Novices need LED lighting questions answered.

[hitawaah]

Originally Posted by Grimreaperz

Are you talking about positioning above the tank or what intensity to start at?

Starting intensity will depend on your livestock just fish. Start at 10% blue and 5% white and work your way up SLOWLY and see how they react. As far as position above the tank the lights manufacturer specs should help with that.

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Thanks for responding, yeah I'm talking about intensity. I have 4radion xr30w pros and a kessil ap 700 they are going in a canopy and I'm using glass lids. I have read the specs and have the setup designed for the light height. If you didn't read my first post I'm building a 300 gallon reef tank (96X24X30) so it's deep. I'm putting in roughly 400lbs. of dry rock (pukani and marco reef) seeded with nice live rock. After it cycles I'm going to start with some of the fish I mentioned. Once my parameters are stable for a few months then I will add some beginner corals. I've never done a reef I've had FOWLR and FO for over 20 years but never inverts, corals, and clams. I have never ran led lighting. So I know most of the fish I want wont be too bothered by light intensity but I still need a starting off point and I have no clue where to begin. I know when I add the corals the lights have an acclimation mode I can put them into then slowly ramp up. I also can place the coral deeper or higher depending on its needs. Thanks for the input at least I have something to go on for intensity purposes.

[Grimreaperz]

Yeah IMO it's always better to start lower then high. As the damage caused from not enough light is far less severe then that caused from too much.

I'm still quite new to the hobby myself but this would be my best guess. As melting or bleaching of corals can happen quite quickly under too much light.

I would say good starting point would be 10-15%blue and 5-10% white.

I only have cheap China LEDS and this is usually where I start the acclimation cycle with new corals. And gradually bring it up over the course of a month or so.

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[Ron Reefman]

If it's going to be fish only, why did you buy so much light? In fact, the fish don't need high PAR light and having high PAR light over a fish only tank is just asking for algae.

Do you intend to add corals in the future?

[hitawaah]

[QUOTE=Ron Reefman;24774067]If it's going to be fish only, why did you buy so much light? In fact, the fish don't need high PAR light and having high PAR light over a fish only tank is just asking for algae.

Do you intend to add corals in the future?[/QUOTE

Ron, it's not going to be FO i'm just starting with a few fish that I had mentioned in a prior post (tangs and such) then once I know my water parameters are stable for a few months then I'll move on to corals, I want to have sps and some clams way down the road. But I don't want to kill corals by just putting them in and learning on the fly. I'm still doing a lot of reading on how to keep sps healthy, thriving, and growing I don't want them to be just hanging on. Plus everyone has their way of doing it and there are a lot of different ways to get to the right water parameters. I know I need a few more pieces of equipment for corals unless I want to buy bottles to keep my parameters in the right ranges for sps. Thanks for the input though. Any advice you have for me I'd appreciate it.

[hitawaah]

Originally Posted by Grimreaperz

Yeah IMO it's always better to start lower then high. As the damage caused from not enough light is far less severe then that caused from too much.

I'm still quite new to the hobby myself but this would be my best guess. As melting or bleaching of corals can happen quite quickly under too much light.

I would say good starting point would be 10-15%blue and 5-10% white.

I only have cheap China LEDS and this is usually where I start the acclimation cycle with new corals. And gradually bring it up over the course of a month or so.

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Yeah I read a post that Ron was talking about that there is not much difference between the black boxes from china or wherever and the expensive ones that I have. His points were valid, wish I had his advice when I was dropping thousands on lighting, but it is too late now. I'm not unhappy with them they have a lot of features but I don't think the corals care much about a lot of them besides acclimation mode. Just saying there is sooo much to learn about reefkeeping and more to the point about sps and leds. Each corals has its own specific needs lighting, water flow, and parameters. Then leds are all different with their intensity and programs that you can run. I'm reading every day and asking questions as I get closer to putting this beast all together, I'm only a week or two to having it put together still a lot to be done though. Anyway I kinda got off topic. Thanks for the input!

