Your favorite Metal Halides for Acropora Growth and Coloration

[Kfactor]

I’d love somebody to test the horticulture reflectors vs something like Hamilton Cayman Sun. I bet the PAR is similar. I wonder why they do the bumpy bumps and not smooth and more reflective. Not sure how much difference that makes.

i think its to bounce more light around

 

[wrassie86]

I wonder how much the PAR drop off is with RB’s?

Reefahholic said:
I’d love somebody to test the horticulture reflectors vs something like Hamilton Cayman Sun. I bet the PAR is similar. I wonder why they do the bumpy bumps and not smooth and more reflective. Not sure how much difference that makes.

Some of the earlier DE reflectors where hammer tone. I think aqua medic fixtures used them.

 

[Reefing102]

I’d love somebody to test the horticulture reflectors vs something like Hamilton Cayman Sun. I bet the PAR is similar. I wonder why they do the bumpy bumps and not smooth and more reflective. Not sure how much difference that makes.

As mentioned, I think it’s to bounce more light around. But if I remember right, it may have been Sanjay, said the more light bounces around the more par is lost though I don’t know if that’s the exact wording, but I think I read it was somewhere around 10% loss

 

[X-37B]

The hammertone finish on horticulture reflectors spreads the light out over said canopy by reflection.
I run adjust a wing reflectors on one hydro setup and its the beat I have seen in many years.
I also run a led that has same finish. It provides better light distribution with the small reflector than without.

The only smooth ones I have seen are on some CMH units although some use the hammed look.
315 watt CMH's are designed around a 3x3 footprint.

 

[njreefkeeper]

The hammered texture material was also used in the Lumenmax Elite reflectors I use. They need to be lifted off the water a good distance with the focused light area they illuminate.

 

[Smite]

Cozumel Suns are a blend with hammered in the corners and large surfaces mirror finish.


Those were an awesome find @rc1626. Looking forward to how they perform for you. I bet the screws and wingnuts could be replaced with rivets pretty easily for a more permanent assembly too. Very cool.

 

[wrassie86]

Tanks a bit of a mess right now and acros waiting in the shade aclimating from led tanks. But here is my old school 10k look. Then moves into 20k before 470 nm to end the day. Lps grow like weeds.

 

[Reefahholic]

Have the Halides at 23” off the water now (from 25”), and will run them for 4 hrs until I get them to 15-18” off the water. Then I will start slowly increasing the photo period.

Any objections? Speak now or forever hold your peace!

 

[minus9]

Have the Halides at 23” off the water now (from 25”), and will run them for 4 hrs until I get them to 15-18” off the water. Then I will start slowly increasing the photo period.

Any objections? Speak now or forever hold your peace!

I never adjusted the height of the fixtures, I simply reduced the photo period. I mounted at the proper height and just added 15 minutes each time. I started at 4hrs, but hit 5hrs in less than two weeks. This was coming from all LEDs to halides/LED bars. I really wouldn’t overthink this process. I find acropora are more forgiving of halides coming from LEDs, than the other way around. I’m currently at 6 1/2hrs of halides and it’ everything is growing and coloring nicely.

 

[Reefahholic]

I never adjusted the height of the fixtures, I simply reduced the photo period. I mounted at the proper height and just added 15 minutes each time. I started at 4hrs, but hit 5hrs in less than two weeks. This was coming from all LEDs to halides/LED bars. I really wouldn’t overthink this process. I find acropora are more forgiving of halides coming from LEDs, than the other way around. I’m currently at 6 1/2hrs of halides and it’ everything is growing and coloring nicely.

I honestly find it really easy as well. All the corals seem to be enjoying the new light source.

Should I just go ahead and drop it to 15-18” now? How far is yours from the water surface?

 

[Reefahholic]

This is 23” off surface.

 

[minus9]

I’m about 12” from the water.

 

[Reefahholic]

Here’s comes Andrew Sandler. Not sure if this link will work here:

If Vinyl can come back , over cd , then these fossils definitely have a future . You might guess whats coming next ! | By Polo Reef by Andrew Sandler | Facebook

If Vinyl can come back , over cd , then these fossils definitely have a future . You might guess whats coming next !

fb.watch

 

[wrassie86]

I'm about 13 inches off the water (DE super lumen) and have had 0 bleaching from LPS. and that was going from 20k to 10k Par increase was about 100 par. I went from 6hrs run to 4 hrs run and will increase back to 6hrs.

 

[X-37B]

I would get to 8hrs at current height then slowly increase to hrs wanted.
My 250's were 14" from surface to bulb and I ran 8 hrs from day one.

 

[X-37B]

Sorry I meant set at 8hrs then reduce the height to desired level over a period of time from current height.

 

[BILLYO382]

Watch Away. LEDS Vs. Halides

Fantastic. Data shows up everything!!!! Facts

 

[djf91]

Here’s comes Andrew Sandler. Not sure if this link will work here:

If Vinyl can come back , over cd , then these fossils definitely have a future . You might guess whats coming next ! | By Polo Reef by Andrew Sandler | Facebook

If Vinyl can come back , over cd , then these fossils definitely have a future . You might guess whats coming next !

fb.watch

I can’t see what wattage. Are these going over his smaller tanks or big one?

 

[reefnfun]

I figured I would chime in. I love this thread. 240 gallon tank with 2x 400 watt radium halides with large lumenbrite reflectors and 1 250watt phoenix 14k bulb in the middle. Halides run 8 hours. And the reefbrite xho run for 10hours me w he at do you all think?

 

[CoralFragZ]

@CoralFragZ what do you think. He ran Halides for years.

I ran mine along side of black box leds for many years here are some pics under 4 radium's and 8 block boxes. 5 hours is usually enough for photo saturation. These photos are ~2014 in my old 320 gallon reef.