Random RTNing am I nuking my tank with light?

[Macdaddynick1]

Unless you changed your light intensity recently. I think your are mistaken about your lights. It says your intensity set to 50% max and Not 100%. Your color spectrum is different than Intensity. Also I wouldn’t try to reinvent the wheel, or mess with the lights constantly. Set the tank to AB+ Or another template with no weird spikes and peaks. Set the light intensity to 25-30% max and never ever change that. That will eliminate one of the variables for you. If you’re interested in keeping corals alive and growing, you should always prioritize what the corals need as opposed to what you want in terms of the spectrum.

 

[a.t.t.r]

Unless you changed your light intensity recently. I think your are mistaken about your lights. It says your intensity set to 50% max and Not 100%. Your color spectrum is different than Intensity. Also I wouldn’t try to reinvent the wheel, or mess with the lights constantly. Set the tank to AB+ Or another template with no weird spikes and peaks. Set the light intensity to 25-30% max and never ever change that. That will eliminate one of the variables for you. If you’re interested in keeping corals alive and growing, you should always prioritize what the corals need as opposed to what you want in terms of the spectr

I just changed the schedule intensity today form 80 down to 50. That is where the system currently sits.

 

[Spare time]

I have two nero 3's mounted on the back wall on the left and right far corners of the tank. Set to 0-70 percent flow with medium - high variability while lights are on. I get 0 sediment buildup anywhere in the tank (including behind the rocks) and only minimal sand pickup (front two corners blow a lil sand every now and then)

Ok good. The first thing I always look for with SPS tn is flow not getting to the inside of the colonies. PS, you might find target feeding spirulina to help with phosphates. That stuff is loaded with it. There is also the obvious of reef roids too.

 

[a.t.t.r]

Unless you changed your light intensity recently. I think your are mistaken about your lights. It says your intensity set to 50% max and Not 100%. Your color spectrum is different than Intensity. Also I wouldn’t try to reinvent the wheel, or mess with the lights constantly. Set the tank to AB+ Or another template with no weird spikes and peaks. Set the light intensity to 25-30% max and never ever change that. That will eliminate one of the variables for you. If you’re interested in keeping corals alive and growing, you should always prioritize what the corals need as opposed to what you want in terms of the spectrum.

Ok I changed it to the radiant color template and only thing I changed was adding moonlight for an hour or so

 

[RGoltz]

FWIW I have three XR15 G5 PRO over my 48” tank. Running at 100% intensity with the following channel settings at peak daylight (4 hours):

• Blues: 100%
• Red, Green: 20%
• Warm White: 35%
• Cool White: 80%

This gives me 275-325 par wall-to-wall (just looked at my notes and actually 300-350). The only exceptions being created by rockwork. The front glass is 450.

I think you are nuking with PAR. I also think some of the older PAR meters don’t work well with blue LED…

 

[X-37B]

Oh yeah that was corrected and most of the corals bounced back or are still regrowing.. The monti caps that i have had since the start have doubled insize since then and are now growing into eachother ( they seem to love what ever light setting i throw at them despite being centered under the xr15)
The lights are both gen 5 xr15 pros.

When it comes to everything else in the tank I pretty much know what I am doing I used to run multiple frag tanks and an LFS. It has just been years and the LED's are the only new element to me. When I left the hobby MH was king and T5's were just becoming popular and icecap ballast were king.

Cool. I just made the switch after 30 years of halides. The biggest issue most reefer have with leds is constantly adjusting the colors, imo.
If it was my system I would remove one xr15. How long have you run 2? I see in January when your build stopped you were only running one. Are these gen 5, pro or blue?

 

[a.t.t.r]

Cool. I just made the switch after 30 years of halides. The biggest issue most reefer have with leds is constantly adjusting the colors, imo.
If it was my system I would remove one xr15. How long have you run 2? I see in January when your build stopped you were only running one. Are these gen 5, pro or blue?

