What percent do you all run your LEDs?

Gdk414 · Nov 3, 2016

Just kind of a basically vague question to help get a better understanding on what power percentage you all run your lights.

Ive been struggling to find the sweet spot in my two tanks and im a first time reefer so any input on what you run and power would be great!

I have a 29g with a current orbit marine pro light with ramp timer. Right on top of tank.
max blue at 50% and min blue at 5%
Max white at 20% minimum at 5%

And i have a 44g with a JBJ unibody blue set 70% white 50% and UV purple at 70%
I already killed a birdsnest and some zoas with the orbit running at full power but now things are looking better.

Salty1962 · Nov 4, 2016

Due to the high PAR output of LEDs, it's good to start off very low and slowly increase the power. I started off my LEDs @ 25% and now have them peak out at 45%. I'm using the Radion G.3 Pros and Aquaticlife XS series. @mcarroll knows allot more about LEDs.

mcarroll · Nov 4, 2016

Around 400-500 PAR (20,000-30,000 lux) seems like a nice range for most coral.

TheEngineer · Nov 4, 2016

I run my Kessil at 50%. I was running it at 75% and noticed it was annoying my zoas. I turned it down and everyone is looking happier. I also run a 9W UV LED booster at 75%.

Tham121988 · Nov 4, 2016

I was wondering this same thing. I have the kessil 160 and the controller. It's on a nano 12 gallon. I run it no higher that 55% but actually dropped it down to 50% at mid day now. I'm wondering if that is still too much for a tank this size.

mcarroll · Nov 4, 2016

Check with a light meter. Stop guessing.

(Lux meter or PAR meter it doesn't matter. Both are better than guessing.)

Lenny_S · Nov 4, 2016

I've been running with LED's a little over a year now. Initially I had them relatively close to the water (8" or so) and I was running them at around 60% total power. But nothing in the tank was very happy about that. I bought a PAR meter and took measurements at some of my higher corals (8" below water) of about 350 PAR, but only directly under the light, move a little off center and it drops a lot (100+PAR). Bump the power up a little bit and stuff looked even less happy. So about 3-4 months or so ago I purchased a hanging kit and raised the lights to 12" above the water. At the same 60% it dropped my PAR down a lot, so I set all the blue/purple channels to 100% and the white channel to 80%. This brought the PAR measurement back to the same as it was before, except this time I could move the PAR meter to almost any location at the same depth and get readings that were with 25-50 PAR of the center. Almost overnight, everything was a lot happier in the tank. If I lower them, I can get more PAR, but I also get more of a disparity between the PAR directly under the light vs. off center. So most recently I added two 48" dual lamp T5-HO fixtures, they basically flank the LED's. This helped drive the PAR at about 8" deep from 350 to between 400 & 450. I was getting decent growth and color at 350PAR, but I believe what @mcarroll says is true, 400-500 is probably optimal. Time will tell, but all the details are chronicled in my build thread in my signature.
Bottom line for me is I find LED's to be slick, but tricky... takes a little bit to find the secret to success with them. Hope some of my findings help y'all with yours.

stevo01 · Nov 4, 2016

On a 165W LED wifi black box I run 100% blues from 6am-8pm. I run whites at 15% 8am-12pm, 25% 12pm-4pm. 15% 4pm-8pm. Then 2 moons run at 100% from 8pm-12am.

Paul B · Nov 4, 2016

100%. I mounted them on a water cooled fixture so they stay cool

tankstudy · Nov 4, 2016

17% on my Radion G3's. My inhabitants don't dig more than 100 par.

Fishyj · Nov 4, 2016

I have a nanobox retro in my hood. I run morning at 7 and 4%, afternoon at 24 and 19%, and evening at 6 and 4%. I was using this on a bc29 and at 50 % and started bleaching everything.

Gdk414 · Nov 4, 2016

Yes this is all great info. Thanks!

saltyfilmfolks · Nov 4, 2016

$14 lux meter.

Jimbo · Nov 4, 2016

Anybody have a link to this 14$ Lux meter ? Seems like every thread I read there's talk of it

saltyfilmfolks · Nov 4, 2016

Mcarrol and i talk a lot.
https://www.amazon.com/Docooler-Dig...TF8&qid=1478307818&sr=8-16&keywords=lux+meter
thats the basic.

Tony727 · Nov 4, 2016

I guess I'm an oddball I run my radions 100% except for red and green at 50%..

saltyfilmfolks · Nov 4, 2016

Tony727 said:
I guess I'm an oddball I run my radions 100% except for red and green at 50%..

yup!..set your colors and then set the intensity. as you control nutrients and alk you can increase intensity to full daylight levels with a lot of species(@1500 lux increases weekly). and pick the right spots in the tank.

@Tony727 you must have a stable system

gcrawford · Nov 4, 2016

Question if you guys don't mind - hopefully it will help the guessing guys (like me)... how do you measure under water with a $14 meter? Zip lock bag?

Gdk414 · Nov 4, 2016

gcrawford said:
Question if you guys don't mind - hopefully it will help the guessing guys (like me)... how do you measure under water with a $14 meter? Zip lock bag?

And how much does the water actually difuse the light intensity?