So lets talk LFS lights and their frag tanks...

[Overfloater]

I'd like to revive this thread because I see the same low light acropora care at my LFS.

This LFS has tons of acropora that are kept in 8x3' glass tanks. The corals are about 4-5" under the water and they light with Radions that are about 30" above the water. They are heavily weighted to blue. I would say 20K in ESL. Possible even less white.

I used my phone to get LUX measurements on these tanks and they were only showing 6-8K at the water surface. Yet many of these acros have been in the store for multiple months, and not only have they maintained good color but they are actively growing and they are even being fragged.

It's unreal. I'm not sure how such low par can produce these results. He also seems to run very low waterflow as well.

 

[Steven Garland]

Mine down here use Radions. Granted the 3 stores are the 3 main ones in FL LOL. Its to be expected.

But I also feel like with some stores,if params are steady,but lighting is "weak" coral growth,healthy and colors is VERY possible.

 

[Dana Riddle]

I'd like to revive this thread because I see the same low light acropora care at my LFS.

This LFS has tons of acropora that are kept in 8x3' glass tanks. The corals are about 4-5" under the water and they light with Radions that are about 30" above the water. They are heavily weighted to blue. I would say 20K in ESL. Possible even less white.

I used my phone to get LUX measurements on these tanks and they were only showing 6-8K at the water surface. Yet many of these acros have been in the store for multiple months, and not only have they maintained good color but they are actively growing and they are even being fragged.

It's unreal. I'm not sure how such low par can produce these results. He also seems to run very low waterflow as well.

The compensation point for many Acropora species is quite low (often less than a PAR value of 50) and a saturation point of ~300-400. It's a myth that SPS corals require lots of light to survive and thrive. With that said, coloration can increase with higher PAR and large colonies can self shade. In the latter case, and with high light intensity, the exposed portion of the branches will be bleached while the undersides house high populations of zooxanthellae.

 

[techdef]

My tank contents were at my LFS while we cycled up my new tank (rather than move it all at once) when COVID lockdown hit. They got stuck there for months under blue blue blue light from some radions like 3’ above the tank.

Pretty much everything turned brown, acans, clams, lobo, etc. not the rock nems, they’re fine. Lost a scolymia, fungia and two colonies of acans. I think they fed things well and had a high enough nutrient load to keep stuff stable, but not thriving long term as others have said.