T5 actinic bulb to reduce par?

SamMule

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Currently running Red Sea Max250 with the good ol 6 bulb T5 config.
Back to front:
Blue+
Actinic
Blue+
Actinic
Blue+
Coral+
I also added a 36" reefbrite actinic strip to the front of the hood to get some nice coral pop.

I find that I'm having issues with too much light for many of my corals.
Since I run high DKH, (~9.5) I'm riding the line of tip burning some of my acros.
Will swapping out one of my blue+ bulbs be an effective method of reducing PAR?
 

jda

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There is not less light coming from an actinic bulb, just less that the meter can read.

If you are burning tips, then it is not the light... this is a LED thing, not a T5 thing. Look at higher alk with very low N and P - the OG of burnt tips. Calcification increases significantly with lower N and P and the skeleton will grow faster than tissue can grow to cover the skeleton - the coral literally grows out of it's body. If you are going to keep acropora, then get that dKh down to NSW type of level.
 
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SamMule

SamMule

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Tips aren't burning yet. Just feel like I'm riding the edge.
IMG_20200711_200125.jpg

I have other corals that are getting too much light even in the sand bed.
Weird that tip burn would only apply to LED lights. Is it because LED is not as diffused as T5?

Either way, I guess my main question was answered.
Looks like I will be moving corals again...
 

jda

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It is a quality thing with LEDs that nobody understands, or cares to share if they do. I have had corals out in the sun in shallow tubs in the summertime under 2000 PAR and they THRIVE. 1250-1500 PAR from MH and the THRIVE. 900-1200 PAR from T5 and they THRIVE. Over 350 for most LEDs and they burn and die. Nobody has every come up with a good explanation.

I can assure you that a 6 bulb T5 is not too much light for any coral, let alone acropora.
 

blasterman

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Tips aren't burning yet. Just feel like I'm riding the edge.
IMG_20200711_200125.jpg

I have other corals that are getting too much light even in the sand bed.
Weird that tip burn would only apply to LED lights. Is it because LED is not as diffused as T5?

Either way, I guess my main question was answered.
Looks like I will be moving corals again...
I've bleached the stuff in the tanks with T5. Light is light.

More nonsense about dKH at NSW levels.

If you think your T5s are too bright run a strip of masking tape down one or two of your bulbs to reduce PAR.

That pic you posted looks like a healthy growth node on SPS. Note sure what the problem is.
 
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SamMule

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Ok... No offense, but I think I'll take Danas' advice.


Yes, my acros are fine and growing well. However, if my nutrients bottom out, I could have issues with tip burn. Reducing PAR will give me a little buffer here. I also have the issue with corals getting too much light. Now, rather than change salt mixes and mess with parameters, I would like to reduce PAR.
Thank you for the tape idea. I may give that a try.
 

Darrell Brady

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Currently running Red Sea Max250 with the good ol 6 bulb T5 config.
Back to front:
Blue+
Actinic
Blue+
Actinic
Blue+
Coral+
I also added a 36" reefbrite actinic strip to the front of the hood to get some nice coral pop.

I find that I'm having issues with too much light for many of my corals.
Since I run high DKH, (~9.5) I'm riding the line of tip burning some of my acros.
Will swapping out one of my blue+ bulbs be an effective method of reducing PAR?
Guess you have no way of raising your light.
 
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SamMule

SamMule

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How about just running 5 bulbs that's what I do in my max 250 . I have 550 par just below water surface and 100 par on sandbed.
I thought about that. However, I'm worried about it being bad for the ballast.
Speaking of par on that max250, did you take any other readings?
With the lights being that close to the water, I am wondering how much it drops as you move away from center
 

tattooed reefer

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I've been running 4 to 5 bulbs since January it's hasn't hurt a ballast yet . Only other readings I took was 14 inches down from lid opening was 180-190 par . I just put new bulbs in it today and got my par meter last week with old bulbs it was 350 par just below water surface . Gained 200 par by putting new bulbs in it . My old bulbs were well used and years old .
 

tattooed reefer

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Lol more shot then I thought it still looked good . Brs did a test and ati bulbs lose 20 percent in 18 months so if u do the math mine were old . Funny part is I could only get cheaper brand bulbs quick so I put in wavepoint bulbs 3 super blue 1 coral wave and 1 reef wave . Got 550 par I'm happy and it looks great , I'll see how long they last . Ati bulbs would be blue plus , purple plus and coral plus .
 
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SamMule

SamMule

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Ok. I just decided to remove 2 bulbs for awhile and see how that goes.
Now running:
Blue+
Blank
Coral+
Actinic
Blank
Blue+

I suspect with the 36" reefbrite actinic up front, my par should be close to what yours is.
 

tattooed reefer

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I wouldn't run more then two actinic bulbs if I had all 6 bulbs installed maybe 4 blue plus and 2 actinic. Any more would make the color look like purple Kool aid lol .
 

piranhaman00

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I thought about that. However, I'm worried about it being bad for the ballast.
Speaking of par on that max250, did you take any other readings?
With the lights being that close to the water, I am wondering how much it drops as you move away from center

I use a 250 for a macro tank, I only run 2 of the 6 t5 bulbs, why would this be bad for the ballast?
 
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SamMule

SamMule

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I use a 250 for a macro tank, I only run 2 of the 6 t5 bulbs, why would this be bad for the ballast?

It is not.
Since posting that, I have done a little reading... Flourescent bulbs do not draw power the same way an incandescent bulb does. To put it simply, the ballast controls the power supplied to the bulbs. Therefore, weather or not a bulb is in the socket is irrelevant.

Running fewer bulbs in the fixture will NOT hurt the ballasts or fixture.
 

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