What is everyone using as lighting

[re76]

I think I run my lighting way too high of intensity causing lots of brown in my sand. What does your light schedule look like on that RBPV2 (I have the same thing over my 6ft wide 125G)

I used to run it so the tank nearly glowed - it looked so good, but now I am running it with barely any because I am afraid (which seems like a waste of $ now)

Thanks!

I run my lights really high but I also hang them very high. Currently I run them 18" from top of tank so about 19.5" from water surface.

I can share my schedule sometime when I'm back at a computer. I posted it in the reefbreeders forum here if you want to go looking in the meantime.

Currently I peak at 30, 30, 100, 50, 100, 100 for about 4 hours mid day. This gives me right around 200 par at the sand bed.

 

[gjustinj]

I run my lights really high but I also hang them very high. Currently I run them 18" from top of tank so about 19.5" from water surface.

I can share my schedule sometime when I'm back at a computer. I posted it in the reefbreeders forum here if you want to go looking in the meantime.

Currently I peak at 30, 30, 100, 50, 100, 100 for about 4 hours mid day. This gives me right around 200 par at the sand bed.

I would love to see your schedule. I am getting a lot of brown sand from last lighting schedule, and the current one doesn't seem to be anything special.

 

[gjustinj]

@re76

Found your schedule. With a 125G 6Ft, how high do you recommend I hang my lights (I just recently moved them to the middle of the aquarium per JaimeAdams request when he stopped over the house.

Also I have only one coral right now, it's a Duncan in the middle of the tank. The rest are fish. Which setting in the file do you think I should go with?

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...kVtZbm3-HgCcOv1U5YcPyiDJ0/edit#gid=1342399844

 

[re76]

@re76

Found your schedule. With a 125G 6Ft, how high do you recommend I hang my lights (I just recently moved them to the middle of the aquarium per JaimeAdams request when he stopped over the house.

Also I have only one coral right now, it's a Duncan in the middle of the tank. The rest are fish. Which setting in the file do you think I should go with?

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...kVtZbm3-HgCcOv1U5YcPyiDJ0/edit#gid=1342399844

It's really up to you how high you hang them. I prefer to hang them higher because I think it gives me less shadowing and an even coverage. I have a Red Sea Reefer 450 which is 5' long.

I am assuming you have the Photon 50? Or do you have two of a smaller variety (like two Photon 32s)?

To clarify, the "Custom Schedule" tab is what I am currently running, and that always reflects what I am running at any given time. Anytime I change my schedule I change the spreadsheet first and then update the light accordingly. The Coral Pop tab is a tab I made when I was fiddling around with different settings for showing off my corals, you can really just ignore that tab.

As you can see in my spreadsheet I am using something along the lines of the 20000k MH equivalent that is given on the first tab. Honestly I don't think it matters a whole lot which one you choose as long as you don't deviate too much from something that is provided there. For what it's worth I tried out the "mixed-reef" schedule that is on the first tab and my corals didn't like it a whole lot. I then used the SPS schedule for a while and finally increased the red/green/white until I was closer to the 20000k. My Duncan is about as low as it can get in my tank and is going great.

I have been slowly ramping up my intensity now for about 7-8 weeks and I am now pretty sure that I won't be changing it anymore unless I decide I want a different spectrum.

Also as a side note, how old is your tank? Brown on the sand is probably just diatoms, and are to be expected in a new tank. As your tank matures they will start to go away. Just make sure are controlling your nutrients (nitrate and phosphate) so they don't get too out of hand.

 

[gjustinj]

It's really up to you how high you hang them. I prefer to hang them higher because I think it gives me less shadowing and an even coverage. I have a Red Sea Reefer 450 which is 5' long.

I am assuming you have the Photon 50? Or do you have two of a smaller variety (like two Photon 32s)?

To clarify, the "Custom Schedule" tab is what I am currently running, and that always reflects what I am running at any given time. Anytime I change my schedule I change the spreadsheet first and then update the light accordingly. The Coral Pop tab is a tab I made when I was fiddling around with different settings for showing off my corals, you can really just ignore that tab.

As you can see in my spreadsheet I am using something along the lines of the 20000k MH equivalent that is given on the first tab. Honestly I don't think it matters a whole lot which one you choose as long as you don't deviate too much from something that is provided there. For what it's worth I tried out the "mixed-reef" schedule that is on the first tab and my corals didn't like it a whole lot. I then used the SPS schedule for a while and finally increased the red/green/white until I was closer to the 20000k. My Duncan is about as low as it can get in my tank and is going great.

I have been slowly ramping up my intensity now for about 7-8 weeks and I am now pretty sure that I won't be changing it anymore unless I decide I want a different spectrum.

Also as a side note, how old is your tank? Brown on the sand is probably just diatoms, and are to be expected in a new tank. As your tank matures they will start to go away. Just make sure are controlling your nutrients (nitrate and phosphate) so they don't get too out of hand.

Yes I have the Photon V2 50, and it's hanging about 8/9 inches in the dead center above the tank. The tank is about 2 months old. Yea, earlier my LFS had me put Parashield in the tank for Ich to provide a slime coat on the fish, but it ended up killing good bacteria so I had to get another bottle of live bacteria and cycle again to clear up green algai and cloudy water. It's just about back to being crystal clear water again. I also ordered another powerhead (a little more powerful) to point toward my back of the tank to keep the microfilm from sticking and help create a better flow around the tank and back to the skimmer.

I only have one coral so far, it's a Duncan. JaimeAdams took my Zoa, he said it was unhealthy having some kind of bad stuff growing on it. My Duncan has not been coming out fully like he used to, he was moved to the middle of the tank towards a rock midway up - however I think he was doing better when he was on the right side a little lower w/ a little flow. But I am no expert so I am leaving him where he had me put him lol.

I am really new to this. But I think I have decided to live w/ the ich and keep my water parameters pristine - i seem pretty good at keeping the water chemicals so far. Weekly 15% water changes(substrate vacuum), 1 a month filter changes, daily protein skimming cleans, and glass cleans.

 

[re76]

Yes I have the Photon V2 50, and it's hanging about 8/9 inches in the dead center above the tank. The tank is about 2 months old. Yea, earlier my LFS had me put Parashield in the tank for Ich to provide a slime coat on the fish, but it ended up killing good bacteria so I had to get another bottle of live bacteria and cycle again to clear up green algai and cloudy water. It's just about back to being crystal clear water again. I also ordered another powerhead (a little more powerful) to point toward my back of the tank to keep the microfilm from sticking and help create a better flow around the tank and back to the skimmer.

I only have one coral so far, it's a Duncan. JaimeAdams took my Zoa, he said it was unhealthy having some kind of bad stuff growing on it. My Duncan has not been coming out fully like he used to, he was moved to the middle of the tank towards a rock midway up - however I think he was doing better when he was on the right side a little lower w/ a little flow. But I am no expert so I am leaving him where he had me put him lol.

I am really new to this. But I think I have decided to live w/ the ich and keep my water parameters pristine - i seem pretty good at keeping the water chemicals so far. Weekly 15% water changes(substrate vacuum), 1 a month filter changes, daily protein skimming cleans, and glass cleans.

You should start a new thread and we can continue the conversation there, no need to derail this thread about lighting. We can try to dial in your lights and help get that Duncan happy again.