I'm Stumped, time for outside help.
- Thread starter Dss84
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Dss84
New Member
I have another power head I can add in on the left side to help make opposing currents that does about another 900 gph. Sadly like a lot of people in this hobby a vortech is out of my price range right now. One day though.
mcarroll
10K Club member
Your flow should be keeping the sand clean - flow is definitely your problem. Not sure how your current corals are going to like SPS conditions given what they are used to, so be prepared to make any changes slowly.
What are the dimensions of your 56? How high off the water are the bulbs?
-Matt
What are the dimensions of your 56? How high off the water are the bulbs?
-Matt
mcarroll
10K Club member
Assuming you have the lamps lined up in a row, you should be fine to the bottom or at least close under the center lamp because of the overlap/boost by the other two lights.
At the edges where the two edge lights are "alone", you're probably only good down to 12" or so.
If you can, maybe bring the lights down to 6"? Give you a 30% boost in intensity across the board.
If you're happy growing SPS at the top or in the center, maybe no changes is best?
-Matt
P.S. If you are more-curious than this, get a lux meter (or free lux meter app for your smartphone) and take peak readings at the water surface under each light and post results.
At the edges where the two edge lights are "alone", you're probably only good down to 12" or so.
If you can, maybe bring the lights down to 6"? Give you a 30% boost in intensity across the board.
If you're happy growing SPS at the top or in the center, maybe no changes is best?
-Matt
P.S. If you are more-curious than this, get a lux meter (or free lux meter app for your smartphone) and take peak readings at the water surface under each light and post results.
Chris L
Active Member
Can you afford this?
http://www.fish-street.com/jebao_wp-25_8000l_wave_maker?category_id=35
Lots of flow, control, low price.
mcarroll
10K Club member
30K+ would be full, direct sun - so you're not too-bad off...recommendation stands. :)
Lowering the lights as suggested should get you into full, direct sun range - but go slowly so your existing coral have lots of time to adapt. If you decide to change this at all. Maybe do it if highest light corals are your goal.
I think I would would work on flow - I think your light levels are fine for many corals. Once flow is there you will see you corals thrive.
-Matt
Lowering the lights as suggested should get you into full, direct sun range - but go slowly so your existing coral have lots of time to adapt. If you decide to change this at all. Maybe do it if highest light corals are your goal.
I think I would would work on flow - I think your light levels are fine for many corals. Once flow is there you will see you corals thrive.
-Matt
jservedio
Active Member
If you are serious about SPS before you go a change anything, you absolutely need to have an extremely accurate method of measuring Alkalinity and Phosphates. For phosphates nothing beats the Hanna HI-736 which reads in parts per BILLION. The API tests are absolute garbage and completely worthless. You do NOT have 0.00 phosphates - there is no way. API will test 0 phosphates with levels up above 0.25ppm which is more than enough to kill off acros. Even the Salifert Phosphate kit will test 0.00ppm up to around 0.10ppm or so. Hanna is really the only way to go for Phosphate.
For Alkalinity, you need either a Hanna Checker or a Titration style test kit (Salifert, Red Sea Pro, Lamotte, etc.).
In your case, there are absolutely no changes you can make to your tank besides flow that will help you keep your acros alive unless you know exactly what is going on in your tank. While you are at it, invest in a quality Magnesium test as well since that is important too (though that tends to fall in line if Alk and Ca are correct).
If your acros are not colorful it is certainly not too little light and NOT too little nutrients - 3x MH is plenty. Flow may be lacking, but that isn't going to change the coloring all that much, that'll more determine growth patterns and branch thickness. You absolutely need to know accurately and precisely what your levels are. API test kits are 110% garbage for this.
Before buying anything else, get quality test kits since without them you are just dumping money in the dark. Additional flow can never hurt (like am MP or Tunze), but that isn't going to color anything up.
For Alkalinity, you need either a Hanna Checker or a Titration style test kit (Salifert, Red Sea Pro, Lamotte, etc.).
