I have 3 Radion XR15 Pro Gen 5 and they’re extremely bright

[Zeal]

Hi all,

so I run AB+ on my reef and these lights are so incredibly bright… I’m running the 2 on the right at 100% schedule AB+ and the one on the left at 80%

Reason being is that I need this high percentage to get par out these lights.

Unfortunately I par the tank and at the highest tip it’s only 300 par and the sandbed is 175+++ to 280+++ in some spots. But the problem is that I think I can’t even have low light corals.

Question is how important is the PAR relative to the spectrum?? I personally prefer a much blue tank but when I did that I noticed my corals suffered on the sandbed due to lack par…

 

[T-J]

Something doesn't seem right with your numbers.
I run 4 of the same lights with AB+ schedule. When I was running 90% max of a 80% schedule (So around 72% of the light's total max output), I was getting 340 PAR at my highest rock. That rock is about 10 inches from the top of the tank, and I'm also running the same RMS mount as you.
Post a pic of your lighting schedule from Mobius.

 

[BanjoBandito]

How much PAR do you need??????

 

[Zeal]

Something doesn't seem right with your numbers.
I run 4 of the same lights with AB+ schedule. When I was running 90% max of a 80% schedule (So around 72% of the light's total max output), I was getting 340 PAR at my highest rock. That rock is about 10 inches from the top of the tank, and I'm also running the same RMS mount as you.
Post a pic of your lighting schedule from Mobius.

Want me to post a photo of my par map??

 

[Zeal]

How much PAR do you need??????

mixed reef.. but hard

 

[BanjoBandito]

mixed reef.. but hard

I'm one of these whackos that thinks anymore than 150 PAR is overkill. I mean there's lots of variables but if you just want sheer output adding T5s or reef brites would bump up what you are running now without being a huge change over.

 

[flashsmith]

I run 2 on a reefer 625xxl with reefbrite add on kits and most would say that's not enough. I run them at 65% AB+ with the whites dialed down a bit. I've never done a par reading but anything over 65% and acros I have at mid level on the back wall start to bleach. Something seems off with your readings. The reefbrites don't add alot of par but help with shading on the edges.

 

[Zach W]

Somethings not right here, check out this lighting guide from BRStv https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/content/post/brstv-investigates-ecotech-marine-radion-xr15-blue

 

[Sarlindescent]

All depends on the corals. My frag tank was sitting at 170 par on the top rack in the middle and 110ish on the bottom glass. I was able to grow most corals. Blastos liked to be shaded under racks as well as some cyphastria (30-60 par). Stags, tenuis, millis were all fine. Some were growing slower than I would have liked, but some grew very quickly. Acropora micro? (SSC, PL, pikachu) would die out. My guess is it was not enough light for them, since the water was good enough for the other corals. Also had acans, duncans, chalices, elegance, leathers, gorgs, pectinia, montis, torches, and others. These ranged from 110-130ish.

Your tank looks to have a significant amount of shaded areas. If you have a meter, I would see what the ranges are. This would give you quite a bit of space. More importantly, most corals can slowly be brought up in par over time. So when you get a new piece, start it in the shade for a few weeks. Then move it out of shade and more into direct light. Its the same concept as a magnetic frag rack shifting it up an inch or few each week. but instead using natural shade.

Another option is to run different powers on each light. So the far left light, you may run at 20%, while running the far right at 100%, and the middle at 80 or whatever. This could result in 275 par at the top and 80 at the bottom, or something like that. With the way the human eye handles light, it probably wouldn't be noticeable, but would better suit the corals.

One other thought, you could use acclimation mode on the lights if you want the current high par. Keep the right high, then set the middle to start at 40% and peak at 100 over 1 month, then set the left to start at 10% and up to 80 over like 3 months. That should slowly acclimate lower light corals, then allow you to add some acros or montis down there with them. This method would require you to add the low light corals all around the same time.

 

[Zeal]

Something doesn't seem right with your numbers.
I run 4 of the same lights with AB+ schedule. When I was running 90% max of a 80% schedule (So around 72% of the light's total max output), I was getting 340 PAR at my highest rock. That rock is about 10 inches from the top of the tank, and I'm also running the same RMS mount as you.
Post a pic of your lighting schedule from Mobius.

I'm one of these whackos that thinks anymore than 150 PAR is overkill. I mean there's lots of variables but if you just want sheer output adding T5s or reef brites would bump up what you are running now without being a huge change over.

I run 2 on a reefer 625xxl with reefbrite add on kits and most would say that's not enough. I run them at 65% AB+ with the whites dialed down a bit. I've never done a par reading but anything over 65% and acros I have at mid level on the back wall start to bleach. Something seems off with your readings. The reefbrites don't add alot of par but help with shading on the edges.

