How fast to increase light for acros?

[ajm83]

i have 2 x XR15 G5 Pro over a Reefer 250. The tank has small acro frags in it.

I had the lights set to AB @ 60% and having got a Seneye, tested and found that the PAR was pretty low. For example a strawberry shortcake acro is in 160 uMol, I guess it should be closer to 250-300 to colour up nicely.

Should i gradually ramp it up say 1-3% a day? Or would it be better to do it in one big hit?

I always thought it was better to do it gradually but I've heard people saying that it's better to do it in one go and let the coral adapt rather than constantly moving the goalposts for it.

 

[chris k.]

I moved my intensity up 10 percent a week till i got to my target.

 

[ajm83]

I moved my intensity up 10 percent a week till i got to my target.

Thanks bud, any issues doing it that way?

 

[dwest]

I would go as slow as you can stand. I would moved it no more than 5% a week. Then watch your corals.

 

[2Sunny]

The biggest problem with LEDs is their variability. It makes it too easy to overdo or underwhelm corals. Find settings and heights that successful tanks are using that look like what you want your tank to look like. Set the lights to that height and intensity then place new corals on the sand for a week or so until gluing it in place on the rock work. Don't mess with the light settings once you have them properly set.

As a reference I have been growing coral of every kind and under every type of light for 2 decades.

2001- VHO lights

2004 - 1000 watt metal halides

2011- 400 watt Radium metal halide with VHO actinics

2017 - 250 watt HQI with T5 supplements

2021 - LEDs with T5 supplements



2021 - my fist nano with LEDs

 

[ajm83]

The biggest problem with LEDs is their variability. It makes it too easy to overdo or underwhelm corals. Find settings and heights that successful tanks are using that look like what you want your tank to look like. Set the lights to that height and intensity then place new corals on the sand for a week or so until gluing it in place on the rock work. Don't mess with the light settings once you have them properly set.

As a reference I have been growing coral of every kind and under every type of light for 2 decades.

Gorgeous tanks.

What you were saying about moving them straight from the sand to their final location sounds more like just moving them once and letting them get it over with in one shot. It is kinda tempting.