I just cant figure out lighting. T5 and Gen 5 must be too strong

[Ashish Patel]

I have a 400g tank, 3 gen5 radion on ab+ barely at 50% total intensity and anytime i turn on my T5. 45mins front 2 and 45 mins back. Zoas close up and even acros dont seem to like it. PAR is pretty low in my tank compared to recommendations. 50-75 at the bottom and 150-200 in other places.

 

[Ashish Patel]

This is PAR with all light at the max, Its showing 175PAR at the bottom in this section.

 

[RichReef]

Hmmm. That's on the low side for lighting. What device are you using to measure PAR?

 

[Ashish Patel]

Hmmm. That's on the low side for lighting. What device are you using to measure PAR?

Seneye. I am starting to doubt its accurate bc the light intensity seems higher

 

[Ashish Patel]

Only corals that seem to be happy are the 4 montis that are at the bottom or 10" of the bottom. They are coloring up fine and growing somewhat ok, I strongly feel the light spread and intensity is higher than I am getting. I was running full intensity for 7 hours and now since changed to 5 hours, I just can't get why i can't keep my T5s on for 30 minutes at a time.

 

[Ashish Patel]

Hmmm. That's on the low side for lighting. What device are you using to measure PAR?

The outer T5 are lower and on a angle so provide very good spread around the entire corals. its evident bc the par meter when facing up, for example may be at 130 and then i angle it slightly it can jump to 200. I don't notice the same effect when I turn of the T5s. If the par meter is angled it goes to near 0.

This is the 2nd time in 6 months I am trying to get my tank acclimated to T5 and this time around the corals where happy with just the Radions on at 43% total intensity for 4 months. so I cranked it up over a month and got the total intensity up to 56% and started running the T5 for 45 minutes, (all 4 on at the same time for only 15 minutes). Now I changed it to having T5 on for 20 min each at times when the radions are still ramping up.

 

[Ashish Patel]

My tank is only 9 months young, so I am thinking small frags, newer tank started with dry rock all can contribute to this. I am struggling with high PO and it does go from .1 to .4 periodically and I use Lanthanum cloride to bring it down. It is possible that the GFO i used 4 weeks ago for few weeks caused the corals some discomfort. However, the LIghting part is obvious to me since I had this same problem in November before i was using GFO or LC. The Zoas close up and some corals just die.

 

[RichReef]

I run Kessils with a T5 hybrid. Like you I didn't turn on the T5s until I got a PAR meter. I set my PAR level to 150 in the center of tank at the sand bed. The rest was just going to be what it was going to be.

It took my corals a few weeks to adjust but they eventually worked through it.

You could use the T5s only and ramp up the radions to acclimate.

Acclimation is a big deal. I used to not think so but after this experience with a real PAR meter it's very real. I used an Apogee from our local reef club.

 

[Ashish Patel]

I run Kessils with a T5 hybrid. Like you I didn't turn on the T5s until I got a PAR meter. I set my PAR level to 150 in the center of tank at the sand bed. The rest was just going to be what it was going to be.

It took my corals a few weeks to adjust but they eventually worked through it.

You could use the T5s only and ramp up the radions to acclimate.

Acclimation is a big deal. I used to not think so but after this experience with a real PAR meter it's very real. I used an Apogee from our local reef club.

Thanks for your suggestion, I agree acclimate is key and it becomes even more challenging when your using T5s and LEDs. Are you using 4 rows of T5? How long do you keep your T5 per day? Also, how many hours per day is your photoperiod and max intensity? I have mine on for 13 hour but first 3 hours are very low light so id say total of about 10 hours and 5 hours peak.

 

[RichReef]

Thanks for your suggestion, I agree acclimate is key and it becomes even more challenging when your using T5s and LEDs. Are you using 4 rows of T5? How long do you keep your T5 per day? Also, how many hours per day is your photoperiod and max intensity? I have mine on for 13 hour but first 3 hours are very low light so id say total of about 10 hours and 5 hours peak.

My light period is 12 hours. T5s are on for 10. 4 rows. I use the AquaticLife T5 Hybrid. Kessils ramp up and down the other 2 hours. I run the Kessils at about 55 intensity. 85 blue, 15 white for color setting.

I'm pretty sure the T5s are carrying the light load. The Kessils are for color and PAR intensity adjustment.

 

[Bpb]

New tank is more likely the culprit. I would program the lights to be at a moderate par level and not mess with them further. It’s the water causing the stress. It’s easy to blame lights because they’re such a visual tool. Water problems are invisible and reactions are often delayed by days to weeks. I’d put a small pack of real ocean rock from kp aquatics or Tampa bay into the sump, get on a good and stable carbon dosing regiment, and let the po4 come down over time. In a few months with regular water changes and careful feedings it should sort itself out

 

[Ashish Patel]

I just took out the PAR meter out again and lowered the Radion intensity to 40% overall and with the 4 T5 bulbs on getting 170 PAR at the bottom When I turn of the T5 the PAR at the same spot is around 75. I am actually surprised since my initial PAR reading from last year with the picture i took was giving me 170 with Radion at 100% intensity and 100% all channels + all T5s on. I am wondering if the T5 where not broken in yet.

The tank was doing fine with I was running the radions only at 43% overall intensity and No T5 for 3 months. I started to get problems when i think i underestimated the radions and over the course of few weeks took it from 43% to 56%. I never ran my T5 for more than 45 minutes so still surprised.

