Best light for Discosoma...

[Squidmantis]

Hi there!

I just got a small live rock for my little tank (Halimeda macro algae and copepods only) to start growing up purple algae...
I noticed on it a couple of small Discosoma...I know they have to acclimate but since yesterday they look a bit shrunk than when in the shop tank.
I lowered the temperature from 30°C to 28°C so I should be in the range...
Maybe I have to lower also the density that now at 1032...I read somewhere they should stay at 1023~1024.
But I’m pretty sure it depends from the light...
I’m running a Mars Aqua 165W led lamp...so just wondering what is the best light spectrum for them.
For my Halimeda seems to be ok either full spectrum( cool white,white,red,green.blue) and the blue one pnly( blue,royal blue)...
I guess the full spectrum channel also at lower power (20%) is too strong for them...opposite the blue one could be the best...but what power...how many hours/day?
Maybe I should find a shadow zone for the Discosoma when the brightness of the full spectrum for the macro is on...

I know you can help me....

Thanks in advance!

Cheers

 

[reef lover]

They would like the salinity at 1025. And im not familiar with the light but they would prefer a shadowy spot anyway.

 

[Squidmantis]

Hi!

Thanks for replying...

Yep...I will go for 1025 salinity...and I’ll try to find a shadowy spot as also you suggest!
Hope now somebody will enlighten me about the actual light spectrum to use for them...


Thanks!

Cheers

 

[Squidmantis]

Anybody there?

 

[bacc2bacc]

T5 for big plump, juicy shrooms, LED for that color pop! I personally just use LED, but the optimal lighting imo, would be T5 + LED combo. They’ll do fine either or.

 

[Squidmantis]

Hi!

Thanks for replying...

...and thanks for the info...

As I wrote above...I’m running a Mars Aqua 165W led lamp so just wondering what spectrum is the best for them...
Right now I’m starting in the morning at 9.00am with blue Ch set at 20%...
At 10.00am starts the full spectrum set at 20%( more then 20% seems too bright for the Discosoma ...actually they shrunk ).
At 8.00pm full spectrum off...and at 9.00pm blue ch is off

During the night (in the dark) they are not shrunk anymore...
The aren’ t full open as they should be...but they are closed on themselves...I don’t know the right word in english...but they look like a ball ...

I’m still working forlowering the salinity that still run at 1032...and I don’t have any shadowy spot also...


So...any suggestion about the best led spectrum to use for them?

Thanks

Cheers

 

[lapin]

I also feel your coral is getting too much full spectrum. Try setting it to 10% full spectrum and use more blue. You can also move it to a shady spot. Another trick is to move the light up higher so its not as close to the water.
Macro algae can take a lot more light is why it is doing well under the bright full spectrum light.

 

[bacc2bacc]

In my 10G mushroom dominated nano, I only run blue spectrum. That’s all they need. In the wild coral do not get any white light at all, they are down on a side of a mountain hundred of feet below water. They grow in blue light. This is something I learned from Jason Fox, who dives for his own corals in Indonesia. All my corals grow fine under blues only.

Besides corals look and fluorest best under blues. This is how I like to view my tank at all times, I don’t care much for the “white” or 12-16k look. To each their own, but if you do like that white spectrum your corals will handle it fine so long as they’re acclimated correctly to it.

 

[Squidmantis]

I also feel your coral is getting too much full spectrum. Try setting it to 10% full spectrum and use more blue. You can also move it to a shady spot. Another trick is to move the light up higher so its not as close to the water.
Macro algae can take a lot more light is why it is doing well under the bright full spectrum light.

Hi!

Thanks for the hints...

Unfortunately Mars Aqua led lamps are factory set starting dimming at about 15%-20%....so I can not set a lower power...but I’m working to solve this issue by talking with Mr.Michael Lane who kindly helped me in these days....
Moving the light higher...will be the next step...

Thanks a lot!

Cheers

 

[Squidmantis]

In my 10G mushroom dominated nano, I only run blue spectrum. That’s all they need. In the wild coral do not get any white light at all, they are down on a side of a mountain hundred of feet below water. They grow in blue light. This is something I learned from Jason Fox, who dives for his own corals in Indonesia. All my corals grow fine under blues only.

Besides corals look and fluorest best under blues. This is how I like to view my tank at all times, I don’t care much for the “white” or 12-16k look. To each their own, but if you do like that white spectrum your corals will handle it fine so long as they’re acclimated correctly to it.

Hi!

Thanks for replying...

Yep...I also like the blues and the fluorescent FX on the corals...and I would also run only them...

But as I wrote my tank is born for my Halimeda algae so a bit of full spectrum light is needed...
In the last month were born copepods and spaghetti algae (Chaetomorpha)...
I had not planned to put any animal in my tank but some days ago I got from the aquarium shop that live rock because I was planning to grow purple algae...and over it I got also 2 or 3 discosoma...

So...I’ll try much more blues...by setting them from 20% to a little bit less than 60%( at 60% starting fans) and I will keep my full spectrum at 20%( as I said I’m not able to set a lower power)...

Maybe I could extend the “blue only” time...As I said my full spectrum now is set to switch off at 8.00pm and my blues at 9.00pm....I could run my blues till 11.00pm or more before the “ total dark time”...
What do you think about?

Thanks

Cheers

 

[bacc2bacc]

Hi!

Thanks for replying...

Yep...I also like the blues and the fluorescent FX on the corals...and I would also run only them...

But as I wrote my tank is born for my Halimeda algae so a bit of full spectrum light is needed...
In the last month were born copepods and spaghetti algae (Chaetomorpha)...
I had not planned to put any animal in my tank but some days ago I got from the aquarium shop that live rock because I was planning to grow purple algae...and over it I got also 2 or 3 discosoma...

So...I’ll try much more blues...by setting them from 20% to a little bit less than 60%( at 60% starting fans) and I will keep my full spectrum at 20%( as I said I’m not able to set a lower power)...

Maybe I could extend the “blue only” time...As I said my full spectrum now is set to switch off at 8.00pm and my blues at 9.00pm....I could run my blues till 11.00pm or more before the “ total dark time”...
What do you think about?

Thanks

Cheers

Run your blues for majority of the time. If you need whites to support your macro algae, I would just set them on for like 4-5 hours at the most, then back to blues. Good luck to you.

 

[Squidmantis]

Hi!


Ok...it sounds good...



I’ll set the blues for 12h...so starting at 9.00am and switching off at 9.00pm.

I’ll set the full spectrum for 5 hours so from 12.00pm to 5.00 pm.
I’ll try this combo for a week...

Thanks again to all of you...

See ya!

Cheers