Struggling

[Biznizface]

Also if anyone has any links of users on here regarding this light specifically to run them 50% blues and high up I would love to see some threads done a search came up with nothing.

I’m not doubting the suggestion just would love to see the info that is out there ?

 

[Biznizface]

I had the same issue and lowered my water flow to moderate. I also suspend feed 3-4X per week at lights out and began the 4 part additives by Pohl's Korallen Zucht.
Amazing the turnaround in the tank

I run ATI essentials which takes care of all my trace elements, u can see in my ICP test that Iodine, Potassium, Strontium etc are spot on.

 

[Shooter6]

Check out youtube or look up reefbreeders on here. Theres a rep and they have a forum on here. As far as everyone ive talked to about the photon v2, everyone says 50% and less. Everyone says they are way more powerful than 99% of tanks need. Id say raise them as high as the bracket goes. Lower the intensity to 50%. As i understand the manual sais to start them at 40% or less and work up slowly from there. I dont have them yet but have been researching them for over 1 year.

 

[Biznizface]

Check out youtube or look up reefbreeders on here. Theres a rep and they have a forum on here. As far as everyone ive talked to about the photon v2, everyone says 50% and less. Everyone says they are way more powerful than 99% of tanks need. Id say raise them as high as the bracket goes. Lower the intensity to 50%. As i understand the manual sais to start them at 40% or less and work up slowly from there. I dont have them yet but have been researching them for over 1 year.

Thanks mate but if you read the whole thread I’ve already said that I did what reefbreeders said and started at 40% and have ramped up to 67%.

 

[pdiehm]

i had a reefbreeders photon 48 version 1. great light, but I couldn't get that dang thing dialed in whatsoever.

bought a 60" T5 and wondered why i didnt' do that from the start.

 

[Shooter6]

Thanks mate but if you read the whole thread I’ve already said that I did what reefbreeders said and started at 40% and have ramped up to 67%.

Dut dit they recommend you ramping up to 67% and if so in the time frame you did? I would as the rep directly as from my reading you probably would be best served by both raising the light like others said and or decreasing the intensity .

 

[Shooter6]

As i stated earlier theres a rep on this forum for reef breeders. That is thier profile name. I dont know how people link names here or i would. If someone does know they should do it as im sure that person could give you a direct answer. But the best thing for you to do is to move the lights up if possible and lower the intensity.

 

[MnFish1]

Dut dit they recommend you ramping up to 67% and if so in the time frame you did? I would as the rep directly as from my reading you probably would be best served by both raising the light like others said and or decreasing the intensity .

Curious - if the light manufacturer recommends putting the light at a certain level - why raise it up? I'm not trying to be critical - but raising the light high results in a lot of light splash in the room which can also be a hassle. If you really think intensity is the problem - why not just lower the intensity without raising it? I guess reading through this again - I think its a combination of many things - just the light shouldn't be the only problem (for example I have my Radions on at levels most people would think are heresy (not blue focused at all - Par at surface about 600 - with several corals near the surface that are growing like crazy - even plate montipora - which supposedly likes 'low light'. But - I also have extremely high flow - and lower alk (7.5-8) and perhaps higher nutrients than most. Just my thoughts.

 

[MnFish1]

Here is an interesting FAQ on this light.

1.
What should I set MY lights too?

• Your light settings are going to vary tank to tank. No one tank is the same. This table provides some very basic guidelines for where you should have your final program numbers at. Keep in mind for every tank you must first acclimate your corals to the lights.
  
  The chart works as follows. You take the depth of your tank from top to bottom, and your coral types, and look for it in this chart. The maximum percentages shown are general guidelines and apply to channels 3,4,5, and 6. Channel 4 is the white LEDs- so that channel’s output varies greatly from person to person. In general, you want to add about 10% power for every additional 6% of tank depth to increase PAR at the bottom of the tank.
  
  We recommend finding a color ratio YOU like- instead of chasing an arbitrary Kelvin rating. In general, it is simpler to adjust the ratio of channel 4: 3, 5, and 6 to achieve your desired color output. The below guidelines assume channels 3-6 are set equally. So if you choose to run channel 4 lower- you can increase the power of channels 3, 5, and 6 by 5% for every 10% reduction of channel 4.
  
  For example, a 24” deep mixed reef tank would normally set channels 3-6 to about 60% for the maximum peak output each day, after the acclimation period. Let’s say channel 4 is reduced by 10% to 50%- that means channels 3, 5, and 6 would be increased from 60% to 65%. That’s approximately what it takes to offset the PAR lost by turning channel 4 down.
  
  
  
  
  
  You can find additional programming recommendations HERE
  How do I tell if my corals are getting too much/not enough light?

• Always remember to keep an eye on your corals once you make any changes to your lights. Corals are living animals, and they will respond to too much or too little light, sometimes in immediate and easy to spot ways. Below is a table with some common coral reactions to too little or too much light- or just enough.
  
  Note: Bleaching and browning are progressive symptoms, meaning they happen over time. It takes at least several days for browning to occur, bleaching can happen in about 1-2 days. If you stick to the acclimation schedule your corals should not suffer any adverse effects. However if you increase the light output by too much or too little, the symptoms laid out in this chart can be helpful to determine what adjustments must be made.
  
