You have too much light.....

[flagg37]

Generally, we give too much light to many corals and maybe not enough to others. Often this is because we don't know the conditions where many corals originate. Aquacultured corals can be determined easily, original location in the wild not so much. Beside light, flow is as critical and often unknown in the hobby compared to origin location.

I recently asked my partner in Tonga what depths he was typically (not exclusively) collecting:

Scolys 150 feet
Euphyllia Ancora/Paranacora 120 ft
Glabrescen and cristata 120 ft
Pavona maldivensis 120 ft
Mushrooms-usually found under other corals in shade
Lobophyllia 100 ft
Montipora 60 ft
Ritteri and malu Anemones 120 ft
Favia 100 ft
Acan echinata 80 ft
Micromussa 10 ft
Acropora 5-20 ft
Bowerbanki 150+ ft
Goniopora 120-150 ft

Zoanthids 1-60 ft in turbulent areas such as this

I'm pretty sure he gave you those depths in meters and you converted it for our benefit.

I'm very surprised; especially with the Ritteri since they seem to love getting blasted with light. 120' is way down there.

 

[BillyW]

I need a par meter , 5x orphek or3 90 over 40b at 12-16 inches above water , sometimes I feel like I’m cooking them but idk

I had 3 over a 20 gallon…

 

[leepink23]

Your corals just don't seem to do well and all your parameters are all in check? You have too much light.

Raise your lights or turn down the intensity.

Change my mind...

I do par meter testing on different peoples tanks, i almost always note they have low par, colors are usually lacking. Once they increase the par there is increased growth and colors. I also had the same issue with my acros. So my experience is we usually under light the tank because we eyeball it. This is just my experience from testing approximately 30-40 tanks.

 

[GHOSTLY]

I agree. I got a radion XR30 PRO Gen 3 on my 13.5 LPS Tank.

 

[Tonyreeffish]

EDIT - and during the peak of the day - at 10 feet on a sunny day the PAR is above 1000. Thats not to say (as I think Dana would agree) - that much PAR is NECESSARY - but - that the levels in our tanks are not 'harmful', depending on the exact length of time they are set. Its interesting another thread suggested corals did better if for a couple days a month - lights were left off (like a cloudy day) - perhaps thats true

I actually do a 24 hour black out once a month. I did a 3 day blackout for dinos and saw when i turned the lights back on the coral were much more plump and filled out. I waited a month and tried 24 hours and it was amazing the reaction i got. It has to be noted i have a zoa dominant 30 gallon with some mushrooms and lps, but with that group i did notice a difference. I think its like giving them a little reboot and time to rest. Im no scientist and this is just my observation from MY reef.

 

[outhouse]

Led lights can factually place to much light and intensity can be far more then coral can adapt too. After 5 to 6 hours of peak light it's all just for your eyes not the corals benefit. Turning my lights down to 10% intensity in a 30 inch deep tank, the best move I made. At 40% I had literally no growth at all and a slight decline. Despite the local reef shops with same lights at 60% doing well.

 

[MaxTremors]

Your corals just don't seem to do well and all your parameters are all in check? You have too much light.

Raise your lights or turn down the intensity.

Change my mind...

Steven Crowder is just the worst, and this meme needs to die a slow death (but fast, a fast slow death).

But to answer your question, yes, I think a lot of people are pushing way too much light.

 

[LPS Bum]

I know all about the inverse square law, but it's hard to believe that a Radion or a Mitras would be capable of providing more light to corals than the giant ball of nuclear fusion in the sky.

I think the issue is often a lack of proper photo acclimation to powerful LED reef lighting.

 

[flyfisher2]

I have 3 XR15 Gen 5 Pro's over my 60X24X24. They been there just over a year. My acros are growing but not coloring up so I'm very slowly increasing my intensity. Presently @ 95 percent Intensity on AB+ program which maxes out at 80% maximum intensity. So far so good

 

[lakai]

You can never have too much light if you have a sps tank.

 

[flyfisher2]

You can never have too much light if you have a sps tank.

And here we go! LOL

 

[HeyLookItsCaps]

I’m running 3 hydra 26 HD + 4 bulb t5 hybrid on a 4x2x2.

I run the t5 8 hours a day with the LED on the Saxby preset, haven’t seen anything nuke yet!

 

[dvgyfresh]

I had 3 over a 20 gallon…

How’d you like them? Why did you switch?

 

[outhouse]

I think the issue is often a lack of proper photo acclimation to powerful LED reef lighting.

Dead wrong.

3w leds are stronger then you think, I went from metal halides and VHO and at 40% with my new leds I had no growth at all, so I upped the intensity after a month, then after 3 months. Then after 4 years or more of no growth I lowered it to 10% and poof coral is growing like weeds again. I thought leds sucked and were not bright enough. I was dead wrong, just like you. Difference is, I dont want people to make my mistake. I never had bleaching or anything that would indicate high intensity, just lack of growth and slow decline in tanks health. I tried your way for 5 years it sucked and its bad advise. Now Ive got happy coral again at 10% intensity. Look at the chart above, par is the most abused word in these forums, that and par meters. Those are sucker terms to get you to buy more crap you dont need.

 

[outhouse]

. My acros are growing but not coloring up

You can always try the other way too. Increasing intensity is not always the correct answer. Everything I have colored up, reducing intensity. So many different possibilities, dont rule out the possible correct answer. remember reefs have cloudy weeks and months in nature, and guess what they still grow
fine in lower light conditions. By the way nice tank you have!!!!

 

[flyfisher2]

You can always try the other way too. Increasing intensity is not always the correct answer. Everything I have colored up, reducing intensity. So many different possibilities, dont rule out the possible correct answer. remember reefs have cloudy weeks and months in nature, and guess what they still fine in lower light conditions. By the way ******* tank you have!!!!

Thanks for that info. Do you monitor your light intensity, PAR?
I've been told my fellow reefers here in Orlando that I need more PAR for my Acros to pop. My PAR based on Seneye is floating in the 250's and possibly a little higher as I've been increasing my intensity slowly.

 

[flyfisher2]

Thanks for that info. Do you monitor your light intensity, PAR?
I've been told my fellow reefers here in Orlando that I need more PAR for my Acros to pop. My PAR based on Seneye is floating in the 250's and possibly a little higher as I've been increasing my intensity slowly.

I just read what you posted regarding PAR. Do you feel that applies to SPS, specifically Acros as well?

 

[outhouse]

Do you monitor your light intensity,

No I mainly grow LPS but professionally in the past, and have grown SPS in the past with my 175W MH and VHO and I can tell you my LEDS are more like 400W lights in comparison. My tank is a 210G and I was cooking stuff on the bottom 30" deep at 60%. FOR YOU I was careful in wording because its hard to tell, and SPS do need more intensity generally speaking,,,,, but you would be surprised how well coral grows without the most par you can put on them. I dont trust most par meters and trust my eyes more so then a meter after 30 years

 

[ninjamyst]

I have 3 XR15 Gen 5 Pro's over my 60X24X24. They been there just over a year. My acros are growing but not coloring up so I'm very slowly increasing my intensity. Presently @ 95 percent Intensity on AB+ program which maxes out at 80% maximum intensity. So far so good

You need 3 XR30 for that tank...

 

[outhouse]

You need 3 XR30 for that tank...

You can burn a coral with a 15 as easy as a 30, a 30 just gives more coverage. So would you think he could turn the 30s down to say 50-60% since it covered better?

I run a tank identical as his, just 6" deeper and my next choice of lights were the 15's