Reefbreeders photon v2 over 40b sps

[mstockmaster]

Hello. I'm running a reefbreeders photon v2 over a 40 breeder sps dominant tank. Light is approx 7 inches over the surface and coral placement varies with most sps being within 8 or so inches from the top. I'm currently maxing out at 70% blues and 30% whites for 6 hours mid day and a 3 hour ramp at either end. Wondering if I'm giving too much light of not enough. Apogee par meter shows 250-350 par in most places sps resides. But my growth has been painfully slow and colors aren't what they should be. Acros are all pretty dull. I do run a decent amount of nutrients ( 15-20 nitrate and .03-.05 phosphate). Big 3 are 8.6, 420, 1320.

 

[Finhead]

How long have you had the tank been running and how long have you had the light with the light schedule?

 

[mstockmaster]

11 months. More or less since September.

 

[Finhead]

Well to be fair it's a pretty new system for SPS, and 3 months on a light schedule on LED's is just barly enough to get them acclimated to it to start growing. Give it some time.
You also have to remember light is only one pieces of the puzzle, IMO more important is flow and stable water parameters. My SPS didn't start really taking off until I got my Alk very stable it only ranges about .2 over 24hrs now.

 

[mstockmaster]

Yeah, definitely newish for sps. But I'm down to fine tuning at this point and am looking for advice from people who have had real success with this light. It's definitely not a flow issue, if anything I have too much, stability, also, is solid.

 

[mstockmaster]

Anyone have any opinions?

 

[cain720]

Did you ever figure out your peak lighting intensities?

I'm running a photon V2 over my 40b and currently have the intensities peaking at 20 white/ 60 blues on the suggested reefbreeders schedule. My concern is that I have too much light.

 

[Mattj815]

I am very new to sps. I tried a couple of frags when my tank was newish. They did ok for a few weeks and then fizzled out.

I recently decided to try again. I bought a reverse superman monti. I placed it low in my tank and it looked good, so after a couple of days I started moving it up. Then it started turning whiteish. So I moved it down a few inches, didnt get much better. So just placed it on the sandbed last night.

My reefbreeders were topping out at blues @ 65 and white @ 25 for a peak of like 2 hours a day with a ramp up and down.

I recentlt started to take them down a little and see if things looked better and I feel things are coloring up a little better.

Ive always heard these were strong lights and think I may have had them up too high. But I have a number of lps and shrooms in the tank doing great. I have a ricordea sitting higher than that monti frag thats been there for months.

I know my po4 crept up a little, trying to get it back down so I dont know what effect that would have on the monti. Always read that nutrients would brown it out not turn it white.

 

[cain720]

I just had a reverse superman monti do that too! What are the odds?

I dropped my lighting from 60/20 to 55/15, but my peak only runs for 1 hour. This seemed to help the monti, but I'm not entirely sure because I recently started feeding more because my nutrients are undetectable and I run high alk and calcium.

From what I've read, most people max their photon V2s around 60 blue/ 30 white, but my tank is only 16 inches, so maybe I'm overdoing it.

I wish someone had some PAR data for the photon over a 40b.

 

[sde1500]

I just had a reverse superman monti do that too! What are the odds?

I dropped my lighting from 60/20 to 55/15, but my peak only runs for 1 hour. This seemed to help the monti, but I'm not entirely sure because I recently started feeding more because my nutrients are undetectable and I run high alk and calcium.

From what I've read, most people max their photon V2s around 60 blue/ 30 white, but our tanks are only 16 inches, so maybe we're overdoing it.

I wish someone had some PAR data for the photon over a 40b.

I’m not 100% sure the LED difference between v1 and v2, but I run a V1 at almost full intensity. My light peaks for 2 hours at 100% blue and 60% white. Colors and growth are quite good imo.

 

[cain720]

I’m not 100% sure the LED difference between v1 and v2, but I run a V1 at almost full intensity. My light peaks for 2 hours at 100% blue and 60% white. Colors and growth are quite good imo.

I believe the V2 has stronger 5 watt CREE LEDs.

For anyone else following:

I've decided to set and forget at 15 white/ 60 blues.

My reasoning:

On the Reefbreeders site it recommends to run maxes at 60/60 on a 24" tank and to subtract/add 5% on the blues to balance out a 10% change on white. At my desired ratio, that would be 20 white/ 80 blues on a 24" tank, so my 15/60 maxes should be good on my 16" tank.

Also my 24" light is at the highest setting for the included brackets (probably around 10" if I had to guess). I will eventually hang it about 4" higher to eliminate disco/ shading on the edges and bump my intensities 5% or so to compensate.