Light tuning without a par meter

OTReefer

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Hi folks! First post here!

First off I’d like to say, thank you for welcoming me into the community. You folks have been a huge factor in my success.

I have been playing around with this biocube 32 led and after 8 months I just can’t live with the stock led hood anymore. I’m an avid aquarium owner with lots of experience in planted, freshwater, and brackish tanks. I finally took the plunge into reefing early this year and have had great success with growth, color, and propagation. It’s gotten out of hand at this point and now I have 7 tanks in the house.(up from 4) I’m still just scratching the surface of information and experience and would love as much input as I can get.
With my new lights I’m just trying to get what everyone likes in the tank or at least close. We took the hood off and placed a single Smatfarms 95w(ballin on a budget) about 5 inches from the water. Started out at %90 knowing that %100 would be too high with how low I had to mount the light. I’ve been bringing it down by %25 every other day until the corals start acting normal. I haven’t reached that point yet and we are on day 4. I am planning on getting a par meter in a few weeks and will grid the tank when that happens. For now I am just wondering if anyone has any tips.

2 20 long fresh planted
1 75 bowfront brackish GSP
1 90 gallon lowboy frag tank
1 75 gallon mixed reef drilled 40 g sump
2 32 gallon biocubes
5 stage Rodi
 

jsker

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You have some tanks there!!

Curved R2R Welcome 3-31-23 2.0 White.png
 

cdemoss01

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Hi folks! First post here!

First off I’d like to say, thank you for welcoming me into the community. You folks have been a huge factor in my success.

I have been playing around with this biocube 32 led and after 8 months I just can’t live with the stock led hood anymore. I’m an avid aquarium owner with lots of experience in planted, freshwater, and brackish tanks. I finally took the plunge into reefing early this year and have had great success with growth, color, and propagation. It’s gotten out of hand at this point and now I have 7 tanks in the house.(up from 4) I’m still just scratching the surface of information and experience and would love as much input as I can get.
With my new lights I’m just trying to get what everyone likes in the tank or at least close. We took the hood off and placed a single Smatfarms 95w(ballin on a budget) about 5 inches from the water. Started out at %90 knowing that %100 would be too high with how low I had to mount the light. I’ve been bringing it down by %25 every other day until the corals start acting normal. I haven’t reached that point yet and we are on day 4. I am planning on getting a par meter in a few weeks and will grid the tank when that happens. For now I am just wondering if anyone has any tips.

2 20 long fresh planted
1 75 bowfront brackish GSP
1 90 gallon lowboy frag tank
1 75 gallon mixed reef drilled 40 g sump
2 32 gallon biocubes
5 stage Rodi
Welcome to Reef2Reef!
 

Rick's Reviews

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Hi folks! First post here!

First off I’d like to say, thank you for welcoming me into the community. You folks have been a huge factor in my success.

I have been playing around with this biocube 32 led and after 8 months I just can’t live with the stock led hood anymore. I’m an avid aquarium owner with lots of experience in planted, freshwater, and brackish tanks. I finally took the plunge into reefing early this year and have had great success with growth, color, and propagation. It’s gotten out of hand at this point and now I have 7 tanks in the house.(up from 4) I’m still just scratching the surface of information and experience and would love as much input as I can get.
With my new lights I’m just trying to get what everyone likes in the tank or at least close. We took the hood off and placed a single Smatfarms 95w(ballin on a budget) about 5 inches from the water. Started out at %90 knowing that %100 would be too high with how low I had to mount the light. I’ve been bringing it down by %25 every other day until the corals start acting normal. I haven’t reached that point yet and we are on day 4. I am planning on getting a par meter in a few weeks and will grid the tank when that happens. For now I am just wondering if anyone has any tips.

2 20 long fresh planted
1 75 bowfront brackish GSP
1 90 gallon lowboy frag tank
1 75 gallon mixed reef drilled 40 g sump
2 32 gallon biocubes
5 stage Rodi
Reaction score is 109% , you know the power of lighting, you are basically doing the opposite
What's your concern
, we can help you in regards to lighting issues I think
 
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OTReefer

OTReefer

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Thank you all for the greetings!! I am happy to be here!!! Also, thank you to all those who reminded me I must’ve bumped my head lol. “Start with the lights high”… silly me! You folks once again with the save. I’ll take them back down and slowly go UP!! Then when I get the PAR meter I’ll get er tuned in right!!! Thanks again!
 

VintageReefer

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Most people don’t run their leds over 80%. Leds put out deceptively more par than it appears

I would start with 50%blue and 5-10% white

Corals can take heavy blue from led, it’s the whites that typically they need to adjust to

On my led fixture, which is completely different and probably irrelevant, I use 2 blue channels at 40%, uv at 40, and whites at 5%

Just giving an example that whites typically are much lower. And overall you don’t usually don’t need to push leds to full power for success
 

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