Struggling

[Biznizface]

The height above water REALLY matters. You can run high but you need it 18"+ above water.
Let us know what you do and how it turns out.

Still unsure some people say ramp some people say turn it down.

Such a nightmare

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

it seems more people are saying lower the intensity of the lights.

Lowering the intensity CAN have the effect of reduced growth and it will certainly have an effect on coloration.

From what I have read, increasing the lights or you much PAR has a more detrimental effect. You are going to reach the photosaturation point and the corals will shut down carbohydrate production. This is on top of potential bleaching and polyp reaction as a light intensity defense.

In short, reducing lights is the much safer bet.

Also, remember to be checking your alk consumption as it will change with a different light schedule.

Or, just be like me and run halides and reef brites . My light settings are: ON and OFF.

 

[Biznizface]

it seems more people are saying lower the intensity of the lights.

Lowering the intensity CAN have the effect of reduced growth and it will certainly have an effect on coloration.

From what I have read, increasing the lights or you much PAR has a more detrimental effect. You are going to reach the photosaturation point and the corals will shut down carbohydrate production. This is on top of potential bleaching and polyp reaction as a light intensity defense.

In short, reducing lights is the much safer bet.

Also, remember to be checking your alk consumption as it will change with a different light schedule.

Or, just be like me and run halides and reef brites . My light settings are: ON and OFF.

How about I raise them up and keep the settings ?

I am so reluctant to do this but I understand that it won’t do no harm whereas more ramping could.
The thing is it will be months before I can gauge if it’s helped it’s so frustrating

 

[TexasTodd]

That will work too. Might even be better, I think the colors blend better at coral level with them higher. I'd go to 12" and watch plus re-check PAR.

 

[jda]

You need to ask the people who are wanting you to raise the light intensity if they are using the Photon V2 and what they are keeping. Nearly nobody that uses this light has it over 50% because it can harm coral. If the advice is coming from people using other types of lights or other types of panels, then I would discount it a bit... I can put 500-750 PAR to my acropora with my Metal Halides and they are not harmed and just thrive... but 300-350 with a Photon V2 can harm some corals and 400 will harm most. Again, this is a quality thing, not quantity.

 

[Biznizface]

I’ve put the light to the highest possible height the bracket allows which is 11 inches now, was 8 inches.
Will stop ramping and I suppose now have to wait months to see if anything gets better

This Miyagi Tort has been doing well though..

 

[Biznizface]

This guy has same light and his tank is incredible..

http://www.ultimatereef.net/threads/new-evergrow-it-5-series-leds.774803/page-20#post-7919083

 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

 

[Biznizface]

if you can't wait for several weeks or months to see the affects of system changes then I can assure you that SPS corals are not for you.

That is not going to change no matter what you do.

Hmm maybe I’ve bitten off more than I can chew but after two years I sort of expect to be getting somewhere by now my last tank only a Nano but I had much better success

Just unsure it’s to much light.

Also I have a few frags on a rack near the top that are colouring up a bit which makes me wonder

 

[TexasTodd]

Well, you'll figure it out.
I have the exact same fixture. I learn FAST when $120 frags go up in smoke
Good luck.

 

[Biznizface]

Well, you'll figure it out.
I have the exact same fixture. I learn FAST when $120 frags go up in smoke
Good luck.

So can you give me some idea what your settings are and how faraway light is maybe even a photo

 

[Chris Kete]

I am respectfully confused why we are debating the height of the light fixture above the water. The light does not attenuate in the air, so height little direct effect on the intensity in the water. However, the height will cause the light to diffuse over a larger area (lowering intensity) when raised high and focus on a smaller area (intensify) when lowered. All of this is interesting to debate until you go back to the data provided: Biznizface has measured the light with a Seneye. Provided this measurement was done correctly, we can debate the ideal PAR numbers, but arguing fixture height and %power is missing the point. PAR is PAR. It's either appropriate or not. A PAR value of 300 that is mostly uniform at the depth of the corals seems almost ideal for SPS, right??

 

[Cujo#31]

I am not seeing a bunch of coralline in the tank. If the tank is young(ish), then you just might have to wait. If the coralline gets going like crazy, and the acros are not taking off, then that is room for concern.

Eventually, you will probably want to add some T5s to your V2... nearly everybody see tremendous benefit who keep a lot of acropora but not so much for other SPS.

+1 on this one. Some tanks take longer. It all depends on what you started with, how aged your rock and sand were, did you add any bacteria cultures to boost up bacterial activity and so on. I had the same issues for over a year with my new build (3rd SPS tank). Started mine from everything dead, dead,dead. 3 months into fire up I almost had to beat the coraline off the glass ( which is normally the signal that it’s a go for SPS) yet my tester SPS failed every time. Patience. I am 18 mo the in and the tank has fought me every step of the way. When the tank is ready, you will know. Just throw in the odd cheap tester every so often until it starts showing what you want to see.
It could also just be that the Corals are taking their own sweet time to show. It isn’t uncommon for some SPS to sit and do NOTHING for 2 years before it decides its happy enough to go.It sounds more like your tank isn’t ready. Don’t kill yourself trying to find that may need nothing more than plain old time. The SPS gods are fickle and unfair sometimes

 

[vetteguy53081]

I had the same issue and lowered my water flow to moderate. I also suspend feed 3-4X per week at lights out and began the 4 part additives by Pohl's Korallen Zucht.
Amazing the turnaround in the tank

 

[Shooter6]

I dont think the op is understanding what is being suggested.
#1 raise the fixture OR lower the light intensity some.
#2 continue to use the ramping sun up to sun down.
#3 i read 6hr max intensity of 67% blues, no mention of the whites or other colors? No detail on ramping time -full schedule? 8-10 hrs complete cycle?
#4 flow? Your running full force 24/7? Have random flow set up? Possible to much or to little flow or lacking wave function?
#5 do you feed your corals reef roids ect? Acropower? These help in my opinion.

