STN on one side of acro

[ianryd]

Can you post a full tank shot with your lights at their peak?

This is from a few weeks ago with lights at peak

 

[ianryd]

Here is my lighting program

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Its a 75 gal with 2 AI Hydra 26. One light on each side. About 11" off the waterRunning AB+ schedule 8 hours a day with 2 hour ramps on both ends. I have been seriously considering upgrading to a T5 hybrid fixture

Your acro is starving from not enough light and limited feedings. Rent a par meter. You’ll be surprised how low the par is on hydra 26’s with the AB+.

 

[Greg P]

Although I'm biased as I love my Powermodule fixture, I'd go with @Chaswood79 's recommendation as a starting point

It's hard to say looking at your picture but it looks to me what my tank looks like with only 4 of my 8 bulbs on. I have so much light there are hardly any shadows. Plus my white sand probably helps reflect some light.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

I have hydra 52 HD’s and hydra 26 HD’s and a prime 16 and I have an apogee 510 par meter. Only the 52s deliver adequate par with the ab+. Those diffusers reduce a significant amount of par as well

 

[HOLYREEFER]

i also had some STN on some of my aros from placing too much GFO in the tank. They started to lose color but its now coming back after about a week. I will frag off the couple of tips that have STN. Good read thanks

 

[sreefs]

GFO can lower your tanks Alk if you overdose!

 

[Backreefing]

I would throw some t5s on that tank . Probably going with atinic and blue plus . Use the LEDs for whites . I bet you could squeeze 2 in the front and 2 in behind the LEDs. That would be a rocking light set up . Blue+ bulbs are beautiful.

 

[ianryd]

I would throw some t5s on that tank . Probably going with atinic and blue plus . Use the LEDs for whites . I bet you could squeeze 2 in the front and 2 in behind the LEDs. That would be a rocking light set up . Blue+ bulbs are beautiful.

Its funny, I started with t5s many years ago on my first tank. I still had the fixture when I started back up again, but it was just 4 bulbs and no LED. I think it was 2 white and 2 actinic bulbs. My corals color was bland, LPS grew slowly, and forget about SPS. Then I got the LEDs and BOOM! Everything took off! But I do remember the superior coverage and less shadowing of the t5s. I never thought about using just the whites on the LED, that sounds like a great idea. Once I have them set up, and after the acclimation period, would I ramp up and down with LED, and turn the t5 on during peak?

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Most of the collectors I know that use the hybrid still have their radions/hydras etc on the AB+ and supplement with The T5’s. Most of them just use the ati blue plus bulbs

 

[Backreefing]

I agree with chaswood , but you don’t need to use just whites on you LEDs keep using the blues and uv’s . just add blue+ t5s additional to it .
You don’t need a hybrid light you could easily just add to what you got . Hybrid fixtures are expensive. But they do look great .

 

[ianryd]

I ended up ordering an Aquatic Life hybrid fixture, should be here next Friday. LFS owner gave me his price on it too! I think he was just happy to see somebody come in the store. Of course I grabbed a few other things while I was there. Being a small business owner myself, I know how bad we're all hurting right now. If you have a LFS, show them some love! Even if its just to buy some fish food or supplies, I know they could use the business right now.

Anyways, my fragged nubs are still looking ok. I'm hoping this is a big part of what I've been missing for SPS success.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

My tank has been running for just over 2 years now (3 if you count the tank I switched everything over from), I use Hannah and salifert for testing, so my numbers should be reliable. I did not vaccuum the sand bed for a long time, but have begun to include that in my water change routine. I think my phosphates may be a result of that. I also had a bunch of plastic bio balls that I just removed a few weeks ago because I read that they can do more harm than good.

Removing those plastic bioballs can cause issues if removed all at once. I just watched a friends tank have acro issues because of this. When you took the balls offline, was that when your issues got bad?

 

[ianryd]

Removing those plastic bioballs can cause issues if removed all at once. I just watched a friends tank have acro issues because of this. When you took the balls offline, was that when your issues got bad?

No, it started way before. Good question though.

 

[ianryd]

I got the hybrid fixture, just waiting on the bulbs now. I will be running the AB+ on my LED's and 4 Blue+ T5's. I will run the T5's during peak hours, 12:30-7:30. I am wondering about acclimation. Do I add all 4 bulbs at once, start with 3 hours a day or so, and bump it up to 7 over a few weeks? Or, should I add 1 bulb at a time so I can stagger bulb replacement a month apart?