Smaller Zoa Polyp Size Under Radion?

[SloppyJ]

Since starting my newest tank in May of 2014, I've noticed that some of my zoas don't quite open up as much as they used to. My previous tank was lit by a halide and this is my first experience with LEDs. The worst offender are my Sunny D's. They've actually grown quite a bit but the colony looks much smaller because the actual size of the polyps has shrunk. I've noticed that my once struggling agaves have started opening up more and are at a decent size and my mindblowers are the same and growing like weeds.

Tank: 93g Cube
Lighting: 1 Radion Gen 3 Pro with Wide Angle Lenses. I am running Radiant mode at 75% overall intensity. My photoperiod is quite long but with a short peak.

I'm not sure where to begin. Is it a water chemistry/trace element issue? Could it be a lack of nutrient issue because I'm running pellets? Or perhaps it's a lighting issue. I don't believe it's a pest issue because they look healthy, but they're just smaller.

I tend to think this is a common problem with LEDs because I have heard people complain of the same problem when switching to LEDs. Any ideas where to start?

 

[moulton712]

I think your intensity is too much. I run reef breeders LEDs. I have blues at 50% whites at 25-30%. RB use 3w leds driven at 2.2 watts max. Radions (like xr30w) use 2.5-4w leds. Driven higher, website doesn't say although we could to the math at 120w/all LEDs. My point is your intensity over all is too much for the zoas.. try 35% and in a month if you see zoas stretching then increase. It will take a month or longer before they fluff up. (I've bought zoas off tanks with tiny polyps.)

 

[SloppyJ]

Just checked and I have it set at 80%. I think I might back it down to 60% and leave it for a while and montior the tank. Initially I thought I could use more power since I'm running the largest recommended footprint for 1 Radion, but these things seem to be monsters!

 

[joshporksandwich]

I miss my mh lol. Leds penetrate the water more than halides. It took me like 8 months to get my zoas used to leds after halides. Had to move a lot

 

[Tenor]

My Zoas are doing great under led. Better than my t5 tank

 

[mfinn]

I use Radions and like my zoanthids, and I really miss using my 250 watt PFO HQI ballast with Radium bulbs and vho actinic. ( in fact I'm thinking.......)

My zoanthids seem to be doing better in my 50 gallon tank that has wide angle lens's on them. Suppose to really cut down on the intensity.
I do have the total intensity set at 70%.

 

[SloppyJ]

Just to update this. After the initial discussion:

I adjusted my lights down to 65% using the same lightly modified radiant reef preset....
I drastically lowered the flow from my 2 MP40s.....

Not much to report back on. I have noticed that the colors have improved just a little but I haven't been able to get the polyp size that I'm looking for. I installed a reeflink today. While I was looking at my schedule, I noticed that the UV spectrum was cranked up on all of my points. My plan is to lower this amount quite a bit to see if it has any affect on the zoas. I will post back with an update.

 

[a361c]

Lz feq

 

[SloppyJ]

Uhhh.....?

 

[a361c]

Previous post

Please ignore previous post was reading thread and put down my iPad and 1yr old daughter started playing with iPad and made that strange post. Lol

 

[reid429]

Just noticed on all my presets that uv was set at 100% had to back that down as well. Had no clue

 

[SloppyJ]

I've seen an improvement in my acans over the past couple of days but not much to report on the Zoas yet. I taper up to 50% uv for my peak hour and then back down for dusk.

I think the spectrum is key for leds but I think the intensity of 100% was too much on the preprogrammed mode.

 

[RobberyinCSharp1824]

I had a very similar issue to this, and intensity was the culprit. I brought my led intensity down to 60‰ at peak and 70 if I got some light-demanding coral. It may take a while to recover - they may not look 100% overnight, but after a week or so you should see an improvement. Try to feed them to help them compensate for the photosynthesis demand.

 

[SloppyJ]

I just recently backed off of my photoperiod. I am keep the same intensity, I just shortened the time. I will post results in a week or two.

 

[SloppyJ]

To update this, I can already see results from dropping down on the UV and shortening my photoperiod. Everything from sticks to my scoly look way better. The only negative impact I've seen is from my bubble tip. It has started moving around the tank.

My SPS has colored up tremendously for a week or two and look much better. I'll continue to update and get pics to post.

 

[SloppyJ]

Things are looking up!

 

[SloppyJ]

I forgot to mention that I also took my GFO off line at the same time I shortened the photoperiod and dropped the UV. I shouldn't have changed so many factors at once but something worked.

 

[nano reef]

Since starting my newest tank in May of 2014, I've noticed that some of my zoas don't quite open up as much as they used to. My previous tank was lit by a halide and this is my first experience with LEDs. The worst offender are my Sunny D's. They've actually grown quite a bit but the colony looks much smaller because the actual size of the polyps has shrunk. I've noticed that my once struggling agaves have started opening up more and are at a decent size and my mindblowers are the same and growing like weeds.

Tank: 93g Cube
Lighting: 1 Radion Gen 3 Pro with Wide Angle Lenses. I am running Radiant mode at 75% overall intensity. My photoperiod is quite long but with a short peak.

I'm not sure where to begin. Is it a water chemistry/trace element issue? Could it be a lack of nutrient issue because I'm running pellets? Or perhaps it's a lighting issue. I don't believe it's a pest issue because they look healthy, but they're just smaller.

I tend to think this is a common problem with LEDs because I have heard people complain of the same problem when switching to LEDs. Any ideas where to start?

So your agaves used to be large and also sunny d's? I have both of those on order and today I saw zoas for the first time online and almost all were so tiny, I mean super tiny, and some were in colonies even. then they had some very colorful ones in the same tank that were big, so makes me think its not the ligening or feeding but maybe certain lines are just so much larger. I was expecting zos to be like the size of a quarter or so. Were urs ever that size? I Hope I dint order teeny ones!