Radion question

[CoachRichardson]

Hi all,

I am getting ready to move from a Fluval Evo to a RS Reefer 200 G2. I have purchased a Radion XR15 G6 Blue. My question is as I move from the Evo with the stock lighting and to the new setup, what would you recommend I set the Radion to? Not familiar with the Radion at all and my corals seem to be doing great with the stock light on the Evo. I guess I had planned to do the AB+ setup but as far as intensity and acclimation to the new tank I would love to have your recommendations. I'm a little nervous about the transition when it comes to setting up the light properly.

For reference I will add a pic of the current Evo and the corals I will be moving over.

2 Torches
2 Frogspawn
4 various mushrooms
Clove
Monti cap
3 Zoa/Paly rocks

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Petcrazyson]

When changing lights corals are used to, they tend to close up as the light kinda bothers them. Something you could do is use the acclamation setting for about 2 to 3 weeks. This has the intensity of the setting of your lights lower and then steadily increase to your desired intensity. That gets the corals used to the new light and it does not shock them. Once they are used to the new light you could use the AB+ schedule you want and add some other adjustments as well to make the corals and the shimmer look better. Of course you don’t need to do the AB+ that’s just a preference. With the corals you have now don’t use 100% intensity as it will bleach them. Funny enough you don’t even need 100% on certain Acropora. As long as they look happy with the light they are receiving they will be happy.

 

[Petcrazyson]

Rlly nice corals btw

 

[Petcrazyson]

Any tips would be greatly appreciated
View attachment 2942560

I can see you have a Ricordea and a Yuma with other two mushrooms touching each other. I would say move the Ricordea a little further away as the Yuma and the other mushrooms will sting it. Normally, like Zoas and Palys, mushrooms can all touch each other, except the Ricordeas. It won’t necessarily cause it toooooo much harm, but it will still irritate it and I’m sure you want to see the Ricordea’s true potential.

 

[LiamPM]

Will the Radion be on an RMS mount too?

Personally, id go with the standard AB+ setting with an overall percentage of 50% and then set acclimation mode to a month at 50% too - Youll then be getting a full 25% power from the light in the beginning.

Thats fairly low, but its a small tank and in all honesty, as well as your current light may be doing your coral do look slightly bleached, which i imagine is down to the under powered light you are currently using. That frogspawn for example is pretty transparant, it should be deep in colour. Running at 25% and letting the light adjust over a period of time will prevent any light shock from the switch.

 

[Petcrazyson]

your coral do look slightly bleached, which i imagine is down to the under powered light you are currently using. That frogspawn for example is pretty transparant, it should be deep in colour. Running at 25% and letting the light adjust over a period of time will prevent any light shock from the switch

Good eye Liam I didn’t notice that.

 

[Petcrazyson]

The Torches also look a little light in color. Moving them down a bit on the rock work whilst doing the low intensity acclamation will help.

 

[CoachRichardson]

Rlly nice corals btw

Thank you

 

[CoachRichardson]

Will the Radion be on an RMS mount too?

Personally, id go with the standard AB+ setting with an overall percentage of 50% and then set acclimation mode to a month at 50% too - Youll then be getting a full 25% power from the light in the beginning.

Thats fairly low, but its a small tank and in all honesty, as well as your current light may be doing your coral do look slightly bleached, which i imagine is down to the under powered light you are currently using. That frogspawn for example is pretty transparant, it should be deep in colour. Running at 25% and letting the light adjust over a period of time will prevent any light shock from the switch.

I'm wondering if it may just be the picture? From an iPhone with no filter. When they are under the blues they are very vibrant and colorful. I'm wondering if the picuture is just washing out their colors. I will be moving them in just a few days so I will go with the setting recommended on the new Radion in the new RS. Maybe they will look even better here in the near future.

 

[CoachRichardson]

The Torches also look a little light in color. Moving them down a bit on the rock work whilst doing the low intensity acclamation will help.

Are corals usually colored up good under white light? I would post a pic under the blues but I don't have a filter and those don't show up too well without it. Thank you for the feedback.

 

[Petcrazyson]

Are corals usually colored up good under white light? I would post a pic under the blues but I don't have a filter and those don't show up too well without it. Thank you for the feedback.

Yes. Most corals look good under white light especially Euphyllia (Torches Frog/Octospawns Hammers, Duncans, Trachys, Scolys etc.) The blue only brings out the more vivid colors. Always happy to help

 

[CoachRichardson]

Been running the acclimation mode since Christmas. We are now up to 29% and the corals are closed up a good bit as mentioned. Do you think this is too much still or they will get used to it? It seems very bright right now even though it is only 29% and will top out at only 50%. I do not have a par meter and it is on an RMS mount. The torches are very near the bottom now and the frogspawn are much lower in the tank than they were before. The frogspwans are probably at least 15 inches below the light if not a little more.

 

[CoachRichardson]

Frogspawn seem to be really struggling now with this transition. They haven't been opened nicely in about 3 days. The have had heads divide so I am hoping they are hanging in there. Have some Zoa's that are always open not open today... One torch that hasn't been looking as good looks better than it has been. Neither is looking as good as it was before the move. Well nothing looks as good as before except for the cloves. This is making me nervous. I hope they get comfortable. I have the Radion set to AB+ and maxing out at 50%. It's up to 30% today with 24 days remaining in the acclimation.

 

[Jon's Reef]

From your build thread my guess is that it is not the light. I would suggest checking ammonia. When I have moved tanks in the past, I would set up the new one with new sand and a small piece of live rock from the old tank. Let it sit for about a month, check the parameters then move things over a few days.

At this point, I would suggest adding several different bacteria cultures to try to jump start it (Dr Tim, Fritz, Bio-Spira, Microbacter)

 

[90's reefer]

I run first 4 at 100% last 4 at 50% with 50% scheduled intensity.
I browned a few corals by using ab+100/100.
If it was my tank I would run same but scheduled intensity would start at 40%.
This is my 80g.

 

[CoachRichardson]

From your build thread my guess is that it is not the light. I would suggest checking ammonia. When I have moved tanks in the past, I would set up the new one with new sand and a small piece of live rock from the old tank. Let it sit for about a month, check the parameters then move things over a few days.

At this point, I would suggest adding several different bacteria cultures to try to jump start it (Dr Tim, Fritz, Bio-Spira, Microbacter)

I added Dr. Tim's when I got the water in the tank. I also added the old rock to the sump for now. I haven't been getting an ammonia readings. The Alk has been really high compared to where I keep it. It has been slowly coming down. Does anyone know if the Marco Rock bumps the All up? That's all I can think of that is diving the Alk up from the beginning. I did a 5 gallon water change last night and moved my power head and really upped the flow from it. I also realized after some research that I had my return pump way too high. It was running about 60% and that was way too much turnover. I lowered it to 40% which should give around 5.5x turnover.

Torches seem more happy so far with that but they have yet to open as the were. Frogspawn are still very closed up and one of my Zoa rocks have been closed for a couple of days. They just can't get all settled in.

Copepods got delayed because of weather and should be here by Friday.

Today's water parameters:
Salinity 1.026
Temp 77.6
Alk 10.5
Nitrate 2.7
Phos .03

 

[PicassoDan]

Alk does seem a bit high, I would do a couple spaced out water changes to bring it down closer to 9. I used Marco rock and didn't notice it raise Alk - not sure why it would do that.

 

[CoachRichardson]

Corals just won’t open back up fully. Been a week and a day. Am I expecting too much too soon? Can’t get the blue out and don’t have a filter. Here are the frogspawns and torches.