AI Prime height and colors

[tcunha]

Hey all...question. I've had my IM 40 cube for about a year now. Everything is all good and couldn't be happier however, I do notice my nem and some corals reaching for light. I run my prime at 100% except green and red. Clear white around 60%

The height is about 8 in he's above the tank and was pondering about lowering to about 4-5 in inches.

Anyone have this issue with lighting?

 

[D's Reef]

Any Pics of your tank currently?

 

[Rob Lion]

I have 2 x AI Prime (non HD) your light intensity is the same as mine, 100% on all except white at 50% and red and green at 0%.

mine are mounted at 6 inch above water surface, and yes, all my corals and nem reach for light, they are all at the mid height of my 500mm deep tank. My tank water is very clear. I ahve a mixed tank, SPS, LPS , Zoas, mushrooms and a couple of softies.

with my PAR meter, at mid tank level below the light centre, my PAR is at 200 and PUR is 73%. my PAR at the sandbed is 80.
I ramp up from 5% to 100% from 7am to 10am, then stay level until 5pm and ramp down to 5% at 8pm.
Moon light is 5% with Lunar cycle ON. Currently NO acclimation and NO weather on.

To me , my corals are growing fast, with good colour.
I think its safer to have slightly less light light than too much light, corals will naturally grow up to where they are happy, then spread out. With too much light their tips bleach out, and stop growing.

The only issue I have is that a couple of Acros have brown bases, due to either not enough light or nutrients too high. I am slowly moving from a low nutrient system (Nitrates 0.2, Phosphates 0.015) to ultra low system (nutrients undetectable with Salifert/Hanna ).

I suggest moving your light down an inch for a month and see any changes. check water clarity too, "dirty" water blocks light.

 

[tcunha]

Water is very clear as well and seems we have almost identical tanks.

Growth and color are as well very nice. I'll take a nice clear pic when I get home as adjusted a couple frags and don't have a current pic.

I will lower just slightly and see what happens. Thank you.

 

[Rob Lion]

you are welcome, yep, my tank is a year old too, 250L with 90L sump.

don't forget, corals and nems also reach for better water flow too, not just light. I adjusted my flow about 3 months ago as my seriatopora were growing downwards! :)

 

[tcunha]

 

[Rob Lion]

nice tank :)

your rock structure is quiet high, so be careful with corals at high level, my PAR at that point is nearly 500, and you may have bleaching issues. Your nem looks happy, if its not it would move soon enough !! :)

 

[draj]

i have my prime at 60%, whites/red/greens @ 20-25%, 8 inches off the water in a 18in tall tank.

it feels like... a little too much light for me. worth mentioning i don't have anything crazy difficult to keep. i guess a 4-5 inch nem but he doesn't reach (he sits in a high flow area)