HELP with my reef lighting!!

[Saltwater_hobbiest]

I have 2 of the 95 watt sunrise sunset SMATFARM lights and I am having trouble finding a good setting. I have all soft corals in my tank and some of them have been starting to shrink up and also bleach. Here is a picture of them and also there setting right now. Are my settings too low or too high? Can someone help me find a good setting so my corals can not be bleached?

 

[Ruben's Reef]

I have 2 of the 95 watt sunrise sunset SMATFARM lights and I am having trouble finding a good setting. I have all soft corals in my tank and some of them have been starting to shrink up and also bleach. Here is a picture of them and also there setting right now. Are my settings too low or too high? Can someone help me find a good setting so my corals can not be bleached?

A par meter will give you an idea of how much par that light is producing with that settings but someone using those lights can give you a good advise.

 

[mcarroll]

At 95 watts, there's a good chance you want the blue's at 100% and the whites turned up just enough that things look good to you, not more than that. Everything is off (or optional).

What size tank are these on? (I mean what are the tank's dimensions?)

 

[Saltwater_hobbiest]

At 95 watts, there's a good chance you want the blue's at 100% and the whites turned up just enough that things look good to you, not more than that. Everything is off (or optional).

What size tank are these on? (I mean what are the tank's dimensions?)

My tank is the 50.3 AIO water box. The dimensions are 35 x 20 x 18.

 

[mcarroll]

OK. (tank data)

Your lightable surface is JUST the display, not the back filter area. Probably 35 x 15".

We're going to assume the light uses something like 90º lenses.

15" ÷ 2 = 7.5”

By the math, that should be a good baseline mounting height.

But you need to make sure it's centered so you filter compartment stays DARK. I would even keep the overflow weir dark. So lower or re-center the lights as needed to achieve this.

Color settings should work as mentioned in the previous post.....maximum blue, whites to taste.

 

[Saltwater_hobbiest]

OK. (tank data)

Your lightable surface is JUST the display, not the back filter area. Probably 35 x 15".

We're going to assume the light uses something like 90º lenses.

15" ÷ 2 = 7.5”

By the math, that should be a good baseline mounting height.

But you need to make sure it's centered so you filter compartment stays DARK. I would even keep the overflow weir dark. So lower or re-center the lights as needed to achieve this.

Color settings should work as mentioned in the previous post.....maximum blue, whites to taste.

Thank you!

 

[Saltwater_hobbiest]

OK. (tank data)

Your lightable surface is JUST the display, not the back filter area. Probably 35 x 15".

We're going to assume the light uses something like 90º lenses.

15" ÷ 2 = 7.5”

By the math, that should be a good baseline mounting height.

But you need to make sure it's centered so you filter compartment stays DARK. I would even keep the overflow weir dark. So lower or re-center the lights as needed to achieve this.

Color settings should work as mentioned in the previous post.....maximum blue, whites I have the lights

OK. (tank data)

Your lightable surface is JUST the display, not the back filter area. Probably 35 x 15".

We're going to assume the light uses something like 90º lenses.

15" ÷ 2 = 7.5”

By the math, that should be a good baseline mounting height.

But you need to make sure it's centered so you filter compartment stays DARK. I would even keep the overflow weir dark. So lower or re-center the lights as needed to achieve this.

Color settings should work as mentioned in the previous post.....maximum blue, whites to taste.

I have the lights at 8” over the water and they are fully extended out but there is a little bit of light in the back area of the AIO part. Should I lowers my lights even more ?

 

[Freenow54]

A par meter will give you an idea of how much par that light is producing with that settings but someone using those lights can give you a good advise.

There is a good video done by Bulk Reef Supply they found that 8 inches above the water is the best . They also got into the color settings

 

[mcarroll]

I have the lights at 8” over the water and they are fully extended out but there is a little bit of light in the back area of the AIO part. Should I lowers my lights even more ?

If it gets the light out of your filter compartment, yes.

But if you can't move them out far enough from the back, lowering them more probably won't get it done.....but try it and you'll know.

If it doesn't work, you might have to get creative on how they are mounted so they can be centered over the display better.

 

[Freenow54]

I use boot trays cut to fit over back glass. Will still create algae but much slower , and not as fast or bad. You can remove them. I use plastic clips to clean them in the laundry tub. This keeps Algae out of system. Later I added the same on the top to block light completely from back. Zero Algae. If you want pictures ask