  
  

 

[Shooter6]

My recommendation to raise the lights are just because those with them did so. The photons have diferrent color leds spread out instead of clustered. I believe the recommendation to raise it is to help with the blending of colors so all the corals can get a uniform spectrum. If they are to low, youcan get spotlighting where a coral gets a lot of red being under the red led but little blue. I am glad you posted the charts and the intensity levels. I find its best to set the light to the recommended intensity for the upper level of corals in the tank then place ones requiring less intensity in the lower areas. If they are unhappy they can be raised. If you set the bottom to a high intensity then you run the high risk of frying stuff placed higher in the water. Also as they grow upward they are growing into higher intensity tight.

 

[Biznizface]

Dut dit they recommend you ramping up to 67% and if so in the time frame you did? I would as the rep directly as from my reading you probably would be best served by both raising the light like others said and or decreasing the intensity .

I started at 40% as they say and got to 67% over a long time.
I’ve had no PE so must be to much light after reading those articles.
Confused as I ramped over such a long period.

So I’ve raised it to highest point on bracket which is 11 inches from water surface (was 8 inches) and turned blues to 55%.
Gonna keep the 6 hour peak and see if the corals come back from the dead lol.

If anyone disagrees or has another plan please tell me.

 

[MnFish1]

I started at 40% as they say and got to 67% over a long time.
I’ve had no PE so must be to much light after reading those articles.
Confused as I ramped over such a long period.

So I’ve raised it to highest point on bracket which is 11 inches from water surface (was 8 inches) and turned blues to 55%.
Gonna keep the 6 hour peak and see if the corals come back from the dead lol.

If anyone disagrees or has another plan please tell me.

Have you ever checked your polyps after the lights are out for a bit - Some corals do not extend much during the day SPS - and grow fine.

 

[MnFish1]

Here is my latest ICP test.

You might have to click flag at top to translate it.

Link >> https://lab.atiaquaristik.com/publicAnalysis/24626

Low salinity which I adjusted but other than not much po4 i can’t see nothing to worry about.

Just noticed this - Low PO4 and Higher Lights = less growth and bleaching. You should get a hanna low PO4 checker - and not just the ICP IMHO. My guess is that if you up your PO4 some - either with more fish/feeding or less export things will turn around. I think the light is a small part of your problem.

 

[Shooter6]

I started at 40% as they say and got to 67% over a long time.
I’ve had no PE so must be to much light after reading those articles.
Confused as I ramped over such a long period.

So I’ve raised it to highest point on bracket which is 11 inches from water surface (was 8 inches) and turned blues to 55%.
Gonna keep the 6 hour peak and see if the corals come back from the dead lol.

If anyone disagrees or has another plan please tell me.

Look for the reefbreeders rep on here, maybe search the light or look under the forums for them. I had a conversation with them, when i posted the question if anyone knew if the reefbreeders photon v2 was the same light as the ledzeal. They answered me directly. Look under my profile at my post and you will find it and can contact them. Do you have the user manual which should state the recommended height? Honestly with leds less is more.

 

[MnFish1]

Look for the reefbreeders rep on here, maybe search the light or look under the forums for them. I had a conversation with them, when i posted the question if anyone knew if the reefbreeders photon v2 was the same light as the ledzeal. They answered me directly. Look under my profile at my post and you will find it and can contact them. Do you have the user manual which should state the recommended height? Honestly with leds less is more.

The article I quoted was in the FAQ for the light he has - and those are the recommended settings.

 

[Biznizface]

Just noticed this - Low PO4 and Higher Lights = less growth and bleaching. You should get a hanna low PO4 checker - and not just the ICP IMHO. My guess is that if you up your PO4 some - either with more fish/feeding or less export things will turn around. I think the light is a small part of your problem.

Po4 is a tricky one.
I have cyano from time to time even though I have next to no po4 that’s using Elos high resolution test kit.
So I run rowaphos in a reactor but then I think that strips it to much so I lay off the rowaphos then I end up with to much po4 I think even though the test kit says other wise.
I really think testing po4 is pointless as it just tells you what’s in the water column but it’s not a true reflection of how much is in the system.
I am feeding at least two cubes a day now and wkd when I’m around more try for 3 cubes as well as some flake.

 

[Biznizface]

Have you ever checked your polyps after the lights are out for a bit - Some corals do not extend much during the day SPS - and grow fine.

Yes I have checked the sps frags I have have shown no life for a while now.
Only a couple have colour and occasional PE.

 

[Shooter6]

I dont see a recommended height though, unless you use a par/pur meter and know what level you need at the bottom. Then the 10% +6% increase would com into play. Maybe we should be recommending the op getting a par/pur meter to verify what level the corals are currently living under.

 

[MnFish1]

Po4 is a tricky one.
I have cyano from time to time even though I have next to no po4 that’s using Elos high resolution test kit.
So I run rowaphos in a reactor but then I think that strips it to much so I lay off the rowaphos then I end up with to much po4 I think even though the test kit says other wise.
I really think testing po4 is pointless as it just tells you what’s in the water column but it’s not a true reflection of how much is in the system.
I am feeding at least two cubes a day now and wkd when I’m around more try for 3 cubes as well as some flake.

Kind of. If the PO4 is lets say 0 in the water column but you have algae growing, there has to be PO4 'in the system'. But its out competing the coral. Im not sure you can base cyano on the amount of PO4 as compared to other things - though same say you can. The bottom line is your PO4 in your water (which is where the coral get PO4 from) is lower than recommended.

 

[Biznizface]

I dont see a recommended height though, unless you use a par/pur meter and know what level you need at the bottom. Then the 10% +6% increase would com into play. Maybe we should be recommending the op getting a par/pur meter to verify what level the corals are currently living under.

I’ve looked at reefbreeders website they used to have recommended heights for the light but can’t seem to find it now if I do I will post the link.
Maybe they had a re think