Let me see your lighting schedules!

[nautical_nathaniel]

I recently got a Maxspect Ethereal and I'm a bit stuck on how to schedule the lights. Right now I have it on an automatic color based schedule where you choose the color temperature and intensity you want and it does the rest.

My corals seem to be happy but I'm worried there may be a bit too much power on the UV channel as the tips of two of my acros look slightly bleached, emphasis on slightly as they are still showing good polyp extension normal coloration everywhere else. My Blasto and Montiporas are loving it and so are my zoas. One of my acros, a PC Rainbow which is in the same vicinity as the two acros with slightly bleached tips, is absolutely loving it and has had the most polyp extension since I switched lights and is also changing back to it's famous red color (after turning green under my old SB Reefs fixture). So I'm sort of stuck at whether or not to just adjust intensity of the one channel after copying the automatic program, or to try and model one of the proven schedule programs like the Ecotech Coral Lab schedules on my Ethereal.

I know different lights have different channels, led layouts and such, but I would love to see how you folks have your LED fixtures running and how it looks on your tank. I'd also really love it if you posted a screenshot of your lighting schedule and your thoughts and opinions on it!

 

[Crabs McJones]

Not a Maxspect, but this is my Kessil AP700 schedule. I run a 10 hour cycle starting at 10AM and off at 8PM with cloud cover and thunderstorms programmed in.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Not a Maxspect, but this is my Kessil AP700 schedule. I run a 10 hour cycle starting at 10AM and off at 8PM with cloud cover and thunderstorms programmed in.

Thanks for the input, I'll have to look more into Kessil's lights to see how they change spectrum relative to intensity. I see that the color temperature changes as the lights ramp up. That's sort of something I would like to do on mine since right now it keeps the same temperature regardless of intensity which I know is not something that naturally occurs in the wild.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Thanks for the input, I'll have to look more into Kessil's lights to see how they change spectrum relative to intensity. I see that the color temperature changes as the lights ramp up. That's sort of something I would like to do on mine since right now it keeps the same temperature regardless of intensity which I know is not something that naturally occurs in the wild.

The nice thing about the kessils is that it doesn't matter what color you put it at,the corals are getting proper spectrum for maximum photosynthesis. Adding in more whites and other colors are simply for aesthetics. It's apart of what kessil calls Kessil Logic.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

The nice thing about the kessils is that it doesn't matter what color you put it at,the corals are getting proper spectrum for maximum photosynthesis. Adding in more whites and other colors are simply for aesthetics. It's apart of what kessil calls Kessil Logic.

Yea, I was made aware of the kessil logic when I started researching lighting for my tank definitely a cool concept but the disco kept me away from actually getting a Kessil

 

[Crabs McJones]

Yea, I was made aware of the kessil logic when I started researching lighting for my tank definitely a cool concept but the disco kept me away from actually getting a Kessil

the disco?

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

the disco?

Every kessil lighted tank has a pronounced disco effect if only using a single kessil. I'd only need one A360W-E for my 20 gallon and I have my powerhead and outflows pointed at the water surface so there would be quite a bit of disco effect.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

The maxspect is about 300 par more powerful hannthe ap700 at the same distance.

I (as usual) will reccomend as par or lux meter to set the intensity. And reccomend setting a peak color temp by eye. A six tobeight hour peak imo and then ramp up to that. Add the hour or so of the blue only in the am /pm into that and have the whites come on after and them before the blues.

Fwiw the kessil logic just stops the user from adjusting the light to an unusable spectrum.

I would avoid the UV a bit. I'm playing with my SB on that one (greening experiments)

Beyond that set the light to an appealing color by eye and then set intensity and duration.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

The maxspect is about 300 par more powerful hannthe ap700 at the same distance.

I (as usual) will reccomend as par or lux meter to set the intensity. And reccomend setting a peak color temp by eye. A six tobeight hour peak imo and then ramp up to that. Add the hour or so of the blue only in the am /pm into that and have the whites come on after and them before the blues.

Fwiw the kessil logic just stops the user from adjusting the light to an unusable spectrum.

I would avoid the UV a bit. I'm playing with my SB on that one (greening experiments)

Beyond that set the light to an appealing color by eye and then set intensity and duration.

Thanks for the input! I will definitely keep that in mind as I make any adjustments. I know a guy in our local reefing club that has a seneye that I will try to borrow.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Thanks for the input! I will definitely keep that in mind as I make any adjustments. I know a guy in our local reefing club that has a seneye that I will try to borrow.

Cool. It's a really nice light. I'd like to see what it can do.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Cool. It's a really nice light. I'd like to see what it can do.

It fits perfectly with the IM Nuvo 20 as well, I'm surprised more nano folks aren't using it.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

It fits perfectly with the IM Nuvo 20 as well, I'm surprised more nano folks aren't using it.

Kessils are all the rage. Lol.

Me, I'll put as many lights in tank as I can.

Is three 16in sbs too much for a 55?lol.
#whatsashadow
#coveragefreak. #lighingsnob. #toolateiorderdthemalready.

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

Is three 16in sbs too much for a 55?lol.

I'm pretty sure the owner of SB Reef Lights here in Pensacola would tell you to put in more haha