Sbrob
New Member
I forgot to mention that when I had a wild frag of SS I had it at the bottom of my tank with LEDs and it started coloring nicely. Once I moved it higher it browned and STN. Might want to try lower light.
Strawberry Short Cake Browned Out HELP.
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artachoki
New Member
Will trythis. Sbrob thanks for the advice.
My theory based off of my knowledge of how leds and other lights work, my reading of coral behavior under specific lighting, and other various info i have gathered over years about coral requirements.
The issue with LEDs is that they emit a very narrow spectrum of light per various color temperature of diode (I mean very narrow). However this narrow spectrum is of a high intensity, often too amplified for most acroproa coral to handle at that wavelength. Metal halides are a very wide spectrum bulb, that is why they can be a higher wattage value and the corals closer...they are getting we'll say four hundred watts of the entire visible light spectrum, maybe 80 watts of the entire blue spectrum with a 400w halide versus 120 watts of a small portion of the blue spectrum with a 120 w blue led. Blue light can penetrate deeper into the water so the use of blue LEDs will result in light penetrating deeper into the water than with equivalent wattage of halides, meaning higher intensity than expected at various depths. The coral is not used to having this amplified narrow band hit it (kind of like a magnifying glass with only 10hz of visible light in a particular color band passing through it), and this narrow band generally cannot maintain color of the coral on it's own, so even the slightest misbalance of chemistry will be more noticed by the observer as a browning of the coral, and if the light spectrum is to narrow the coral will experience a lot of difficulty coloring up unless moved to full spectrum lighting. In summary, the amplified narrow band signal of LEDs is in a sense "cooking" the sensitive corals in an excessively high frequency of visible light while not providing any of the other required light spectrum, resulting in a bleaching and browning of sensitive sps corals. Because of the narrow band of LEDs acropora coral that are predominantly blue or green may be easier to maintain there color under LEDs acropora with reds and purples.
The issue with LEDs is that they emit a very narrow spectrum of light per various color temperature of diode (I mean very narrow). However this narrow spectrum is of a high intensity, often too amplified for most acroproa coral to handle at that wavelength. Metal halides are a very wide spectrum bulb, that is why they can be a higher wattage value and the corals closer...they are getting we'll say four hundred watts of the entire visible light spectrum, maybe 80 watts of the entire blue spectrum with a 400w halide versus 120 watts of a small portion of the blue spectrum with a 120 w blue led. Blue light can penetrate deeper into the water so the use of blue LEDs will result in light penetrating deeper into the water than with equivalent wattage of halides, meaning higher intensity than expected at various depths. The coral is not used to having this amplified narrow band hit it (kind of like a magnifying glass with only 10hz of visible light in a particular color band passing through it), and this narrow band generally cannot maintain color of the coral on it's own, so even the slightest misbalance of chemistry will be more noticed by the observer as a browning of the coral, and if the light spectrum is to narrow the coral will experience a lot of difficulty coloring up unless moved to full spectrum lighting. In summary, the amplified narrow band signal of LEDs is in a sense "cooking" the sensitive corals in an excessively high frequency of visible light while not providing any of the other required light spectrum, resulting in a bleaching and browning of sensitive sps corals. Because of the narrow band of LEDs acropora coral that are predominantly blue or green may be easier to maintain there color under LEDs acropora with reds and purples.
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Zombie
Active Member
I haven't had any bleaching or browning with these LEDs. I have awesome color with Acros I have had for at least ten+ years, I thought were ugly when I was keeping them under 175w halides and 400w halides. They are my favorite Acroporas in my tank now. This acropora came from a tank using halides and it browned out in that tank.
His tank has a lot of LPS corals and a small amount of sps corals. His water is perfect so it may be too much light from the 3/400 watt halides or the LPS to SPS ratio.
Click on read more and there are two pages on the spectrum of the LEDs I am using BMA P30
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Troylee
all about the diy!!!!!
Blues are more powerful than whites.. You need a special filter to get a true par reading... So not sure where you picked up longer blues is better....
I am a materials scientist/ mathmetician in training so I simply look at everything from a microscale and what is happening. From what I have gathered from the literature and various other sources, browning of sps corals is typically caused by one of the three things.
Sudden change in chemistry, typically experienced by wild caught colonies when first introduced to a reef tank.
The coral is in a phosphate rich environment (with respect to the care requirements of the specific corals), browning that is slow to recover or never recovers is a good indication of browning due to elevated phosphates. Phosphate levels that effect sps coloration are very low and need to be measured with a high accuracy low level reader such as a hanna meter.
