Problem with my wellso

[redfishbluefish]

......Can you elaborate on why a welso in this shape makes you think lights )first?

It's the issue I had with mine when the blue LED's started to blacken. I didn't notice the LEDs, but noticed the Trachyphyllia (aka wellsophyllia), retracting and showing skeleton. It was my future son-in-law who noticed the lights, and once fixed (all new blue LED's) the coral bounced back.

 

[iloveswfish]

My lights are only a year old

 

[mcarroll]

It's the issue I had with mine when the blue LED's started to blacken. I didn't notice the LEDs, but noticed the Trachyphyllia (aka wellsophyllia), retracting and showing skeleton. It was my future son-in-law who noticed the lights, and once fixed (all new blue LED's) the coral bounced back.

Interesting! Was this a more or less "standard" blue and white LED fixture? (Something close to 2:1 or 1:2 blue:white?)

 

[redfishbluefish]

Interesting! Was this a more or less "standard" blue and white LED fixture? (Something close to 2:1 or 1:2 blue:white?)

They are Apollo fixtures....sold as 20K.....36 blues in a 55 LED fixture. I documented the rebuild HERE.

 

[Triggreef]

My lights are only a year old

What are you using for lights these days? It looks like it may be shared judging by it locations with the rocks. The hammer in the pic looks happy so I doubt it's a water issue. I'm going with a lighting suggestion. Don't go moving it straight to the top either it looks like it been sitting in the dark and will need small adjustments to increase light.

 

[mcarroll]

They are Apollo fixtures....sold as 20K.....36 blues in a 55 LED fixture. I documented the rebuild HERE.

All good to know - and interesting!

Did you happen to ever measure lux or PAR on it - either before or since rebuilding?

 

[redfishbluefish]

All good to know - and interesting!

Did you happen to ever measure lux or PAR on it - either before or since rebuilding?

Nope!

But I did add a third fixture....a $78 eBay fixture (Mars Aqua), where I pulled off the lenses....that one is in the middle. (FYI, a five foot, 90 gallon DT). With this picture, only the blue channel is on.

 

[mcarroll]

A decent handheld lux meter is usually less than $15 delivered. [emoji106][emoji6]

 

[DeniseAndy]

I agree something light wise could be off. My suggestions to treat do not change however. I would as once these guys deteriorate, they get infected fast and hard to save. Mine all did well on my sandbed with 200w MH and T5 depth of tank about 24" and these from 5 to 12 " off water. PAR readings were always around 60 -90 on sand. I used 20K and blue plus. Just as a reference.

 

[mcarroll]

Any idea what the measurement was at the water surface?

 

[DeniseAndy]

Yep, above the water and at the surface it was around 1100, under the water at my highest rock (about 8-10 inches or more under the surface got readings of 220. This was a few years ago, but I still use similar bulbs and same T5s. I need to get my hands on a PAR meter to take new readings.

May sand bed would grow clams fine at 80 PAR.

 

[mcarroll]

In PAR, is full daylight at the surface 1000 or 2000?

Edit: Looks like 2000 PAR is "full daylight" from a little reading around. So your tank was lit at about "50% brightness" we'll say.

That would correspond to (very) roughly 40,000 lux. Not far off from my "bright" tank. My second tank is around half of that, or "50% again" we'll say. (Closer to 20,000 lux.)

My tanks are both small, with huge colonies, so as you can imagine there isn't space to keep a wide assortment of corals. But of the corals I keep (mostly SPS), they seem pretty happy all the way to the bottom-glass.

 

[DeniseAndy]

Cool. I never really play to numbers. Just as a reference maybe. I ran sps for two years great. My die off was from a alk swing and my mistakes made after. Then I changed directions.

Back to the Trachy. I would say it needs sand bed light. Mine all thrived there. Usually slightly shaded. Filtered light let's say.

 

[mcarroll]

Cool. I never really play to numbers. Just as a reference maybe.[...]

They don't really serve much other purpose. [emoji106]

Aren't they (Trachyphyllia geoffroyi?) from more open, but turbid/cloudy water areas in the wild? Filtered light would make sense if that's right.

 

[DeniseAndy]

They do like dirty water. Have you ever practiced the blowing of sand bed and rocks? I have used this with many of my baby clams, lps, gorgs, and nps (recently). Every so often take turkey baster and blow out sand and rock. Makes an awful mess, but feeds everthing nicely. I hate typing on tablet.