 

[Biznizface]

I am respectfully confused why we are debating the height of the light fixture above the water. The light does not attenuate in the air, so height little direct effect on the intensity in the water. However, the height will cause the light to diffuse over a larger area (lowering intensity) when raised high and focus on a smaller area (intensify) when lowered. All of this is interesting to debate until you go back to the data provided: Biznizface has measured the light with a Seneye. Provided this measurement was done correctly, we can debate the ideal PAR numbers, but arguing fixture height and %power is missing the point. PAR is PAR. It's either appropriate or not. A PAR value of 300 that is mostly uniform at the depth of the corals seems almost ideal for SPS, right??

So are you saying leave the light where it was ?

 

[Biznizface]

I dont think the op is understanding what is being suggested.
#1 raise the fixture OR lower the light intensity some.
#2 continue to use the ramping sun up to sun down.
#3 i read 6hr max intensity of 67% blues, no mention of the whites or other colors? No detail on ramping time -full schedule? 8-10 hrs complete cycle?
#4 flow? Your running full force 24/7? Have random flow set up? Possible to much or to little flow or lacking wave function?
#5 do you feed your corals reef roids ect? Acropower? These help in my opinion.

I did say in the original post light intensity percentages.
Blues 67%, white 16% red and green 10%.
I have 6 hours peak and 2 hour ramp up to that with a 4 hour ramp down with just a bit of blue for moonlight.

I have programmed my mp10’s they run constant speed mode, reef crest, lagoon couple of others.

I appreciate all the comments and advice but I’m still none the wiser of a plan ?!

I have raised the light and lowered the intensity of the blues a bit now I’m thinking I shouldn’t have !

Can someone give me some definitive answers please ?

I used to feed acropower aminos but saw no benefit so left it.

I have lipstick tang, sailfin tang, royal gramma, two dispar anthias, six line wrasse, Bangaii cardinal, neon goby, orange spot goby and a clown fish which I feed flake and at least two frozen cubes a day.
This fish population I thought was more than enough to feed the corals.

I carbon dose very lightly to keep nitrate in check also.

 

[Shooter6]

I believe everyone is in agreement that your lights need to be either raised, or intensity lowered, or both. Id do both . Raise the light and lower the intensity to around 50%blue for a while. Leave the others at the current setting.
Personally id slill use the acropower and some reefroids but thats debatable. I know you listed your phosphate alk, cal. Mag levels and if i remember they were all in a good range. If thats the case, do you have any idea what your trace elements levels are at? Maybe they are off?
I would adjust the height as the people with them recommended ( raise them) lower the blues to 50% and start feeding the corals. Remember it will take at least a few weeks to see a real change. Take pics of them to reference and compare in a month. It will take them a while to adjust to the changes in light, possibly flow, and to start growing.

 

[MnFish1]

+1 on this one. Some tanks take longer. It all depends on what you started with, how aged your rock and sand were, did you add any bacteria cultures to boost up bacterial activity and so on. I had the same issues for over a year with my new build (3rd SPS tank). Started mine from everything dead, dead,dead. 3 months into fire up I almost had to beat the coraline off the glass ( which is normally the signal that it’s a go for SPS) yet my tester SPS failed every time. Patience. I am 18 mo the in and the tank has fought me every step of the way. When the tank is ready, you will know. Just throw in the odd cheap tester every so often until it starts showing what you want to see.
It could also just be that the Corals are taking their own sweet time to show. It isn’t uncommon for some SPS to sit and do NOTHING for 2 years before it decides its happy enough to go.It sounds more like your tank isn’t ready. Don’t kill yourself trying to find that may need nothing more than plain old time. The SPS gods are fickle and unfair sometimes

I tend to run my radions ramping up slowly until they are at 100% and then back down over a 12 hour period. They are 8 inches from the water per the instructions). I have very little Coraline algae (it stopped growing when my coral growth took off). I still have some though - it tends to be in the lower light areas.

 

[Biznizface]

I believe everyone is in agreement that your lights need to be either raised, or intensity lowered, or both. Id do both . Raise the light and lower the intensity to around 50%blue for a while. Leave the others at the current setting.
Personally id slill use the acropower and some reefroids but thats debatable. I know you listed your phosphate alk, cal. Mag levels and if i remember they were all in a good range. If thats the case, do you have any idea what your trace elements levels are at? Maybe they are off?
I would adjust the height as the people with them recommended ( raise them) lower the blues to 50% and start feeding the corals. Remember it will take at least a few weeks to see a real change. Take pics of them to reference and compare in a month. It will take them a while to adjust to the changes in light, possibly flow, and to start growing.

Hi yeah if you saw my ICP test all trace elements are in check.
But that does sound like some sound advice.
Raising them and turning them down is serious mate are you sure yeah.?