 

[Ashish Patel]

New tank is more likely the culprit. I would program the lights to be at a moderate par level and not mess with them further. It’s the water causing the stress. It’s easy to blame lights because they’re such a visual tool. Water problems are invisible and reactions are often delayed by days to weeks. I’d put a small pack of real ocean rock from kp aquatics or Tampa bay into the sump, get on a good and stable carbon dosing regiment, and let the po4 come down over time. In a few months with regular water changes and careful feedings it should sort itself out

Yeah my thoughts exactly, I just can't comprehend how corals can take such low light fixture in a large tank thats 30" deep (I see ppl putting 8 radions gen5 on tanks my size and i am have 3). I added 50LB of actual LR to the sump but it still takes a good year since there was a lot of adjustments i had to make (add equipment, upgrade return pump,etc) and didnt realize how much adding 8 tangs, 14 jumbo snails and 2 massive urchins would do to the PO in my tank. If I could take it back i would not have added an orange shoulder, which grew 2" to 9" in 12 months. I am going to have my PO under control moving forward since I am now running a doser with LC and final thing I am doing this month is adding an air exchanger in the basement to get my PH above 8.2. Once this is done I am just going to take it keep it stable and run my lights at a lower intensity. Its just hard when you things dont go as planned and your scratching your head when acros dont like 200-250 PAR light (even for a few hours). After testing the par carefully the radions are putting out good PAR along the front bottom at 120-180. I may lower the light intensity even further to 20% and have the T5 as a primary light source, in my experience its easier to adjust the led intensity than the T5 on-time

 

[Bpb]

Yeah my thoughts exactly, I just can't comprehend how corals can take such low light in a large tank thats 30" deep. I added 50LB of actual LR to the sump but it still takes time since there was alot of adjustments i had to make and didnt realize how much adding 8 tangs, 14 jumbo snails and 2 massive urchins would do to the PO in my tank. If I could take it back i would not have added an orange shoulder, which grew 2" to 9" in 12 months. I am going to have my PO under control moving forward since I am not running a doser with LC and final thing I am doing this month is adding an air exchanger in the basement to get my PH above 8.2. Once this is done I am just going to take it keep it stable and run my lights at a lower intensity. Its just hard when you think they will adjust to slow increases but when they dont it leaves me scratching me head like how is this possible, my acros that are towards the top are getting 250PAR for 1-2 hours tops and still showing some stress.

I agree it can be puzzling indeed. Young tanks are just so volatile despite our best efforts. I cured dry rock in a holding tank , (seeded with media from my 10 year old tank) for two entire years, being fed and carbon dosed, used more Tampa bay rock in the sump as well, and this current tank didn’t stop killing every coral I tried until about the 18 month mark. Now at 2 years everything is thriving. But that was a rough 18 months. Used a par meter, ICP tests always clean and normal. Just couldn’t get anything to take. Then one day it just kind of turned around. I think most of us who have experience, but struggle with a new tank, will eventually catch our stride if we just stick with the basics and do what we know works. Best of luck. I think with patience it’ll come around

 

[Ashish Patel]

I agree it can be puzzling indeed. Young tanks are just so volatile despite our best efforts. I cured dry rock in a holding tank , (seeded with media from my 10 year old tank) for two entire years, being fed and carbon dosed, used more Tampa bay rock in the sump as well, and this current tank didn’t stop killing every coral I tried until about the 18 month mark. Now at 2 years everything is thriving. But that was a rough 18 months. Used a par meter, ICP tests always clean and normal. Just couldn’t get anything to take. Then one day it just kind of turned around. I think most of us who have experience, but struggle with a new tank, will eventually catch our stride if we just stick with the basics and do what we know works. Best of luck. I think with patience it’ll come around

I feel all the rock in our tank has to be colonized by mini workers that are invisible and are just a natural carbon to waste produced by corals. - Without questions Sponges are so vital to SPS health.. I feel my tank is almost ready, all the rock is covered in fan worms, sponges growing everywhere and coralline growing on the bottom. If I didnt add the 10 year old LR I could only imagine it would take 2+ years (if adding only frags with new plugs). My last tank I just knew it was ready to rock and roll in the 10th month, thats when things just starting growing fast. this tank has more issues but I anticipate by End of summer it should be good.

 

[Ashish Patel]

My light period is 12 hours. T5s are on for 10. 4 rows. I use the AquaticLife T5 Hybrid. Kessils ramp up and down the other 2 hours. I run the Kessils at about 55 intensity. 85 blue, 15 white for color setting.

I'm pretty sure the T5s are carrying the light load. The Kessils are for color and PAR intensity adjustment.

Thanks, Very helpful. I think I identified my corals are not liking the radions at 56% total intensity.. The T5 being on for 45 min can't be the cause of the stress, few observation for me I can see the zoas are closing up after increasing Radions. which is shocking considering they are the bottom of a 30" deep tank. I never see Zoas close in my life so may just have to use them as a reference of too much light instead of relying on the PAR meter.

 

[Ashish Patel]

I run Kessils with a T5 hybrid. Like you I didn't turn on the T5s until I got a PAR meter. I set my PAR level to 150 in the center of tank at the sand bed. The rest was just going to be what it was going to be.

It took my corals a few weeks to adjust but they eventually worked through it.

You could use the T5s only and ramp up the radions to acclimate.

Acclimation is a big deal. I used to not think so but after this experience with a real PAR meter it's very real. I used an Apogee from our local reef club.

Hi Rich,

Thanks, you gave me the best piece of advice that I never would have accepted on my own. I ended up turning my radions down to 20% and now have my 4 T5s on for 7 hours. I just scatter the hours so for now all are on together for 5 hours. I notice the zoas are not all closed up anymore, one of my acro that stopped having PE is now slowing getting PE back so they are definitely acclimating. I have run this configuration for about 7 days.