Radion XR30w G3 Pro - Nano 20g Intensity ?

[Berlibee]

Hello,

I switched from Kessil 360 (75%) to Radion XR30w G3 Pro and I run a Nano 20g mixed tank but mostly sps from now. I run my light at 16" from the water level, do you think I can go to 100% intensity? Or it's a very personal parameter and I should just test it and see how corals react ...

P.S: Acclimatization period was for 1 month from 35% to 70%.

Thank you.

 

[Waters]

I would definately not go to 100% intensity.....ever lol. I run two of them on my 105g mixed reef and neither goes above 60% total intensity. The Radions (especially the Pros) are extremely strong lights. Since the lights are pretty high up, I personally wouldn't go any higher than the 70% you are at. If you want to increase, go slowly over a long period of time and just watch for any negative reactions.

 

[Berlibee]

Thank you @Waters
Anyone run it at 100% ? I think @Battlecorals did it before ....

 

[Berlibee]

More opinions are super welcome !

 

[sevens_up77]

I run a 60 gal 24in cube and my max intensity is 65%.

 

[Berlibee]

Thank you for sharing the information.

 

[Battlecorals]

Thank you @Waters
Anyone run it at 100% ? I think @Battlecorals did it before ....

Lol yes indeed. I run all my LEDs at 100% but I keep them relatively higher, and enjoy larger and more balanced spread as well. I guess I never really understood the logic behind lowering intensity and keeping them closer to the water. Maybe that just the all or nothing mentality I've adopted using halides for so many years lol

 

[Berlibee]

Hehehe thanks Adam.

 

[bevo5]

Whoa - that's a lot of light.

I ran an XR30 on my 29 Biocube. I used the Ecotech mounting arm so it was however high off the water that thing is. I initially set the intensity to 20% and worked my way up to about 40% over the course of a couple weeks. Well, almost immediately my LPS started to bleach out and as the intensity crept higher the SPS even bleached out. It was so hot.

I finally settled on the light being at about 30% at the peak - but even then I could only keep high light SPS up top. LPS needed to chill out lower.

It's a ton of light. At 16 inches you will probably have better luck.

Also - I run three 30's on my 200g that is 24in deep. The lights are set 12 inches above the water line. Currently the lights do not go above 40% and I've never had my corals looking better. The SPS are growing like crazy and all the LPS seem very happy. I'm going to amp the intensity as bit - but I couldn't imagine putting a 30 at 100% on a smaller tank.

 

[reefwiser]

Thank you @Waters
Anyone run it at 100% ? I think @Battlecorals did it before ....

At 100 % on a 20 gallon you would burn your coral up the light would have to be mounted to the ceiling .
I you get a Par meter from a store or club and check out the Par on your tank. Just because can run at 100% doesn't mean you should.
My Fusion 4o 20" deep I run currently at 35%
If you start getting RTN after a coral has been in the tank for a couple of weeks your intensity is to high in that spot. Corals can get by with less light at the beginning than what you thing. Many corals do well at 80 par. SPS do good 200 to 300 par.

 

[Berlibee]

Ok thank you.

 

[Berlibee]

Oh, look posted few hours ago:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=948208251928974&set=gm.590189927805050&type=3&theater

Read the comments.

 

[reefwiser]

That is a much larger tank than a 20 gallon tank. Also gen 2 and gen 1 models. Don't have UV an the higher intensity of gen 3 pro's.
Saw this last night noticed the coral started low in the tank and grew up to the light so it morphed with the light it was getting over 1 and 1/2 years.

 

[Berlibee]

I can't really understand what is the difference large tank or small tank when we're talking about light intensity. What is the difference please, let say the coral will stay on the same spot as in 20g but tank will be larger ... how this will affect it?

 

[reefwiser]

Well here is a video showing how to use a Par meter. I he show how corals are doing at different Par levels in a tank. It is basicly the distances from the light source. A 20 gallon tank with a Radion mounted 9 " from the water as Ecotech recommends at 100% intensity would have a par of 600 t0 800 at the sand bed.
At the sand bed you want to have a Par between 80 and 100 then as you move to the top of your rock work 250 to 350 Par. You need this variation for the corals to survive in your aquarium. Not all corals need to be blasted with light for 10 hours a day most can do well with a lot less light that you thing. In fact high light can hinder many corals in your aquarium.

 

[Berlibee]

No, sorry I must be asking it wrong. I understand how it's working, Par etc. I mean I hear many times that small tank don't need that much intensity. But if I run for example at 50% and on top of the water it would read 600 Par on a 20g, it will read exactly the same 600 Par on a 75g in that spot it's not that the light provide more light if the tank is smaller. You've said "That is a much larger tank than a 20 gallon tank." but if I keep the light on the same high and intensity I will have exactly the same amount of light as the guy have in large tank, it's just that my area would be 18 x 18.

To be clear large tank example:

And small will have the same amount of light on the same high and intensity, just smaller surface is affected and many light will just be unused.

My question is why people saying that small tanks don't need that much light when it's exactly the same amount.
At this moment I don't understand and the only one explanation that I'm thinking of is no3 usage maybe @Russ265 can help here.

 

[reefwiser]

because the tanks are shallow 16" to a large tank 30" that is a big difference in light penetration. Light intensity drops greatly as it passes thru water.
That's why corals have adapted to Blue light as the red and yellow spectrum of light is filtered off by the water like a prism. Our human eyes are adjusted to ren and yellow light of the sun so our eye'a are really bad at judging what light corals need. There is also a difference in light source. An LED is a stronger pinpoint of light that a T5 or MH which is a broader less hot spot light source. So you need to take that into account in adjusting the levels with your tank.
At 16" and 30 percent with a Xr30 pro you will get the same out of your light that a person with a deep tank would get running 100%.

 

[Russ265]

No, sorry I must be asking it wrong. I understand how it's working, Par etc. I mean I hear many times that small tank don't need that much intensity. But if I run for example at 50% and on top of the water it would read 600 Par on a 20g, it will read exactly the same 600 Par on a 75g in that spot it's not that the light provide more light if the tank is smaller. You've said "That is a much larger tank than a 20 gallon tank." but if I keep the light on the same high and intensity I will have exactly the same amount of light as the guy have in large tank, it's just that my area would be 18 x 18.

To be clear large tank example:

And small will have the same amount of light on the same high and intensity, just smaller surface is affected and many light will just be unused.

My question is why people saying that small tanks don't need that much light when it's exactly the same amount.
At this moment I don't understand and the only one explanation that I'm thinking of is no3 usage maybe @Russ265 can help here.

@reefwiser pointed it out perfectly...

it really has to do with depth. most of my sps are halfway down a tank that has a height of 32". at 16" (halfway) i am bombing my corals at around 550-600 par.

if i used a 40 breeder, i would get 600 par on the sand bed.

 

[Berlibee]

Thank you guys, so when people saying "small tank" we're talking about depth, so depth is the main parameter here. I need to try find a Par-Meter and test it.

 

[reefwiser]

Yes the depth of a tank with the distance from the light source. Will give you the par level. When you bring a coral into a tank you need to start at it at the lowest light level of par in the tank and move it very slowly up to where it needs to be. Not all corals Need 600 par.