How to successfully keep SPS Corals!

[Velodog2]

I've been frustrated over the lighting measurement situation myself for a long time. As stated, PAR meters are too expensive. But why do we need them? You don't need to know how much PAR you have, you just need to know how your lighting set up compares to someone else who does know their PAR. With the advent of LEDs, the variety of emitters and their spectra is relatively limited, and most users could probably make useful comparisons. If you have the same exact commercially produced fixture as someone else, then even better.

 

[mcarroll]

Well said!!

We might find this link interesting.

Measuring Illuminance Correctly | OliNo

The bottom line is that measuring light accurately is very complex and expensive - and not really what our mission is. We just want to use one of their tools for our own purposes. ;)

-Matt

 

[Velodog2]

Thanks. Just stating what most of us do anyway, but could be done better with more info. Another practical way we all measure light is by the health and coloration of our different types of corals. Some corals are especially intriguing and potentially useful. For example Red Planet acro is known to change it's coloration based on lighting intensity. From various accounts it can be all red, red and green, or all green. Assuming that the color changes are really mostly or entirely dependent on light intensity and repeatable this makes it a living PAR meter. It would be great if someone could verify this and quantify the lighting needed for each of these coloration levels using an actual meter. Tyree pink lemonade and Bennett yellow tort are two others that come to mind that might be used this way depending on whether they were green or yellow.

 

[TUSI]

Just joined this forum and can't thank a friend enough cause I think every one here is so nice and helpfull and complimentary of other people's tanks is just amazing. I have to say this thread is an amazing thread and very helpfull. One thing I must add to all is to be successfull in this hobby besides everything that was said already is that PATIENCE is also a very important key. Thank you for all the good info and let's keep it going

 

[mcarroll]

For example Red Planet acro is known to change it's coloration based on lighting intensity. From various accounts it can be all red, red and green, or all green.

Wouldn't it be cool if all the people who'd made those observations had lux meters and posted their numbers? Someday! ;)

-Matt

 

[seancc317]

I'm definitely a lightweight in this discussion, but I've had my 180g up for just over a year and it was first real attempt at keeping SPS. I've been successfully keeping saltwater tanks for over a decade, but previous reef tanks were LPS & Zoa dominated. Over the first year, my growth and coloration has been good and my tank is quickly filling in.

Don't sell yourself short dude. That's an amazing tank. I would kill to have that

 

[lighting]

really a good post , helpful

 

[nature786]

Thanks folks for this Post. Very helpful and Learning allot from you guys.

 

[PSU Reefer]

Great thread. Some awesome looking tanks.

 

[Briguy350]

I see a lot of people using calcium reactors and 2 part for dosing but what about filtration. Obviously a skimmer but are a lot of you guys running carbon/GFO reactors or bio pellets? You need ULNS how are you guys accomplishing this? Thanks

 

[mcarroll]

Just heat, lights, flow, and skimmer for this reefer.

I don't stock many fish, so no issues with nutrients to try and band-aid. ;)

-Matt

 

[swannyson7]

I ran a skimmer, GFO, Carbon, and EcoBak pellets. And just an updated shot from the ones at the beginning of this thread...

 

[bknapp]

Just heat, lights, flow, and skimmer for this reefer.

I don't stock many fish, so no issues with nutrients to try and band-aid. ;)

-Matt

And daily water changes. :thumbup:

 

[Diamond1]

Nice Swanny I just read this whole post and was wondering if anyone was posting updated shots of their tanks.

I ran a skimmer, GFO, Carbon, and EcoBak pellets. And just an updated shot from the ones at the beginning of this thread...

 

[nl5882]

I see a lot of people using calcium reactors and 2 part for dosing but what about filtration. Obviously a skimmer but are a lot of you guys running carbon/GFO reactors or bio pellets? You need ULNS how are you guys accomplishing this? Thanks

I' m newer to the hobby as well. I have read alot, leared alot from experienced reefers and also learned the hard way by my self(best way as long as you dont nuke your tank:) You dont need a ulns. When i first started with sps i jumped in deep with a cheap acro pack. I was still battling no3 (30ppm), and po4(.20). I was'nt dosing kalk, or anything else, just water changes. I was able to keep all the acros that I had purchased except for a few I chucked when they browned out(not knowing they can come back lol) no rtn or stn though. What I have learned in this hobby from watching others tanks crash or thrive time and time again. Is that STABILITY and making CHANGES SLOWLY, these corals can adapt at most changes thrown at them. Don't believe everything people say with UNLS, it def helps to have a alot less nutes in your system. As for dosing I do dose kalk now, and I know that def is a huge thing for SPS growth ALK is key too. I lack on water changes, I'm getting better at them. I don't run GFO or Carbon, havnt for over a year. I run my skimmer at night to help with my PH drop, and I believe the best thing that has happened to my system is my ATS, and brightwell po4 export (just a few cubes when i see my po4 going up). My tank now runs at 0 po3, and .02-.04 po4 as I overfeed ALOT. I now have quite a bit of high end SPS, including RR orange passion, avenger, redbull, purple dragons eyes(list goes on and on) and many others from tyree & gonzo's. I still have alot to learn as I'm going to step up to a calc reactor, but I just wanted you to get a honest opinion. I think this is key over everything else NOT EVERYTHING
WORKS ON EVERYONE ELSE'S TANK.

 

[ReefJeeper]

Wouldn't it be cool if all the people who'd made those observations had lux meters and posted their numbers? Someday! ;)

-Matt

Doesnt lux only measure the yellow and red wavelengths of light? I read somewhere (not a forum) that they switched to measuring PAR once we started using blue spectrum bulbs 30 years ago. I may be able to find the article

 

[ReefJeeper]

Also that coral magazine article i posted cant be very accurate as you were saying mcarroll because i recently read a article proving montipora sp. photosynthesize best at par values of 100-200 par and are know to bleach as low as 300 par

 

[mcarroll]

No, lux meters do not measure only the red and yellow wavelengths. ;)

From what little I've been able to confirm, they do seem to be calibrated to warm white light, but I haven't found that to be very relevant in practical usage (unless you want to convert to PAR for some reason....we really don't).

I'm certain that PAR/PUR/PFFD, et al, are useful to measure in many circumstances...especially ones of scientific observation where accurate measurements may actually be required.

For our purposes, lux - as interpreted by a cheap (or even free) meter - is just fine. :)

-Matt

 

[Velodog2]

For our purposes, lux - as interpreted by a cheap (or even free) meter - is just fine. :)

-Matt

The app available for the iPhone called Light Meter would qualify I think. I've compared it to an actual light meter and it is very close indeed. The ability of a camera such as on a decent phone to set exposures correctly is dependent on the quality of the light meter, so it has to be fairly good.

 

[Fishlee]

How much lux would be recommended / equivalent to par ratio