Gen 5 pro. Single light was way to many shadows Id rather keep it at two and drop intensity and stop trusting my par meter.

 

[X-37B]

Gen 5 pro. Single light was way to many shadows Id rather keep it at two and drop intensity and stop trusting my par meter.

Ok. How long after installing #2 did the issues start?
Any current full tank pics with the 2?

 

[Lavey29]

As others have told you, way to much light for a nano tank. One XR15 at maybe 40 to 50% intensity is plenty.

 

[a.t.t.r]

Ok. How long after installing #2 did the issues start?
Any current full tank pics with the 2?

Issues were before light 2. And always seemed to start on shaded part of the coral which is why I went for a second light to try and kill of the shading.

 

[X-37B]

Unless you changed your light intensity recently. I think your are mistaken about your lights. It says your intensity set to 50% max and Not 100%. Your color spectrum is different than Intensity. Also I wouldn’t try to reinvent the wheel, or mess with the lights constantly. Set the tank to AB+ Or another template with no weird spikes and peaks. Set the light intensity to 25-30% max and never ever change that. That will eliminate one of the variables for you. If you’re interested in keeping corals alive and growing, you should always prioritize what the corals need as opposed to what you want in terms of the spectrum.

I agree. I just made the switch from halides to led. I run 6-16hds on 3 seperate systems.
On my new 80g growout tank I have one xr15 blue running ab+ at 100/100. Still getting used to the light as it looks very T5ish to me.
Its only been a week, tanks only 13.5" deep, but I am seeing growth on the tips of several test frags I have put in.
Still not sure I want to run blue and may get a pro to compair and then sell the one I dont want.

My 16hds really bring the color and I am quite impressed with them so far.
Here is my my 20g nano cube running 2 16hds. My frag system runs 3 and a remote 30g fuge runs 1.

 

[X-37B]

Issues were before light 2. And always seemed to start on shaded part of the coral which is why I went for a second light to try and kill of the shading.

So you are still having the issues with 2?

 

[X-37B]

Just went back and noticed 1 thing.
SG 1.025-1.028?
That could be your issue if it is your true range, imo.
Acros like stability and imo thats not a stable range.
I am able to keep my 20g at 1.026-1.0265 24/7.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Ok good. The first thing I always look for with SPS tn is flow not getting to the inside of the colonies. PS, you might find target feeding spirulina to help with phosphates. That stuff is loaded with it. There is also the obvious of reef roids too.

And dont forget benepets

 

[Spare time]

And dont forget benepets

I've been wanting to try that. It sounds like its supposed to create less waste due to the bacteria mixed in, though I don't know the details.

 

[X-37B]

And dont forget benepets
[/QUOT]
Feed your fish not your corals, its the only way, lol.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Seal.

 

[a.t.t.r]

Just went back and noticed 1 thing.
SG 1.025-1.028?
That could be your issue if it is your true range, imo.
Acros like stability and imo thats not a stable range.
I am able to keep my 20g at 1.026-1.0265 24/7.

It is a very very slow change over the course of a month depending on how I mix the salt.

 

[X-37B]

It is a very very slow change over the course of a month depending on how I mix the salt.

Still makes no sense to me. SG is one of the easiest things to maintain. Why would you want it to fluctuate is the real question I guess?
Pics?

 

[92Miata]

Cool. I just made the switch after 30 years of halides. The biggest issue most reefer have with leds is constantly adjusting the colors, imo.
If it was my system I would remove one xr15. How long have you run 2? I see in January when your build stopped you were only running one. Are these gen 5, pro or blue?

He should lower intensity, not remove lights. Two lights at lower intensity are much better than one at higher - because you get multi-directional light, and not nearly as many issues with shading inside colonies. This is why pretty much every lighting manufacturer (except kessil) keeps moving towards wider spacing of diodes. (and why big halide reflectors are better)


I currently run 4 gen3/4 XR15s over a 24" cube. It works great. Much better than when I was running a single XR30