[rookum]

I just bought a turnkey setup from a guy. LEDs are euphotica hoods, 16". I can't seem to get them dialed in without Cyano. I know they're 90° optical lenses. He had them hanging way too high. I'm lost. And chemiclean is making it impossible to use the skimmer.

[Grimreaperz]

Originally Posted by rookum

I just bought a turnkey setup from a guy. LEDs are euphotica hoods, 16". I can't seem to get them dialed in without Cyano. I know they're 90° optical lenses. He had them hanging way too high. I'm lost. And chemiclean is making it impossible to use the skimmer.

How old is the tank? Cyano is quite common in new tanks. Part of the cycling maturing process. Try to reduce feeding. And increase flow at the sand bed level.

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[Grimreaperz]

Originally Posted by hitawaah

Yeah I read a post that Ron was talking about that there is not much difference between the black boxes from china or wherever and the expensive ones that I have. His points were valid, wish I had his advice when I was dropping thousands on lighting, but it is too late now. I'm not unhappy with them they have a lot of features but I don't think the corals care much about a lot of them besides acclimation mode. Just saying there is sooo much to learn about reefkeeping and more to the point about sps and leds. Each corals has its own specific needs lighting, water flow, and parameters. Then leds are all different with their intensity and programs that you can run. I'm reading every day and asking questions as I get closer to putting this beast all together, I'm only a week or two to having it put together still a lot to be done though. Anyway I kinda got off topic. Thanks for the input!

Yeah these China LEDS definitely don't have features and it's all manual adjustments. So you do pay for what you get in regards of features. It seems you are on the right track. Just stay on the lower side when fish only. And then once you start adding corals that acclimation mode seems pretty hands free awesome!

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[hitawaah]

Originally Posted by Grimreaperz

Yeah these China LEDS definitely don't have features and it's all manual adjustments. So you do pay for what you get in regards of features. It seems you are on the right track. Just stay on the lower side when fish only. And then once you start adding corals that acclimation mode seems pretty hands free awesome!

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That is the plan I'm gonna start them low other than the kessil it will not run under 20% but the radions will and then ramp up the intensity weekly like 5%. I'll be paying attention to my fish to see if their behavior changes and also looking to keep algae down to a minimum. I'll use the same approach with corals but i believe corals will be easier than fish to tell if the light is too high. Thanks for the input.

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by Grimreaperz

Yeah these China LEDS definitely don't have features and it's all manual adjustments. So you do pay for what you get in regards of features.

I can't let that comment slide by.

There are several Chinese fixtures sold by Reef Breeders, Mars Aqua, Euphotica and Reef Radiance to name several off the top of my head, that have built-in controllers to do sunrise/sunset and special programs like sunny, cloudy, moon, and custom. The new Reef Breeder Photon V2 and EverGrow IT series of fixtures even have 6 channels of led control, so it's got most of what the expensive high end fixtures have at half the price.

I've had Radion leds and they really don't have anything worth double the cost over the Reef Breeders V2 IMHO.

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by rookum

I just bought a turnkey setup from a guy. LEDs are euphotica hoods, 16". I can't seem to get them dialed in without Cyano. I know they're 90° optical lenses. He had them hanging way too high. I'm lost. And chemiclean is making it impossible to use the skimmer.

Lighting probably isn't your issue. Lights can have some effect on cyanobacteria, but there are lots of other contributing factors as well. If you are trying to get rid of the cyano strictly by adjusting your lights you will likely be unsuccessful.

The one thing you can do is siphon out all the cyano and then run with your lights off for 3 days. Or 1 day with lights off and 3 or 4 days with just blue leds (the corals will be happier but the cyano won't like it.

But your real problem is probably flow (as Grimreaperz said) and nutrient (including carbon).

[Grimreaperz]

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

I can't let that comment slide by.

There are several Chinese fixtures sold by Reef Breeders, Mars Aqua, Euphotica and Reef Radiance to name several off the top of my head, that have built-in controllers to do sunrise/sunset and special programs like sunny, cloudy, moon, and custom. The new Reef Breeder Photon V2 and EverGrow IT series of fixtures even have 6 channels of led control, so it's got most of what the expensive high end fixtures have at half the price.