Somethings not right here, check out this lighting guide from BRStv https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/content/post/brstv-investigates-ecotech-marine-radion-xr15-blue

All depends on the corals. My frag tank was sitting at 170 par on the top rack in the middle and 110ish on the bottom glass. I was able to grow most corals. Blastos liked to be shaded under racks as well as some cyphastria (30-60 par). Stags, tenuis, millis were all fine. Some were growing slower than I would have liked, but some grew very quickly. Acropora micro? (SSC, PL, pikachu) would die out. My guess is it was not enough light for them, since the water was good enough for the other corals. Also had acans, duncans, chalices, elegance, leathers, gorgs, pectinia, montis, torches, and others. These ranged from 110-130ish.

Your tank looks to have a significant amount of shaded areas. If you have a meter, I would see what the ranges are. This would give you quite a bit of space. More importantly, most corals can slowly be brought up in par over time. So when you get a new piece, start it in the shade for a few weeks. Then move it out of shade and more into direct light. Its the same concept as a magnetic frag rack shifting it up an inch or few each week. but instead using natural shade.

Another option is to run different powers on each light. So the far left light, you may run at 20%, while running the far right at 100%, and the middle at 80 or whatever. This could result in 275 par at the top and 80 at the bottom, or something like that. With the way the human eye handles light, it probably wouldn't be noticeable, but would better suit the corals.

One other thought, you could use acclimation mode on the lights if you want the current high par. Keep the right high, then set the middle to start at 40% and peak at 100 over 1 month, then set the left to start at 10% and up to 80 over like 3 months. That should slowly acclimate lower light corals, then allow you to add some acros or montis down there with them. This method would require you to add the low light corals all around the same time.

Please see my PAR map. There is not a lot of shading right now. also the far left light as of yesterday is running at 80%



This is my PAR map using AB+ with 3 Radions Xr15s G5 at 100% schedule

 

[Tonycass12]

If your cool with the ab+ spectrum and you want more par you may want to look into trading your fixtures for some xr15 blues. Ive seen a few people in the classifieds trying to trade there blues. I had the same issue with mine started with ab+ but the par just wasn't there. Since I've seen some folks running radion pros at 100% with great results ive slowly tracked in that direction.

 

[Zeal]

If your cool with the ab+ spectrum and you want more par you may want to look into trading your fixtures for some xr15 blues. Ive seen a few people in the classifieds trying to trade there blues. I had the same issue with mine started with ab+ but the par just wasn't there. Since I've seen some folks running radion pros at 100% with great results ive slowly tracked in that direction.

I have the pros… the pros should put out much much more par then the blues

 

[T-J]

I have the pros… the pros should put out much much more par then the blues

But you're running the AB+, which has a lot of blue in it.
I want to see a screen shot of your schedule on the mobius app. You said you're running 100% of schedule, but I want to see what your schedule maxes out at.

 

[flashsmith]

Seems your all over the place. I can't figure out why on the side with no rocks it's so much higher in the corners than in the center showing 150. Don't over think it. Let your corals tell you when it's too much or not enough.

 

[Zeal]

But you're running the AB+, which has a lot of blue in it.
I want to see a screen shot of your schedule on the mobius app. You said you're running 100% of schedule, but I want to see what your schedule maxes out at.

2 lights at 100% schedule 1 light at %80

 

[Zeal]

Seems your all over the place. I can't figure out why on the side with no rocks it's so much higher in the corners than in the center showing 150. Don't over think it. Let your corals tell you when it's too much or not enough.

Weird right? Personally idk if my zoas on the right are happy or not with AB+

I always thought the tank was better under heavy blues and Very low white light but then I severely lack in PAR

 

[T-J]

2 lights at 100% schedule 1 light at %80

Ok, so you have two lights using about 75% of total power, and one using about 60% of total power.
EDIT: I can't tell, do you have diffusers on the lights?

 

[Acros]

2 lights at 100% schedule 1 light at %80

It took me a while to figure this out as well.

Make sure your point intensity is set to 100% as shown below

The use the overall schedule intensity to choose how much light you want.

Edit: That is if you want to push some of them to 100%. Or else what you are doing also works.

 

[Acros]

Ok, so you have two lights using about 75% of total power, and one using about 60% of total power.
EDIT: I can't tell, do you have diffusers on the lights?

The G5 diffusers should not cause a significant par drop. They usually take off only 5-10 par.

 

[Zeal]

Ok, so you have two lights using about 75% of total power, and one using about 60% of total power.
EDIT: I can't tell, do you have diffusers on the lights?

Nope no diffusers.

It took me a while to figure this out as well.

Make sure your point intensity is set to 100% as shown below

The use the overall schedule intensity to choose how much light you want.

Edit: That is if you want to push some of them to 100%. Or else what you are doing also works.

they are pushed to 100% just double checked

The G5 diffusers should not cause a significant par drop. They usually take off only 5-10 par.