

At the moment it's 30% on the blue channels, 13% white, 10% red & green.

I think this will be fine. How does the measured par compare between the front under the led bars and the back half of the tank with the photon?

I would keep most the rock and coral in the back half and have the front half more open for swimming space and low-medium light corals on the sand.

Plenty of corals will thrive in 80-100 par. Most of my sandbed is 80-120 par and I’ve never had any issue with any lps on the sand due to lighting

Photon is in front, LED bars in back.

the PAR under the LED bars where the corals sit is reading about 70-80. Your corals look amazing .

 

[VintageReefer]

At the moment it's 30% on the blue channels, 13% white, 10% red & green.

Photon is in front, LED bars in back.

the PAR under the LED bars where the corals sit is reading about 70-80. Your corals look amazing .

Sorry! Somehow I got that mixed up

Besides the ramp up / down period I have two main lighting settings I like

“Actinic / main viewing” I use this from 4pm - 1 am
30% on the light blue, dark blue, 35%uv , 0% white, red green

“Noon / full spectrum light” I use this from noon - 4 pm -
40% on the light blue, dark blue, 45%uv , 10% white, 5%red green

“Moon mode”
1am-4am
Dark blue - 10%. All other channels 0

Our tank sizes are different, my mounting height is around 10” so you can’t go like for like and mirror my settings. But the ratios can be kept and you can get an idea what to go for

And thank you for the complement! I’ve grown everything under these lights. These pics are the different modes I run, they are all random pics from the last few weeks

 

[BSej]

Sorry! Somehow I got that mixed up

Besides the ramp up / down period I have two main lighting settings I like

“Actinic / main viewing” I use this from 4pm - 1 am
30% on the light blue, dark blue, 35%uv , 0% white, red green

“Noon / full spectrum light” I use this from noon - 4 pm -
40% on the light blue, dark blue, 45%uv , 10% white, 5%red green

“Moon mode”
1am-4am
Dark blue - 10%. All other channels 0

Our tank sizes are different, my mounting height is around 10” so you can’t go like for like and mirror my settings. But the ratios can be kept and you can get an idea what to go for

And thank you for the complement! I’ve grown everything under these lights. These pics are the different modes I run, they are all random pics from the last few weeks

Is there any problem with running the lights that long? I've heard the "1:8:1" idea but I'd happily keep my lights on longer if it's okay for the fish/corals. I'd like to do a period of 0% white like you have, looks really cool.

 

[VintageReefer]

No problem at all
Whites are what encourage algae growth so I prefer not to use them more than a few hours a day. Most corals get everything they need from the blues

 

[Dburr1014]

All Things Considered, I think every tank should have a dark period with no lights.
My moon phase is the light blue at 0.07% it's on a couple hours after my lights and before my lights are on. My dark phase is about 5 hours.

 

[Dburr1014]

No problem at all
Whites are what encourage algae growth so I prefer not to use them more than a few hours a day. Most corals get everything they need from the blues

Even blue lights can grow algae.
Some coral and clams can benefit from full spectrum lighting.

 

[VintageReefer]

Even blue lights can grow algae.
Some coral and clams can benefit from full spectrum lighting.

That’s why I said “most corals”
I understand clams should have full spectrum, along with some coral species.

Blue light can grow algae also, but algae grows faster from red 660nm light, and white, because white lighting contains all spectrums including the red