I'm sick of my LEDs! Please! help me figure out the problem.

[Bongo Shrimp]

So I got the Nanotuners 5.6 LED upgrade for my Biocube 29 a few years ago. I have 15 White Cree XRs and 15 Blue Cree XR-Es. They are run by two separate Meanwell ELN-60-48 (I'm 90% sure they are the 60-48 but certain they are meanwells) I can't get to my driver box without moving tons of stuff around so I only want to go in there if its absolutely necessary. They are controlled by my RKE with an ALC light controller module. I borrowed an Apogee MQ-200 PAR meter and these are the results running the LEDs at 100% intensity per the RKE. I added 20% to the readings to compensate for the skewed readings from the blue LEDs. I learned from CalmSeasQuest who really knows his LEDs that you have to add 20% to readings taken under blue LEDs because somehow they are not read accurately.

Now I know that AI fixtures get way more powerful PAR readings than my fixture does, however I have the same LEDs. I cannot figure out the problem. Do I need optics? Do I need to tweak something in the drivers? Is it an RKE issue? I got these LEDs so I could grow SPS but at the bottom I almost can't keep some LPS!

Any suggestion is appreciated!!!

 

[Troylee]

Yup optics make all the difference in the world... Putting 60 or 70* optics on them would triple those numbers...

 

[reefpeeper]

I am only looking at your pic through my phone, but to me it looks like the tank is not that bright. I have 24 cree on my biocube and it looks brighter than that. What type of power supply do you have? Also optics do not make the light any brighter they only spread it out more. Optics would be good to use if the fixture was further from tank.

 

[Bongo Shrimp]

I am only looking at your pic through my phone, but to me it looks like the tank is not that bright. I have 24 cree on my biocube and it looks brighter than that. What type of power supply do you have? Also optics do not make the light any brighter they only spread it out more. Optics would be good to use if the fixture was further from tank.

I took a pic of the tank with the blues off to overlay the numbers on. My phone doesn't take good pics with the blues on.

And yeah the lights are in my biocube hood. So how would they triple the par?

 

[reefpeeper]

Ok maybe i am wrong about the optics. They may be used to concentrate the light more into one area.

 

[Troylee]

Trust me optics concentrate the beam and focus it.. Check out par readings on reefledlights.com they make a huge difference... You will cook stuff at 100% intensity...

 

[Bongo Shrimp]

Trust me optics concentrate the beam and focus it.. Check out par readings on reefledlights.com they make a huge difference... You will cook stuff at 100% intensity...

Ok but won't I get the spotlight effect with them being so close to the water?

 

[Troylee]

Not with 30 LEDs over a little bio cube... If you had 12 or something yeah.. But 30 your good to go...

 

[Bongo Shrimp]

Not with 30 LEDs over a little bio cube... If you had 12 or something yeah.. But 30 your good to go...

Ok so since they are pretty cheap I will look into getting some to try. I can always sell them if they don't work out.

Now another question. I posted this same thread on another forum and someone said that LEDs decrease in PAR output over a few years. what the heck?

BTW if anyone else has a suggestion please LMK!

 

[Bongo Shrimp]

So which optics should I get? Someone recommended I get 80, you Troylee said 60-70. They focus the beam right?

Also, how do they mount?

Suggestions as to where to purchase them?

 

[chrisjj625]

I think there may be another issue I have the same setup and same tank and I grow sps like crazy.

 

[Bongo Shrimp]

I think there may be another issue I have the same setup and same tank and I grow sps like crazy.

What do you have your Dim A>Adv.Light settings at?

 

[chrisjj625]

I have mine at full power and I don't even have the Crees I have those strips they sold for awhile

 

[Bongo Shrimp]

I have mine at full power and I don't even have the Crees I have those strips they sold for awhile

That's weird.

 

[chrisjj625]

That's what I'm saying maybe there is a water issue not just lights

 

[Bongo Shrimp]

That's what I'm saying maybe there is a water issue not just lights

pH - 8.4
Salinity - 1.025
Ammonia - 0
Nitrates - 0
Phosphates - .5ish
Mag- 1350ish
Calcium - 400

 

[chrisjj625]

I'm just throwing things out there. What makes u say u can't grow anything? Is it dying or just browning out or what?

 

[Bongo Shrimp]

I'm just throwing things out there. What makes u say u can't grow anything? Is it dying or just browning out or what?

Well recently I have bleached stuff and some things brown out. (I am just starting to get more corals since I overcame nitrates and HA). I bleached a aussie meat coral and I had a sweet blue scroll coral that just didn't make it. At first I thought I had too much light which was why the meat coral bleached but according to the par numbers it's not too much.

 

[chrisjj625]

What else does your setup entail? Dosing? Filter media?

 

[Bongo Shrimp]

What else does your setup entail? Dosing? Filter media?

Just started dosing Brightwell products. Reef code A and B, iron, iodine, mag and a few other things. I ALWAYS!!! underdose so not to overdose. Plus I test it if it's testable before I does. I have LR in the back second chamber, a hang on side custom fuge with chaeto, and I just added a Fluval G3 canister to the mix which has carbon running in it and some rowaphos to balance the phosphate.