my softies are not looking as brilliant as when I bought them

[Ballyhoo]

i'm certain these couple frags I bought looked much more appealing at the LFS a couple days ago. Is it possible they just shrunk up in the transfer.? Or could it be the lighting! I don't think the latter because I have pretty robust lighting from Red Sea and I use mostly high blue w 50% white comparatively . here i switched to white just so I can take the images. Other corals seem to look good to my inexperienced eye for example #3 or4. also, I can test for a lot of things except I don't have a way to test for phosphate yet.

 

[Lavey29]

Corals can take weeks to acclimate to a new tank. Have you verified your par with a par meter?

 

[CrimsonTide]

So these look like LPS not softies. You'll need to keep your Alkalinity stable at a number you like. Then also calcium and Magnesium stable. Lps seem to like a little higher Magnesium but just make sure it is in the right zone. It can take weeks or a couple months to really acclimate but corals can also look good for 2 months never acclimate and then Die.

 

[Ballyhoo]

no, I do not own a par meter. I'm using the same settings with the same lights from from LFS. actually, not exactly the same. I personalized it so the light intensity spikes up over the course of day then peaks and then spikes all the way down. I thought that would be like the real life where the sun comes up slowly and then comes down. But in the programmed schedules, the light comes straight up, remains high, and then comes straight down. just doesn't seem to reflect nature to me. so the first screenshot is my personalized LED program; the second screenshot is a preprogrammed file from the red Sea app.

 

[Lavey29]

no, I do not own a par meter. I'm using the same settings with the same lights from from LFS. actually, not exactly the same. I personalized it so the light intensity spikes up over the course of day then peaks and then spikes all the way down. I thought that would be like the real life where the sun comes up slowly and then comes down. But in the programmed schedules, the light comes straight up, remains high, and then comes straight down. just doesn't seem to reflect nature to me. so the first screenshot is my personalized LED program; the second screenshot is a preprogrammed file from the red Sea app.

Ok so you dont know what your par is. Corals can be challenging in new tanks over the course of the first year because parameters are unstable and the biome is developing. Give new corals time to acclimate and if you don't see good results try a different spot with different lighting and flow to see if they prefer it.

 

[Ballyhoo]

Ok so you dont know what your par is. Corals can be challenging in new tanks over the course of the first year because parameters are unstable and the biome is developing. Give new corals time to acclimate and if you don't see good results try a different spot with different lighting and flow to see if they prefer it.

is a par meter something I definitely should consider investing in sooner than later?

 

[Lavey29]

is a par meter something I definitely should consider investing in sooner than later?

I just rented one to check mine. $45 for 3 days.

 

[aquaman67]

The ReefLED puts out a lot of light.

How tall is your tank?

If it’s 20 - 22 inches high the ReefLED should give you enough light even on the sand bed.

The color of the light can definitely affect the “pop” corals have. More blue, more pop.

I would use the 20K program from RedSea.

The sun directly over head moves very slowly. Not up and down.

You’re really not trying to mimic nature anyway, as these corals didn’t come from a reef.

You want your light setting for coral growth.

Think of yourself as a coral farmer.

 

[CrimsonTide]

is a par meter something I definitely should consider investing in sooner than later?

You can rent them from some stores sometimes. I wouldn't say you need to buy one. If you understand that par near the top under the light is more and par in the corner at the bottom is less. You can kinda work out where you might put something. Most lights have reviews of their pars online at certain heights and distance from the light. So you can work off those usually. So no, I wouldn't say you neeeeeeed a par meter. You can get one though.

 

[Lavey29]

You can rent them from some stores sometimes. I wouldn't say you need to buy one. If you understand that par near the top under the light is more and par in the corner at the bottom is less. You can kinda work out where you might put something. Most lights have reviews of their pars online at certain heights and distance from the light. So you can work off those usually. So no, I wouldn't say you neeeeeeed a par meter. You can get one though.

I went of internet par posts with similar tanks and the same XR15 lights thinking I knew exactly what my par was based on those but I was shocked how low my par was when I actually checked with a par meter. So many variables affect it like rock scape, flow, coral choices, etc...

 

[CrimsonTide]

I went of internet par posts with similar tanks and the same XR15 lights thinking I knew exactly what my par was based on those but I was shocked how low my par was when I actually checked with a par meter. So many variables affect it like rock scape, flow, coral choices, etc...

Oh yeah definitely. I'm just saying do you need a par meter if you understand par and check those posts and use some common sense???? No, no you don't.

Every tank is different though and obviously under an overhang has less par no matter where it is in your tank.

But I totally get what you're saying. I'm just not going to tell someone they need a par meter when they can get a coral in about the right area and move it around from there based on factors they can see.

 

[Lavey29]

Oh yeah definitely. I'm just saying do you need a par meter if you understand par and check those posts and use some common sense???? No, no you don't.

Every tank is different though and obviously under an overhang has less par no matter where it is in your tank.

But I totally get what you're saying. I'm just not going to tell someone they need a par meter when they can get a coral in about the right area and move it around from there based on factors they can see.

Agreed, I wouldn't buy one either but my local LFS had one to rent so it was easy.

 

[CrimsonTide]

Agreed, I wouldn't buy one either but my local LFS had one to rent so it was easy.

Yeah that's what I suggested first. If you can find one to rent at a store do it. They are unnecessarily expensive. I would much rather buy like 2 or 3 more 5g of salt than buy a par meter or back up RODI cartridges. Idk anything else than a par meter if I can help it.

 

[Ballyhoo]

The ReefLED puts out a lot of light.

How tall is your tank?

If it’s 20 - 22 inches high the ReefLED should give you enough light even on the sand bed.

The color of the light can definitely affect the “pop” corals have. More blue, more pop.

I would use the 20K program from RedSea.

The sun directly over head moves very slowly. Not up and down.

You’re really not trying to mimic nature anyway, as these corals didn’t come from a reef.
but
You want your light setting for coral growth.

Think of yourself as a coral farmer.

I have really no complaints now. I think it was just the morning and the light was low and things weren't popping out. All my corals I'm very happy with as a newcomer at this moment at least. Thanks All!!

edit, yes, that's a white sand starfish resting just to the left of a coral. I forget the names of all my corals though.

 

[Ballyhoo]

she's on the move now