Steve's LED Biocube 32 splash guard burning and coral bleaching

[Justin02]

I bought Steve's upgrade LED upgrade with the hurricane controller and the special iridescent led color about a year ago. Worked great. Great coral growth.

I burned through the splash guard nearly a year after installing the upgrade kit and replaced the damage splash guard with a piece of glass. Through all this I noticed the highest mounted corals, mostly sps, started bleaching. LPS lower down are retracting. I also noticed the nightmode lighting seemed brighter, although i haven't adjusted settings in nearly a year.

I also notice that I cant turn off the LEDs with the "off" function on the hurricane X? I can't recall if this was ever possible. I'm wondering if something malfunctioned with the controller to cause the light intensity to change? Maybe my light intensity at zero setting is now whatever is coming through at "off". I've cut my light intensity in half for now to try and get corals to recover.

Can anybody confirm if they can actually turn their LEDs completely off using the "off" function on the Hurricane controller? I have emailed Steve's support, but based on reviews I never expected much support from them after purchase.

 

[Dread Pirate Dave]

I don't know the answer to this question but someone else here may.

I have been browsing FB market place for tanks and some have had Steve's Lighting so this is of interest to me too.

 

[Justin02]

I went with the kit for the BioCube32 to retain the stock hood. The lights will indeed grow anything with ease, but I am nearly certain they just cooked my tank after a controller malfunction. I read through all the manuals again and I should be able to turn the LEDs off with the Off function (seems logical) and I should be able to set a nightmode with no illumination from the LEDs. You set intensity of your lights on the controller by selecting a value from 0 to 4094. My zero is no longer zero intensity.

There's a common issue with some of the LEDs burning through the stock BioCube splash guard. This has been attributed to salt creep build up. My burn through occurred when the controller malfunctioned and the intensity ramped up. I'm not sure I believe the salt creep explanation.

I emailed Steve's again and left a voicemail. Maybe they will send out another controller. I would be cautious picking one of these systems up off craigslist.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

I have an old Oceanic 32 Biocube, that was a rescued. Don’t have the top, had a glass top custom made. I light it with 21Ledusa lights. There’s a fellow Reefer who saw my set up. He used the 21LED ReefBars as supplemental lighting. He has now replaced all the original lights, with those strips. Thinks it amazing he can wash the light hood off at a sink, and put them right back in service. He complains about the SunSetter, as it won’t do a true Lunar Cycle. BTW I Have a Nicrew, that someone talked up. I hate this light, it’s got red which I think is responsible for my algae growth. Also the slightest blink of power, and the time has to be reset. Using this Aquarium for Coral Frag grow out and invert quarantine.

 

[Justin02]

I have an old Oceanic 32 Biocube, that was a rescued. Don’t have the top, had a glass top custom made. I light it with 21Ledusa lights. There’s a fellow Reefer who saw my set up. He used the 21LED ReefBars as supplemental lighting. He has now replaced all the original lights, with those strips. Thinks it amazing he can wash the light hood off at a sink, and put them right back in service. He complains about the SunSetter, as it won’t do a true Lunar Cycle. BTW I Have a Nicrew, that someone talked up. I hate this light, it’s got red which I think is responsible for my algae growth. Also the slightest blink of power, and the time has to be reset. Using this Aquarium for Coral Frag grow out and invert quarantine.

Thanks I will check these out. I may just go with one of the big names if my corals don't recover. Currently their night cycle is much brighter than it was. My boys need their sleep!