Photon 48 owners with SPS tanks

[pdiehm]

so, I have the reboot going on, and this is the light I currently own, but I am also freely admitting that I don't think I've ever been able to get this light dialed in to the proper intensity, which is why I am thinking about an on/off fixture, no intensity changing, no schedule, 2 bulbs on for 10 hours, 4 bulbs on for 8.

If I had my druthers, I'd keep the light, but I'm also seriously toying with getting either a 6x54W or 6x80W T5 fixture for this tank, which I want to be SPS dominant (nothing high end at this point), stylo's, pocillipora, birdsnest, stuff like that. Maybe down the line, acro's. After seeing some of the SPS tanks, I fell in love with how they look, but that's another story for another time.

More details: My light sits ontop of my canopy, about 12" off the water surface (+/-). It's 38" to the bottom of the tank (60x26x18).

Anyone who has this light, understands this light, can help with a starting point for the blue channel (1) and whites (2)?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

If you don't have a par meter. Have you considered a lux meter.
Measure at the top of the tank.

Basicly at a 1;1 Ratio devide lux by 60.

My tanks are both set at about 35,000 lux.
At peak. So about 600 par.
On a 24 in tank that's a pretty good number imo.

A higher blue will lower that par number. I.e. Devide by 65 &70.


$15 lux meter on Amazon is best.

An ati 6 tube t5 averages about 700 to 800 par hung at 12 in.

But has a faster falloff at the bottom due to lenses. But has better spectrum overall. Thus folks not saying is easier. IMO

 

[BoomCorals]

While I don't have the photon I do have sbreef lights, very similar. They work great on my sps 180g. It's about reading your Corals. LED definitely require you to understand what your coral are telling you.

 

[pdiehm]

If you don't have a par meter. Have you considered a lux meter.
Measure at the top of the tank.

Basicly at a 1;1 Ratio devide lux by 60.

My tanks are both set at about 35,000 lux.
At peak. So about 600 par.
On a 24 in tank that's a pretty good number imo.

A higher blue will lower that par number. I.e. Devide by 65 &70.


$15 lux meter on Amazon is best.

An ati 6 tube t5 averages about 700 to 800 par hung at 12 in.

But has a faster falloff at the bottom due to lenses. But has better spectrum overall. Thus folks not saying is easier. IMO

I have a Seneye. Only today after speaking with someone at WWC, did I find out that I should be shooting for a PAR of about 75 on the floor of the tank.

While I don't have the photon I do have sbreef lights, very similar. They work great on my sps 180g. It's about reading your Corals. LED definitely require you to understand what your coral are telling you.

Thus why I think I should switch to T5.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I have a Seneye. Only today after speaking with someone at WWC, did I find out that I should be shooting for a PAR of about 75 on the floor of the tank.



Thus why I think I should switch to T5.

Depends on what you want at the bottom of the tank and also the photoperiod you run.

A clam on the bottom 75 is no bueno.

 

[KJoFan]

If you don't have a par meter. Have you considered a lux meter.
Measure at the top of the tank.

Basicly at a 1;1 Ratio devide lux by 60.

My tanks are both set at about 35,000 lux.
At peak. So about 600 par.
On a 24 in tank that's a pretty good number imo.

A higher blue will lower that par number. I.e. Devide by 65 &70.


$15 lux meter on Amazon is best.

An ati 6 tube t5 averages about 700 to 800 par hung at 12 in.

But has a faster falloff at the bottom due to lenses. But has better spectrum overall. Thus folks not saying is easier. IMO

Just curious if your 35,000 lux reading is an average of readings across the surface, or the reading directly under the light fixture(s) thus absolute max reading across tank and throughout light schedule?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Just curious if your 35,000 lux reading is an average of readings across the surface, or the reading directly under the light fixture(s) thus absolute max reading across tank and throughout light schedule?

I have a pretty even spread of light.
One you get the meter you'll actually be able to find the dead spots.

A kessil ap700 is pretty even. Almost like t5.
Ai Radion kessil you will probably see the hot spot on the meter
It's a good way to guage intensity and coverage

 

[pdiehm]

Depends on what you want at the bottom of the tank and also the photoperiod you run.

A clam on the bottom 75 is no bueno.

Was thinking of using the bottom for a zoanthid garden.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Was thinking of using the bottom for a zoanthid garden.

perfect.

 

[KJoFan]

I have a pretty even spread of light.
One you get the meter you'll actually be able to find the dead spots.

A kessil ap700 is pretty even. Almost like t5.
Ai Radion kessil you will probably see the hot spot on the meter
It's a good way to guage intensity and coverage

Ok, thanks for the response. I have a meter, but haven't had fixtures that provide that even of spread thus far. Kessil, AI Prime both definitely have hot spots.

 

[luke33]

To me a par meter and sps tank go hand in hand. No matter what kind of light your using on an sps tank you need to take measurements so you know where to put what, then you can fill in with lps and softies in the less intense area's. For T5 its much more forgiving vs MH vs LED as MH can vary intensity quite a bit if there is much space between pendants and led's can vary greatly if your using a cluster led fixture like the AI or Ecotech. Photon vs is a better spread. I like to keep my sps between 250-600 par depending on what species.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Ok, thanks for the response. I have a meter, but haven't had fixtures that provide that even of spread thus far. Kessil, AI Prime both definitely have hot spots.

I think a lot of shading issues stem from this. If the light is high enough the hot spot is reduced. Obviously we lose some power doing this and some would say it doesn't look as nice over the tank. It's actually a bit of a design flaw imo as well, but the industry is slowly responding to it.
I do have a mh fixture in the garage still that has a huge hotspot. Like huge. Funny thing it was a $800 fixture way back when. Good thing I got it used for $20.

 

[KJoFan]

I think a lot of shading issues stem from this. If the light is high enough the hot spot is reduced. Obviously we lose some power doing this and some would say it doesn't look as nice over the tank. It's actually a bit of a design flaw imo as well, but the industry is slowly responding to it.
I do have a mh fixture in the garage still that has a huge hotspot. Like huge. Funny thing it was a $800 fixture way back when. Good thing I got it used for $20.

It's kind of funny in that MH and T5 you want good reflectors to direct the light into the tank and with LED it's almost seeming better to not have any lenses at all, to even out the light/spread. The opposite of our typical line of thinking.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

It's kind of funny in that MH and T5 you want good reflectors to direct the light into the tank and with LED it's almost seeming better to not have any lenses at all, to even out the light/spread. The opposite of our typical line of thinking.

yea, its funny watch it evolve. I think the lenses really came from the lack of power most led suffered for a long time. Now its habit and an attempt to make a one size fits all.