Lighting Program Suggestions

[316Reef]

I have a standard dimension 120 gallon tank with external overflow and my currently lighting is 2 Nicrew HyperReef 200s (Gen 2)

The tank has been running roughly 6 months and although i have see some growth on hammers, acro and mushrooms, my zoas haven't really had any growth and in some cases have lost a few polyps and i feel the colors dont have any pop to them.

Some items were moved from my 32 gallon that was powered by 2 Prime16HDs

Here you can see my zoa garden which is a mix of newer frags and older but their colors to me seem washed out compared to when i saw them online/in store when purchased. I also recently purchased 2 montis and it's the same case. the zoas are at the bottom of the tank whereas the montis are between 8-12" off the bottom.

Purple monti with green polyps

Spiderman Porite

Im curious if my lighting schedule is on par (no pun intended) with my corals needs and if any adjustments are necessary/warranted to achieve better coloration. I did some research when i first got the lights and found somewhere i believe on this forum someone with a similar setup and lights and i copied their schedule and made slight modifications. Below is my current schedule (which ramps up and down):

8:00am: Vi=0 B=0 W=0 G=0 R=0
9:00am: Vi=27 B=40 W=4 G=2 R=4
11:30am: Vi=43 B=60 W=15 G=10 R=18
1:00pm: Vi=47 B=65 W=20 G=15 R=25
3:00pm: Vi=43 B=55 W=15 G=10 R=18
6:00pm: Vi=32 B=45 W=4 G=2 R=4
7:30pm: Vi=10 B=20 W=0 G=0 R=0
9:00pm: Vi=0 B=0 W=0 G=0 R=0

The photos above were taken at 12:13pm for reference so the values were somewhere between the 11:30 and 1pm values.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

There is a clue in your picture, this is stretching. I would turn the lights up until you notice they are not stretching anymore.

 

[316Reef]

There is a clue in your picture, this is stretching. I would turn the lights up until you notice they are not stretching anymore.

I'll give that a go, thanks

 

[minus9]

Just use a 12hr photo period with at least an 8hr peak period. Rent or borrow a par meter and know for sure.

 

[dwest]

How high are your lights mounted above the waterline?

 

[Reef Jedi]

Looks like corals are stretching as mentioned above. The Monti is growing up instead of out.

I would increase light intensity. Best bet is with a par meter and seeing levels at all depths. Unless you do this it’s a complete guess.

 

[316Reef]

How high are your lights mounted above the waterline?

The lights are mounted 11" above the water

 

[316Reef]

Looks like corals are stretching as mentioned above. The Monti is growing up instead of out.

I would increase light intensity. Best bet is with a par meter and seeing levels at all depths. Unless you do this it’s a complete guess.

The monti is a new addition that i just added a week ago so can't go by that one.

 

[316Reef]

Thanks for all the responses. I increased the intensity by about 25% and will monitor things and make adjustment as needed. Don't want to overdo it or cause an algae outbreak.

 

[dwest]

The lights are mounted 11" above the water

I have a par meter and those lights. Interestingly, if you put the light model, height mounted above water, percent output, and depth measured, you can get a pretty good PAR estimate by googling it.

My lights are closer to the water, but I’d guess your PAR is around 100 where your zoas are.

 

[oreo54]

I'll give that a go, thanks

There are hints here:
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/nicrew-hyperreef-200-gen-2-par-readings.1136444/

11" is too high for the Nicrew and 120 degree stock lenses.
I believe 7" face of the light to the waterline would be more ideal.

The optional NICREW HyperReef Narrow Angle Lens Kit for the HyperReef 200 Gen 2 changes the standard 120-degree frosted wide-angle lens to a focused 90-degree beam. This accessory increases central PAR output by about 90% and surrounding PAR by 50%, making it ideal for deep aquariums or high-demand corals.