Setting up my first LED's. No idea what im doing! Lol

Dsanchez1221

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Hey everyone! (Sorry this turned into such a long post)

So I just recently returned to the hobby after about a 3 year break. Previously I had about 6 years under my belt. However, I never had LEDs before. I always used fluorescent type tube lights and only ever had to set an on/off timer.

About 4 months ago I bought and setup a JBJ Nano-Cube 28g with the built in LEDs under the hood. So far I LOVE it and the lights themselves are beautiful and really showcase the tank and it's few current inhabitants. Up until a week ago, it only had 2 clown fish, a peppermint shrimp, 3 snails and 2 hermits so I just had the lights come on and off with low intensity for about 5 hours a day, keeping the intensity low to try and minimize the growth of algae. A week ago I bought a small colony of Zoas (they were labeled "Goblins on Fire" in the LFS if you care to know) with about 30 polyps on it, and a 3 polyp frag of Zoas ("Armor of God" which are absolutely beautiful under the LEDs).

So now that I've started adding corals I want my lighting to be the best it can be but I have absolutely NO idea what I'm doing when it comes to all this intensity and spectrum stuff. The corals seem to be doing very well as far as I can tell. The "Armor of God" frag settled in after about a day and a half. All 3 polyps open wide and beautiful within about 3 minutes of the morning lights starting to ramp up. The "Goblins on Fire" colony take a bit longer and there are usually 4 or so polyps that stay closed throughout the day, but it is always a different 3 or 4 heads that do not open and the ones that do open, seem pretty healthy and colorful by the looks of them. When the lights start ramping down in the evening and the intensity gets low for the last hour or so of the day, there is about an hour period of mostly just blue spectrum. During this time all of the polyps begin to slowly retract and close for the night. They are beautiful during this time, really showing off their colors!

Now I know that they will most likely adjust themselves if I give them a chance so I haven't been adjusting things very much at all and I don't want to cause more stress but I don't want to cook them either. I can tell just by looking with my naked eye that the lights anywhere above 80% intensity just seem so bright! It hurts my eyes just looking at the tank when they are set that high and the room lights are off. Especially the white light! I am considering renting a PAR meter and learning how to use it but wanted some insight from all of you first.

Does anyone else have the JBJ all-in-one with these lights? What does everyone else's intensity/spectrum schedule look like?

I've attached screenshots of my schedule in the JBJ app. The first number is the white LEDs, the second number is the red and the third number is the blue. I have not added any red spectrum because I've had A LOT of people tell me that LPS and softies don't use the red very much at all and the red spectrum only encourages algae blooms and growth. What are your thoughts on this and should I add maybe just a little red for a couple hours a day?

Thanks again for everyone's help!

1595855161358Capture+_2020-07-27-08-04-59.png 1595855191669Capture+_2020-07-27-08-05-19.png
 

Phil D.

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Hi Sanchez!! I had the JBJ WiFi for a long time and my corals, (and clam!!), were very happy. The schedule you have is a good one, but I would bump the blue to 100 at your peak and have it at 1 for the night as moonlight also take the whites down to a max of 25 as it will burn the corals over time.. I since have upgraded to a Red Sea E-260 with AI Hydra 26 HDs.
 
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Dsanchez1221

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Great! Thanks for you quick reply! The owner of my favorite LFS also advised me to leave the blue at 1 all night for moonlight as well so I will go ahead and do that. It's insane how intense the white LEDs are so I will definitely lower them more.

I love the look and customization that LEDs bring but I wish manufacture's would put a lot more into their instructions and guides. There is zero information for/about the LEDs. Not even on their website! This goes for just about all LED manufacturer's. Someone new to the hobby, or LED lights can quickly get overwhelmed with the options they present and can easily kill off their livestock.

Thanks again for the advice!
 

BlueMermaid

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Hey everyone! (Sorry this turned into such a long post)

So I just recently returned to the hobby after about a 3 year break. Previously I had about 6 years under my belt. However, I never had LEDs before. I always used fluorescent type tube lights and only ever had to set an on/off timer.

About 4 months ago I bought and setup a JBJ Nano-Cube 28g with the built in LEDs under the hood. So far I LOVE it and the lights themselves are beautiful and really showcase the tank and it's few current inhabitants. Up until a week ago, it only had 2 clown fish, a peppermint shrimp, 3 snails and 2 hermits so I just had the lights come on and off with low intensity for about 5 hours a day, keeping the intensity low to try and minimize the growth of algae. A week ago I bought a small colony of Zoas (they were labeled "Goblins on Fire" in the LFS if you care to know) with about 30 polyps on it, and a 3 polyp frag of Zoas ("Armor of God" which are absolutely beautiful under the LEDs).

So now that I've started adding corals I want my lighting to be the best it can be but I have absolutely NO idea what I'm doing when it comes to all this intensity and spectrum stuff. The corals seem to be doing very well as far as I can tell. The "Armor of God" frag settled in after about a day and a half. All 3 polyps open wide and beautiful within about 3 minutes of the morning lights starting to ramp up. The "Goblins on Fire" colony take a bit longer and there are usually 4 or so polyps that stay closed throughout the day, but it is always a different 3 or 4 heads that do not open and the ones that do open, seem pretty healthy and colorful by the looks of them. When the lights start ramping down in the evening and the intensity gets low for the last hour or so of the day, there is about an hour period of mostly just blue spectrum. During this time all of the polyps begin to slowly retract and close for the night. They are beautiful during this time, really showing off their colors!