Lack of light in required light spectrum (varies from coral to coral). This is what I attribute to the browning of sps corals when reefers switch from halides to LEDs. LEDs are very narrow banded, and there is no way around it, the only solution is to have several different color temp diodes in a single unit to cover the full spectrum (attempted in the radion). The bleacing that some LED users experienced is caused by the amplified light at the narrow spectrum the led bulb produces, which is far beyond what the coral can handle. This is because all of the light produced (wattage) is focussed in this narrow band. This isn't experienced by everyone but has rampant reports throughout the forums.
Browned out corals quickly regain their color if all care requirements are met (typically in less than a month). The color exhibited by the coral may not be the same as the original color of the coral. If one of the three causes listed above is still present the coral will have difficulty regaining its color.
In your case the cause most likely is a combination of the three things listed above, the lack of the coral's ability to regain its color is either due to high phosphates or lack of light in the requisit spectrum for that given coral. I do not need to read on spectrum as I have a very good understanding on it on levels way past visible light (a requirement to operate SEM and TEM in which I do both). Your case may not be one of the three previously listed but that would make this case an outlier and vary from the normal statistics.
Brandon
Sudden change in chemistry, typically experienced by wild caught colonies when first introduced to a reef tank.
The coral is in a phosphate rich environment (with respect to the care requirements of the specific corals), browning that is slow to recover or never recovers is a good indication of browning due to elevated phosphates. Phosphate levels that effect sps coloration are very low and need to be measured with a high accuracy low level reader such as a hanna meter.
Lack of light in required light spectrum (varies from coral to coral). This is what I attribute to the browning of sps corals when reefers switch from halides to LEDs. LEDs are very narrow banded, and there is no way around it, the only solution is to have several different color temp diodes in a single unit to cover the full spectrum (attempted in the radion). The bleacing that some LED users experienced is caused by the amplified light at the narrow spectrum the led bulb produces, which is far beyond what the coral can handle. This is because all of the light produced (wattage) is focussed in this narrow band. This isn't experienced by everyone but has rampant reports throughout the forums.
Browned out corals quickly regain their color if all care requirements are met (typically in less than a month). The color exhibited by the coral may not be the same as the original color of the coral. If one of the three causes listed above is still present the coral will have difficulty regaining its color.
In your case the cause most likely is a combination of the three things listed above, the lack of the coral's ability to regain its color is either due to high phosphates or lack of light in the requisit spectrum for that given coral. I do not need to read on spectrum as I have a very good understanding on it on levels way past visible light (a requirement to operate SEM and TEM in which I do both). Your case may not be one of the three previously listed but that would make this case an outlier and vary from the normal statistics.
Brandon
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Some of my SPS will brown if stressed, not getting enough light, or if my water parameters are off. Some are more sensitive then others and that's why it's always a bit easier getting an aquacultured piece vs. mericultured because it's already adjusted to the environment of a tank. Also, make sure your acro crabs are the good ones. I've heard one type of acro crab (not the white one) will pick at the coral it's in.
CONSTANTNE
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Mine is also browned out ever since I tried bio-pellets. I stopped a long time ago and the color never came back. Great PE and it def is growing.
artachoki
New Member
I did a dip two weeks ago it turned the brown into white and now its going red and green, pretty nice. I also moved it to the side of tank where there is less light. I forget the name of the dip but will post when I get home. 
StReNuOuS BiOmArKeR
Active Member
from my trial and error shortcake is a very touchy sps. if it browns and doesnt have any pest....AEFW mainly, dont mess with it it is super touchy when its brown. every piece or colony ive had is low light and low to moderate flow. the more i messed with it the worse it got. if it has PE but is brown just keep up your regular maintenance and water quality, it is a slow coral to bounce back good luck and keep us updated. also i have seen nice sps tanks with LED but the majority of people i know always go back to halid and or T5
its been best colored under my T5 but if i put it far enough from the center of the halide it looks just as good
its been best colored under my T5 but if i put it far enough from the center of the halide it looks just as good
Zombie
Active Member
I haven't had any problems with any of my acroporas under these LEDs, in fact I have better growth and color then with my halides. I have had so many people say that you can't grow SPS under LEDs, but I know it's not a problem with the LED light fixtures I am using. I have seen other Sps tanks with other brand lights also doing fine.
This is a product review of the lights I am using http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2011/11/review
I am a halide guy but I don't think I will go back due to running cost and how well these lights look and work.
My MAJOR problem is that I am moving in two months an have to set up a brand new 250 gallon tank an move all the coral rock and fish in one day to the new house. The shortcake has very long PE, but not growing at all. I don't think it will make the move. I hope it will but it doesn't look good.
This is a product review of the lights I am using http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2011/11/review
I am a halide guy but I don't think I will go back due to running cost and how well these lights look and work.
My MAJOR problem is that I am moving in two months an have to set up a brand new 250 gallon tank an move all the coral rock and fish in one day to the new house. The shortcake has very long PE, but not growing at all. I don't think it will make the move. I hope it will but it doesn't look good.
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