In your case, there are absolutely no changes you can make to your tank besides flow that will help you keep your acros alive unless you know exactly what is going on in your tank. While you are at it, invest in a quality Magnesium test as well since that is important too (though that tends to fall in line if Alk and Ca are correct).
If your acros are not colorful it is certainly not too little light and NOT too little nutrients - 3x MH is plenty. Flow may be lacking, but that isn't going to change the coloring all that much, that'll more determine growth patterns and branch thickness. You absolutely need to know accurately and precisely what your levels are. API test kits are 110% garbage for this.
Before buying anything else, get quality test kits since without them you are just dumping money in the dark. Additional flow can never hurt (like am MP or Tunze), but that isn't going to color anything up.
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mcarroll
10K Club member
If you plan to keep running halide, consider running Radium bulbs if you are able. Perfect color IMO and another 5-10% boost in output "for free".
What ballasts are you running?
-Matt
What ballasts are you running?
-Matt
sprinklerdudes
Valuable Member
just my 2 cents, which is not worth much. when I first started in salt water I could not get sps to live longer than about three months. I tried everthing ever one recommended, I finally gave up. I had a few pieces that came on some live rock and did not start to grow until the tank was about four years old. I figured that I was doing to many water changes, and that the tank just needed to mature. I do run carbon in a sock, that I change out once a month. I feed very sparingly, after the tank matured for a while things balanced off, and care and maintenance was much easier. the biggist problem I have know is scrapping the coraline algea off the glass. take a sample of your water to someone who has a lot of sps, and let them test it for phospates just in case. also make sure not to put the new sps frags too close to any of the softie corals, you would be suprised the warfare that goes on in a tank at night.
mcarroll
10K Club member
Ah, I just saw your photo of the lights and the setup - tough setup with the center brace. Not sure why I missed that before.
(BTW, my 50 breeder is old-school - braceless...weighs a ton though.)
So, again if you plan to change the lights....
That brace is killing the effectiveness of your third light.
I think over time I'd...
...decommission the middle light a.s.a.p. - absolutely not worth the electricity and bulb replacements required...
...lower the remaining two to 6" off the water - or whatever the minimum height is to still get complete coverage (no shadows)...
...and upgrade to Radium bulbs. Your ballasts (European) are perfect. With this you'll be at around 180 watts per bulb.
Use the lux meter to make sure you don't make any changes in the short term that are too big.
Use it to compare old and new bulbs when you switch them to see what differences there are.
Also use it to tweak your lights to try and get your surface lux peak up to 30,000 lux or even higher.
Again, again....this whole issue is very secondary to the flow issue in terms of importance to your corals. :)
-Matt
(BTW, my 50 breeder is old-school - braceless...weighs a ton though.)
So, again if you plan to change the lights....
That brace is killing the effectiveness of your third light.
I think over time I'd...
...decommission the middle light a.s.a.p. - absolutely not worth the electricity and bulb replacements required...
...lower the remaining two to 6" off the water - or whatever the minimum height is to still get complete coverage (no shadows)...
...and upgrade to Radium bulbs. Your ballasts (European) are perfect. With this you'll be at around 180 watts per bulb.
Use the lux meter to make sure you don't make any changes in the short term that are too big.
Use it to compare old and new bulbs when you switch them to see what differences there are.
Also use it to tweak your lights to try and get your surface lux peak up to 30,000 lux or even higher.
Again, again....this whole issue is very secondary to the flow issue in terms of importance to your corals. :)
-Matt
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Too much direct flow on the SPS is a possibility.
But as mention before check your # not twice but three times.
Browned out and dying SPS most likely due to High levels of PO4 or as also said before pests.
Light shouldn't be a problem short term but balance of your water can be a big deal.
Test your water everyday and write down you results.
Temps must be in range too, no large swings.
Let us know what you find out more.
But as mention before check your # not twice but three times.
Browned out and dying SPS most likely due to High levels of PO4 or as also said before pests.
Light shouldn't be a problem short term but balance of your water can be a big deal.
Test your water everyday and write down you results.
Temps must be in range too, no large swings.
Let us know what you find out more.
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