WHYYYYYYYY. So I have started a 310 gallon custom tank. It's been running since November. I have 3 Red Sea 160s for lights. They are super bright on 100% and I keep my frags in a 40g breeder with 3 Fluval Sea lights (not the most popular but I've had great luck with them, and they actually have a wonderful app).
So, I thought to avoid stress to the corals I'd but the 160's on acclimation mode, with a starting intensity of only 10% and a 90 day acclimation period. Within 2 weeks, the corals that were not on the sandbed were bleaching. Frogspawn, octospawn, birdsnest took the brunt of it
I moved them back to the frag tank. That's been about another 2 weeks and they are SLOWLY getting their colour back.
Could the PAR really be that high on only 8% intensity to cause bleaching? I added Red Sea 90s to my softie tank and had them at 100% from the beginning with no issues. In fact, the softies immediately loved them and started growing like crazy and my bubble tips split within 2 weeks. Before this tank, I used the same 160s on a 300 gallon (that broke) and wasn't nearly so cautious with intensity and didn't have an issue.
So, I thought to avoid stress to the corals I'd but the 160's on acclimation mode, with a starting intensity of only 10% and a 90 day acclimation period. Within 2 weeks, the corals that were not on the sandbed were bleaching. Frogspawn, octospawn, birdsnest took the brunt of it
I moved them back to the frag tank. That's been about another 2 weeks and they are SLOWLY getting their colour back.
Could the PAR really be that high on only 8% intensity to cause bleaching? I added Red Sea 90s to my softie tank and had them at 100% from the beginning with no issues. In fact, the softies immediately loved them and started growing like crazy and my bubble tips split within 2 weeks. Before this tank, I used the same 160s on a 300 gallon (that broke) and wasn't nearly so cautious with intensity and didn't have an issue.