Now I know that they will most likely adjust themselves if I give them a chance so I haven't been adjusting things very much at all and I don't want to cause more stress but I don't want to cook them either. I can tell just by looking with my naked eye that the lights anywhere above 80% intensity just seem so bright! It hurts my eyes just looking at the tank when they are set that high and the room lights are off. Especially the white light! I am considering renting a PAR meter and learning how to use it but wanted some insight from all of you first.

Does anyone else have the JBJ all-in-one with these lights? What does everyone else's intensity/spectrum schedule look like?

I've attached screenshots of my schedule in the JBJ app. The first number is the white LEDs, the second number is the red and the third number is the blue. I have not added any red spectrum because I've had A LOT of people tell me that LPS and softies don't use the red very much at all and the red spectrum only encourages algae blooms and growth. What are your thoughts on this and should I add maybe just a little red for a couple hours a day?

Thanks again for everyone's help!

1595855161358Capture+_2020-07-27-08-04-59.png 1595855191669Capture+_2020-07-27-08-05-19.png
Thank you so much for posting this. My JBJ WiFi hood was delivered yesterday and I had been searching for lighting schedules all weekend in preparation but kept coming up empty handed. This is very helpful.
 
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Dsanchez1221

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Thank you so much for posting this. My JBJ WiFi hood was delivered yesterday and I had been searching for lighting schedules all weekend in preparation but kept coming up empty handed. This is very helpful.
Im glad you found it helpful! I really struggled as well when I first set mine up. I have tweeked the schedule just a bit since I posted. I mainly just took the advice in the first reply and a few minor tweaks.
 

Colorz

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If you are still interested I am in the process of measuring par throughout my jbj 28 wifi with the brs rental. I can post the results when I am done.
I would love to see it! Been struggling figuring out mine as well as JBJ def gives zero info! So glad I found this post!!!! Thanks everyone
 

Colorz

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Im glad you found it helpful! I really struggled as well when I first set mine up. I have tweeked the schedule just a bit since I posted. I mainly just took the advice in the first reply and a few minor tweaks.
Possibly share your updated light schedule? TIA :)
 

Colorz

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Hey everyone! (Sorry this turned into such a long post)

So I just recently returned to the hobby after about a 3 year break. Previously I had about 6 years under my belt. However, I never had LEDs before. I always used fluorescent type tube lights and only ever had to set an on/off timer.

About 4 months ago I bought and setup a JBJ Nano-Cube 28g with the built in LEDs under the hood. So far I LOVE it and the lights themselves are beautiful and really showcase the tank and it's few current inhabitants. Up until a week ago, it only had 2 clown fish, a peppermint shrimp, 3 snails and 2 hermits so I just had the lights come on and off with low intensity for about 5 hours a day, keeping the intensity low to try and minimize the growth of algae. A week ago I bought a small colony of Zoas (they were labeled "Goblins on Fire" in the LFS if you care to know) with about 30 polyps on it, and a 3 polyp frag of Zoas ("Armor of God" which are absolutely beautiful under the LEDs).

So now that I've started adding corals I want my lighting to be the best it can be but I have absolutely NO idea what I'm doing when it comes to all this intensity and spectrum stuff. The corals seem to be doing very well as far as I can tell. The "Armor of God" frag settled in after about a day and a half. All 3 polyps open wide and beautiful within about 3 minutes of the morning lights starting to ramp up. The "Goblins on Fire" colony take a bit longer and there are usually 4 or so polyps that stay closed throughout the day, but it is always a different 3 or 4 heads that do not open and the ones that do open, seem pretty healthy and colorful by the looks of them. When the lights start ramping down in the evening and the intensity gets low for the last hour or so of the day, there is about an hour period of mostly just blue spectrum. During this time all of the polyps begin to slowly retract and close for the night. They are beautiful during this time, really showing off their colors!

Now I know that they will most likely adjust themselves if I give them a chance so I haven't been adjusting things very much at all and I don't want to cause more stress but I don't want to cook them either. I can tell just by looking with my naked eye that the lights anywhere above 80% intensity just seem so bright! It hurts my eyes just looking at the tank when they are set that high and the room lights are off. Especially the white light! I am considering renting a PAR meter and learning how to use it but wanted some insight from all of you first.

Does anyone else have the JBJ all-in-one with these lights? What does everyone else's intensity/spectrum schedule look like?

I've attached screenshots of my schedule in the JBJ app. The first number is the white LEDs, the second number is the red and the third number is the blue. I have not added any red spectrum because I've had A LOT of people tell me that LPS and softies don't use the red very much at all and the red spectrum only encourages algae blooms and growth. What are your thoughts on this and should I add maybe just a little red for a couple hours a day?

Thanks again for everyone's help!

1595855161358Capture+_2020-07-27-08-04-59.png 1595855191669Capture+_2020-07-27-08-05-19.png
Also, is this the 40w Led fixture? That's what mine is so just wanted to ask and make sure we have the same one :)
 
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