light schedule for leds

dgolan7 · 03/01/2015, 05:23 PM

I was just wondering what most people are running for light schedule using leds to grow sps. Right now I am running blues 6am to 10pm. Whites and full 6 hours each start left light at 10 center at 11 and right at 12.
I am trying to achieve great growth without sacrificing color.
Thanks in advance

Stackemdeep · 03/01/2015, 06:31 PM

Unfortunately the answer to your question would require that I have the same fixture. The manufacturers have different composition of LED on each of their channels so we can not compare apples to apples. My experience was that finding the sweet spot required leaving them alone for a couple of months then making a change and leaving them alone again for a few months. I found it important to hang them high enough to achieve proper blending. I really can't remember the last time I touched the settings instead focusing on the water and the husbandry. You might find it rewarding to focus on the corals health, polyp extension and color and just let growth happen as it will. Good Luck.

17" off water, 80/30 for 8 hrs. 2hr up/dn ramp. Reefbreeder 48.

kapelan · 03/02/2015, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dgolan7

I was just wondering what most people are running for light schedule using leds to grow sps. Right now I am running blues 6am to 10pm. Whites and full 6 hours each start left light at 10 center at 11 and right at 12.
I am trying to achieve great growth without sacrificing color.
Thanks in advance

6am to 10pm = 16h is too much.
Too much light will promote algae.
It's better to start from 5-6h and slowly add it.

Wazzel · 03/02/2015, 10:26 AM

Without knowing the fixture kind of hard to advise. I run a single AI hydra52. My run time is 14 hours. 5 hour ramp up, 4 hour max power, 5 hour ramp down.

I concur with making a change and letting it sit for months. I have been running almost the same profile I have now for almost a year. The few changes I have made were minor.

biecacka · 03/02/2015, 10:36 AM

I am in my 4th week of running leds. I run them for 12 hours. They max out at 38% blue, 27% white and other colors that only runs for about 4 hours. Like others I ramp up and down too. Probably increase my intensity 3-5% at a time next month.

Corey

Stackemdeep · 03/02/2015, 06:56 PM

Kapelan has a good point. My max period was only 5 hours and I increased it every other month or two until I reached the current period of 8. I see no need to change it at all now. I did find that some sps seemed to just take a while to get used to LED and showed little to no growth for months. Then, out of the blue, they switched on. I was told to wait it out, and not mess with the lights and those folks were right.

dgolan7 · 03/02/2015, 08:21 PM

Wazzel mine is about the same as your. I am running **** box leds with ramping. I turned the off one hour earlier. So we will see how it goes. Thank you to all of you

03/01/2015, 05:23 PM	#1
dgolan7 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: lakeland FL Posts: 57	light schedule for leds I was just wondering what most people are running for light schedule using leds to grow sps. Right now I am running blues 6am to 10pm. Whites and full 6 hours each start left light at 10 center at 11 and right at 12. I am trying to achieve great growth without sacrificing color. Thanks in advance

03/01/2015, 06:31 PM	#2
Stackemdeep Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Carolina Beach NC Posts: 429	Unfortunately the answer to your question would require that I have the same fixture. The manufacturers have different composition of LED on each of their channels so we can not compare apples to apples. My experience was that finding the sweet spot required leaving them alone for a couple of months then making a change and leaving them alone again for a few months. I found it important to hang them high enough to achieve proper blending. I really can't remember the last time I touched the settings instead focusing on the water and the husbandry. You might find it rewarding to focus on the corals health, polyp extension and color and just let growth happen as it will. Good Luck. 17" off water, 80/30 for 8 hrs. 2hr up/dn ramp. Reefbreeder 48. __________________ Paul Current Tank Info: 120g SPS tank

03/02/2015, 10:26 AM	#4
Wazzel Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Houma, LA Posts: 4,743	Without knowing the fixture kind of hard to advise. I run a single AI hydra52. My run time is 14 hours. 5 hour ramp up, 4 hour max power, 5 hour ramp down. I concur with making a change and letting it sit for months. I have been running almost the same profile I have now for almost a year. The few changes I have made were minor. __________________ Mark Beware the light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes it's a train. Current Tank Info: 120, LED, Bare Bottom, SPS/LPS

03/02/2015, 06:56 PM	#6
Stackemdeep Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Carolina Beach NC Posts: 429	Kapelan has a good point. My max period was only 5 hours and I increased it every other month or two until I reached the current period of 8. I see no need to change it at all now. I did find that some sps seemed to just take a while to get used to LED and showed little to no growth for months. Then, out of the blue, they switched on. I was told to wait it out, and not mess with the lights and those folks were right. __________________ Paul Current Tank Info: 120g SPS tank

03/02/2015, 10:36 AM	#5
biecacka Registered Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Columbus Ohio Posts: 6,361	I am in my 4th week of running leds. I run them for 12 hours. They max out at 38% blue, 27% white and other colors that only runs for about 4 hours. Like others I ramp up and down too. Probably increase my intensity 3-5% at a time next month. Corey

03/02/2015, 08:21 PM	#7
dgolan7 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: lakeland FL Posts: 57	Wazzel mine is about the same as your. I am running **** box leds with ramping. I turned the off one hour earlier. So we will see how it goes. Thank you to all of you