Radion LED and SPS Corals

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jservedio said:
If your SPS aren't colored up and you are using Radions (G1, G2, or PRO) it isn't the lights fault at all - there is something else going on entirely. If your Alkalinity isn't stable within 0.3dkh daily (preferably less), your pH swings more than .1 or .15 or so, your Nitrates are above 0.25ppm, or your phosphates are anything at all, you aren't going to keep your SPS colored the way they look photographed from places like Unique Corals, or Cherry Corals, or wherever you get them. Keeping SPS alive is easy, getting them to get those stunning colors is an entirely different ball game.

Keep working on getting your conditions more stable and get rid of those phosphates, and you will start seeing better color. Don't but a PAR meter or any light meter - with the height of your LEDs and the depth of your tank, you will need your intensity to peak around ~65-70% - but need to acclimate to that over a very long time. Basically, you want them as bright as possible without killing off or discoloring your LPS. Also - if your lights aren't at at 16k - 20k color temperature, you won't get the best coloring either. While colors won't be dull or ugly at 10-14k, they will never look as good or be as intense as 20k lighting.

I use the Radion Pros on my tank (16" deep - hung 12" above water) and mine are only at 35% right now and I am having absolutely no problems with coloring at all. Stable conditions are what you need. Don't worry about dosing anything silly besides Alk, Ca, and Mg either (unless you test for it - like strontium and iodine) - all those additives aren't going to give you color if your tank isn't stable enough for it in the first place.
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Can't disagree with the chemistry or nutrient advice as its been said as much already. Even the light acclimation and 20kK light advice is good. And yes, anything but a DIY PAR meter is a waste of money IMO. But, I can't see the point in suggesting that someone not even use some kind of LUX meter (they're free or cheap to acquire) so they can stop guessing how their light is performing and guessing what difference any given change to the light actually makes. No cost + More Info = Win + Win. I think since the Mfgr seems to have hobbled their customers info-wise, this would be an excellent tool to have on hand. Going to be awfully hard to make informed decisions about lighting changes without something...left guessing or taking someone's word in ignorance rather than measuring and seeing. IMO.

Btw, what's the difference in power and lenses between your fixture and the OP's?

-Matt


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I posted a par graph of the same light light from Mr.saltwater website...... I think it gives a little more information so it's a little more informed ;)


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Hope u dont mind I interrupt with a question, so u r saying higher phosphates than .14 is better for sps as with color and growths? I try to find the right number to follow...thanks
 
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mcarroll said:
Can't disagree with the chemistry or nutrient advice as its been said as much already. Even the light acclimation and 20kK light advice is good. And yes, anything but a DIY PAR meter is a waste of money IMO. But, I can't see the point in suggesting that someone not even use some kind of LUX meter (they're free or cheap to acquire) so they can stop guessing how their light is performing and guessing what difference any given change to the light actually makes. No cost + More Info = Win + Win. I think since the Mfgr seems to have hobbled their customers info-wise, this would be an excellent tool to have on hand. Going to be awfully hard to make informed decisions about lighting changes without something...left guessing or taking someone's word in ignorance rather than measuring and seeing. IMO.

Btw, what's the difference in power and lenses between your fixture and the OP's?

-Matt


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Click to expand...

Difference between the Pro and G1 w/ TIR lens is about 25% in raw power. My problem with LUX meters is that they are useless for determining what a light is doing for your coral's photosynthesis and are just going to give you meaningless numbers... LUX meters measure visible light, NOT what is contributing to photosynthesis like a PAR (photosynthetically active radiation) meter - they measure totally different things, and you cannot convert between the two directly. Sure, it is good for determining relative light levels around a tank for coral placement (for example, light at point x is y% less bright than light at point z), but the raw LUX levels are totally useless. Also, the app for your smartphone isn't going to give you point/depth data like you actually need for coral placement - it is going to give you the LUX value for light spilling through the glass - something 100% useless. If you take a measurement using an on-phone LUX meter through the glass like that using the same light, and the change the background color of your tank from blue to white, you will get a drastically different number. Try it, if you have no background, try taping a few pieces of printer paper to the back of your tank and take a LUX measurement at the same place as before - it'll be higher since there will be more light reflected back at you. Adding LUX to the mix of other important factors does nothing but confuse things. The OP needs to get his phosphates under control if he wants his SPS to color up and needs to avoid and swings in Alk, pH, and Magnesium. His LEDs are just fine and are easily capable of keeping super colorful SPS.

You can generate tens of thousands of LUX without contributing ANYTHING to photosynthesis. Shooting for a certain LUX reading for determining light placement/settings is like telling someone to measure their tank's pH by how slippery the water feels on your fingers.
 
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Deltec
Alk has been stable ~ 9.5 for a while. I dose Part A/B and have Ca ~ 350, Mg ~ 1250. I do add 2ml Brightwell's KoralColor and 1 ml Replenish when I do a 20% water change weekly. I run ExtraxPhos in a reactor and also have a BP reactor for the last 8 weeks but have not been able to get PO < 0.4. I am using a Hanna ULR meter for the PO.

I now bumped up the Radions to 60% for 4 hours and have the acclimate set to 6 weeks. Let's see how that goes. Working on a new light bracket so I can move the lights 4" higher and get a better spread.
 
What are you feeding and how often so you feed?

if you are running a ferric oxide and are still unable to bring down phosphates - you could be overfeeding. Another possibility is that the rock is leaching phosphates. When do you change the GFO?
 
I feed fish twice daily very small amount. Usually liquid food 3-4 drops or frozen 1/2 inch sq piece. I feed corals once daily about 5-10 ml of liquid food and mix it up between Oyster Feast, Microvore, Phyto and zooplankton. Once a week I do Reef Chilli.
 
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Sounds like you may be overfeeding to me. I try to feed fish once every other day - spectrum pellets. And I don't feed coral more than once a week if I remember.

Cut out the frozen foods - look into getting some pellet, and I would definitely cut back feeding the corals to once a week and maybe only do 3-5ml.
 
ronnie said:
Sounds like you may be overfeeding to me. I try to feed fish once every other day - spectrum pellets. And I don't feed coral more than once a week if I remember.

Cut out the frozen foods - look into getting some pellet, and I would definitely cut back feeding the corals to once a week and maybe only do 3-5ml.
Click to expand...
I am running a bare bottom tank and a biopellet reactor. I thought I had to feed a bit more since I have a low nutrient system and the biopellets need food too.
 
Deltec
Ecoscape Reef Rock
That's about natural seawater levels of alk, so of course they like it. :)

There are very good reasons for keeping a slightly elevated alk in a tiny, closed environment - increased system stability and growth among them. Have a good understanding of what's being suggested and why before you take advice to the contrary.

Google "alkalinity" and try to understand all the reef-related articles that pop up. You will want a more firm understanding of alk than you may already have to maximize your success rate with stony corals.

-Matt


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bucfan said:
I am running a bare bottom tank and a biopellet reactor. I thought I had to feed a bit more since I have a low nutrient system and the biopellets need food too.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you are feeding the BP reactor - that's what the tank's supposed the be doing! ;)

Have you ever run the tank without the BPs?

-Matt


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