Going from PC's to LED's should I acclimate the coral?
- Thread starter cam78
- Start date
spanko
Active Member
Just set up my AI 12" Super Blue last week. Was running a 150 watt metal halide with a Radium 20k bulb.
I have min set at
white 35%
blue 40% and
royal blue at 45%
Am planning on increase about 2% each per week.
These lights show a incredible amount of increase PAR over even the metal halide I was running so over you PC's I would be very careful.Do you have any coral in your tank? If so what kind and at what depths in the tank?
I have min set at
white 35%
blue 40% and
royal blue at 45%
Am planning on increase about 2% each per week.
These lights show a incredible amount of increase PAR over even the metal halide I was running so over you PC's I would be very careful.Do you have any coral in your tank? If so what kind and at what depths in the tank?
sparty059
Active Member
So Cam, I don't mean to hijack your thread, and I hope everyone knows that Cam has been posting questions too so please help with those! But, my question is I have two corals; Hammer Coral, and Green Star Polyp corals. The GSP is near the top of the tank, and the Hammer is near the middle of the tank. I'm assuming I'll have to drop both down near the bottom of the tank (I have a 30" tall tank). Is that about right that I should drop them to the bottom? My other question is, will this affect the fish in any way? Would this be something Cam and I should be concerned about? I say the both of us because we are soon (I'm going to purchase these lights today) going to be in identical situations, skipping directly from PC to high intensity LED's. Let me know what you all think and as always thank you all for the help on this forum!
2quills
Well-Known Member
CAM: To my knowledge light in the blue wavelength penetrates deeper into water than any other color. So I would assume that for like your lower light corals then the blue probably has less chance of burning your corals than the whites do since they are more accustomed to light in that wavelength. The whites are what I would be most worried about but I would still be carefull not to over do it with the blues. The light from the led's is still far more intense than your pc lighting.
cam78
Active Member
Okay so here is the verdict. Aqua Illuminations says that the blue lighting can do as much damage to coral as the whites. They, for obvious reasons do not want to tell me exactly what % to put my lighting at but just recommend to watch them daily. Browning they said to increase, bleaching they say to lower the output. So I guess thats that.
To answer Spanko's question I have hammer, torch, acan, elegance, birds nest, blasto, favia and a Green Sinularia. All actually looks really good. The hammer has some faded spots but REAL minor and I think they were there already. I also have a Bubble tip but it has been hiding for quite sometime. My lights are currently at 50% white, 61% Blue and 61% Royal. I am not sure if I should lower them again. Everything looks good to me. Spanko I am sure you can go more then 35% 40 45. especially coming from Halides. You got me nervous now running mine at what they are at coming from PC's.
To answer Spanko's question I have hammer, torch, acan, elegance, birds nest, blasto, favia and a Green Sinularia. All actually looks really good. The hammer has some faded spots but REAL minor and I think they were there already. I also have a Bubble tip but it has been hiding for quite sometime. My lights are currently at 50% white, 61% Blue and 61% Royal. I am not sure if I should lower them again. Everything looks good to me. Spanko I am sure you can go more then 35% 40 45. especially coming from Halides. You got me nervous now running mine at what they are at coming from PC's.
spanko
Active Member
sparty059
Active Member
Gotcha. Ok, so I'm pretty much a click away from purchasing two of these, a fixture, and a controller. I'm going to buy a 60" so then I can rest it on my tank, but I'm going to probably add legs I make on my own to give it the additional height it needs. I'm hoping I can get by with 2 of these, and I'm also hoping that I can build a new fixture one of these days that will be able to house this new unit.
I'm going to buy them either tonight or tomorrow, so ANYONE that has any codes or coupons or ANYTHING, to make this a bit less expensive please let me know!
Thank you all again for all of your help and I'm excited to post some pics soon.
I'm going to buy them either tonight or tomorrow, so ANYONE that has any codes or coupons or ANYTHING, to make this a bit less expensive please let me know!
Thank you all again for all of your help and I'm excited to post some pics soon.
cam78
Active Member
Spanko: So you thinking I should lower my light output? You think I have it set too high percentage-wise? The lights are hanging approximately 10" from the top of the water. All my coral is approximately 10-12" from the top of the water.
Sparty: Who you thinking to buy them from? WHo has them in stock?
Sparty: Who you thinking to buy them from? WHo has them in stock?
spanko
Active Member
I would be interested to see what you do for legs to lift them up so be sure to keep posting here please. Goth reefgeek and aquarium specialty had them last week.
All I can say to you is if your AI is throwing out the same light to your eyes that the PC's did you have them set too high. In other words if the tank looks the same brightness you are throwing way more PAR into the tank.
All I can say to you is if your AI is throwing out the same light to your eyes that the PC's did you have them set too high. In other words if the tank looks the same brightness you are throwing way more PAR into the tank.
haha.