sps ab+ schedule on photon V2

[blazedmasta]

How is everything looking this week?

Not bad. Corals are really starting to color up. I have since upped the settings again. I realized I need higher par for some of my SPS corals. So I'm upping the white channels like 5% a week.

 

[indyjaco]

What is your current max setting?

 

[blazedmasta]

What is your current max setting?

Ch1-50
Ch2-50
Ch3-75
Ch4-20
Ch5-75
Ch6-75

 

[blue meanies]

I'm planning to rent a PAR meter as well. I saw your (blazemasta's) comments on shooting for 350/250/150 PAR readings. If I understand correctly, you are running your peak settings for 7 hours, so I'm assuming that's 7 hours of 350/250/150 PAR . Is anyone doing a more gradual ranp up/down over the entire day? If so, how do you deal with the ever-changing PAR that that would entail? Do you use a formula based on an average, etc.?

 

[Salty_Box_Reef]

Anymore updates?

 

[indyjaco]

I've been running this for two weeks now. Some of the corals are still adapting to the changes and light intensity increases.

I do have great sps polyp extension, just needing the growth to catch up.

 

[Salty_Box_Reef]

Anyone else have updates?

 

[indyjaco]

I think at my levels i'm giving them to much par. Below is my max which I run for 6 hours. I have great PE on SPS, but growth has been slow.

CH1 25
CH2 25
CH3 70
CH4 25
Ch5 60
CH6 60

 

[Salty_Box_Reef]

What's your alk/cal/mag? If colors and everything is good your likely not giving them too much par. You can force some growth with higher alk.

I think at my levels i'm giving them to much par. Below is my max which I run for 6 hours. I have great PE on SPS, but growth has been slow.

CH1 25
CH2 25
CH3 70
CH4 25
Ch5 60
CH6 60

 

[blazedmasta]

I think at my levels i'm giving them to much par. Below is my max which I run for 6 hours. I have great PE on SPS, but growth has been slow.

CH1 25
CH2 25
CH3 70
CH4 25
Ch5 60
CH6 60

I run mine's a bit higher with no issues.

 

[indyjaco]

I'm usually around 7.5, 1300-1350 and 450.

I'll raise up the CH3/5/6 this week a little.

 

[Salty_Box_Reef]

I'm usually around 7.5, 1300-1350 and 450.

I'll raise up the CH3/5/6 this week a little.

I personally wouldn't expect great growth with all that low. Healthy good looking corals yes, but not fast growing.

 

[indyjaco]

Changed settings to get more blue and turned the red off to lower algae growth (if it even helps). I run these of 6 hours a day with 2 hours up and down on each end.

Ch1: 0
ch2: 15
Ch3: 70
Ch4: 22
Ch5: 65
Ch 6: 50

 

[Salty_Box_Reef]

So after talking with Adam@battlecorals I decided to just setup my v2 to match the par of my t5's and skip acclimation. What I found odd is that the leds dropped par a bit faster than the t5's(less penetration). I was at about 350 at the top of my rocks and 150 in the sand bed with my t5's. With the v2 hung at 18" I get about 380 at the top of the rocks and 100-120 in the sand bed. Also the variance of par is a lot more drastic. Meaning at the same depth the par would shift 20+ par moving the meter just a inch to the side.

Anyways here's what I set it up as to start.
11hrs total. First hour lights are barely on. I think 2% on all blues. 6hrs peak and two hours ramp down.
Peak settings
Ch1 35%
Ch2 35%
Ch3 90%
Ch4 55%
Ch5 90%
Ch6 90%

I started at those levels except with the whites(ch4) at 40%. That gave me 350 par on the tops of my rocks where a majority of my sps are. At 55% I'm at about 400par. I plan to keep bringing the whites up till I see about 500par and then I'll max out the blue channels eventually.

It's been running at these levels for almost two weeks. No ill affects and seen some growth.

 

[brandon0921]

Hello everybody!

I have a photon v2 on a 36 bow and it's a "big" improvement from what I had running before. I have started getting more and more sps frags just to have the color change a few days after being in the tank and with little to no growth. Switched to this light and have been getting awesome growth but color is seriously lacking. After doing some research I noticed that maybe the schedule was a little off and the intensity as well. So I changed my schedule to match the sps ab+ schedule and intensity. 9 hours photoperiod with 7 hours core intensity. I did noticed a good change. Corals are starting to color up but not sure of the par readings and if the green, red and white channels should be increase more. I know that the schedule is for another light but the logic behind it has been researched. I think when properly dialed in this will be a really good schedule for an SPS dominant tank. Have anyone heard of this schedule before and if so how can I implement this schedule with the photon v2? Maybe Logan will comment...[emoji57]

I have the same tank and light as you with a similar mixed reef layout. Just wondering how high you have the light off your tank when PAR measurements were taken? Also, what schedule have you settled on? I currently have my red and green channels off, white is either 35 or 40 and blues around 70. I am about 7-8" off the tank on the second longest option with the included mounts.
Everything is fairly happy with the exception of my zoa's (may be unrelated).

 

[blazedmasta]

I have the same tank and light as you with a similar mixed reef layout. Just wondering how high you have the light off your tank when PAR measurements were taken? Also, what schedule have you settled on? I currently have my red and green channels off, white is either 35 or 40 and blues around 70. I am about 7-8" off the tank on the second longest option with the included mounts.
Everything is fairly happy with the exception of my zoa's (may be unrelated).

I've updated my settings recently for higher par. With the light set in the middle level on the bracket. My ch 3,5,6 is set to 90 and ch 4 is 15 and ch 1 and 2 is 50. The avg par with my acros are is in the 400 to 600 range. The blue monster is in the highest at around 730. The highest par being directly under the light.

 

[brandon0921]

I've updated my settings recently for higher par. With the light set in the middle level on the bracket. My ch 3,5,6 is set to 90 and ch 4 is 15 and ch 1 and 2 is 50. The avg par with my acros are is in the 400 to 600 range. The blue monster is in the highest at around 730.

Thanks for the reply. Do you get a disco effect or excessive algae growth with the greens and reds that high? Also, I thought SPS thrived off higher whites, just curious why you have yours low. I'm not very knowledgeable with lighting if I'm being honest, so take these comments with a grain of salt.

 

[blazedmasta]

Thanks for the reply. Do you get a disco effect or excessive algae growth with the greens and reds that high? Also, I thought SPS thrived off higher whites, just curious why you have yours low. I'm not very knowledgeable with lighting if I'm being honest, so take these comments with a grain of salt.

No not really I would say the colors blends nicely at that level and you can't see any reds or green outlines. The disco effect also depends on how much surface agitation you have. After months of tinkering it actually looks pretty good. I run an ULNS so I don't have an issue with algae.

 

[brandon0921]

No not really I would say the colors blends nicely at that level and you can't see any reds or green outlines. The disco effect also depends on how much surface agitation you have. After months of tinkering it actually looks pretty good. I run an ULNS so I don't have an issue with algae.

How about the low whites? How does this impact sps growth?

 

[blazedmasta]

How about the low whites? How does this impact sps growth?

I would say I get good growth on all corals. Both soft and hard.