I've had Radion leds and they really don't have anything worth double the cost over the Reef Breeders V2 IMHO.

Oh yeah sorry I was talking about mine in particular I paid 150 shipped for Globalstar 300w 5wLeD x 60
Only has 2 channels with manual dials. I am.sure there are other China specials but you will still even pay more for those with the feature then those without. Just saying in general you get what you pay for. same in computers. I'm sure if I was to fork over an extra 100 or so I could have gotten cool features too. All still cheaper then the Radions but still paying that extra dollar for that convenience factor.

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[hitawaah]

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

I can't let that comment slide by.

There are several Chinese fixtures sold by Reef Breeders, Mars Aqua, Euphotica and Reef Radiance to name several off the top of my head, that have built-in controllers to do sunrise/sunset and special programs like sunny, cloudy, moon, and custom. The new Reef Breeder Photon V2 and EverGrow IT series of fixtures even have 6 channels of led control, so it's got most of what the expensive high end fixtures have at half the price.

I've had Radion leds and they really don't have anything worth double the cost over the Reef Breeders V2 IMHO.

Hello there Ron,
Yeah I was referring to you in the above post I had read your posts in another thread where you and another gentleman had a real healthy discussion about the differences. For me it was a real eye opener like I said probably too late now but useful in the future if I need a light. You point out a lot of aspects people just automatically say oh their cheap black boxes they must be junk whereas they aren't (some kinds might be) but you named the manufacturers and the model that you personally use. Thanks for your input!

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by Grimreaperz

Oh yeah sorry I was talking about mine in particular I paid 150 shipped for Globalstar 300w 5wLeD x 60
Only has 2 channels with manual dials. I am.sure there are other China specials but you will still even pay more for those with the feature then those without. Just saying in general you get what you pay for. same in computers. I'm sure if I was to fork over an extra 100 or so I could have gotten cool features too. All still cheaper then the Radions but still paying that extra dollar for that convenience factor.

No problem. It just seemed like you were throwing out the baby with tha bathwater, so to speak. There is a lot of junk from China, and even some of their better products still have some very weak points. But not all Chinese products are cheap junk. And I use some of those black box leds with manual dimmers. The light they produce will still grow most anything.

Originally Posted by hitawaah

Hello there Ron,
Yeah I was referring to you in the above post I had read your posts in another thread where you and another gentleman had a real healthy discussion about the differences. For me it was a real eye opener like I said probably too late now but useful in the future if I need a light. You point out a lot of aspects people just automatically say oh their cheap black boxes they must be junk whereas they aren't (some kinds might be) but you named the manufacturers and the model that you personally use. Thanks for your input!

Any time. I don't claim to be an expert, but I have over 12 years of experience and keep 4 tanks (400+ gallons total). Experience counts for something!

[hitawaah]

Any time. I don't claim to be an expert, but I have over 12 years of experience and keep 4 tanks (400+ gallons total). Experience counts for something!

In my opinion experience is the biggest part of this hobby. You can read all day and it helps but until your actually doing it or dealing with an issue that's where experience kicks in and mistakes don't get made as often. Also I really appreciate your willingness everyday to help people you don't know on this forum by sharing your experience and knowledge. I know you've answered a few of my questions and helped me make the right decision or point me in the right direction. People like you make this forum great cause you can get answers from qualified experienced people who have went through some of the same stuff as you. Please keep up the great work! Thank you.

[tri4god]

Very helpful. I want to convert from T5 lighting to LED. I have a reef tank with 2 clowns and a goby. I feel kind of lost with all the info out there on the internet,

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by tri4god

Very helpful. I want to convert from T5 lighting to LED. I have a reef tank with 2 clowns and a goby. I feel kind of lost with all the info out there on the internet,

If you have any questions (specific or general) ask away. There is help here.

[D_Nyholm]

I'm building a 40 breeder frag tank for LPS and softies. Might go to sps later but I doubt it. Any suggestion for a light that will be well under $200? I'm thinking the Mars Aqua 300w is my only choice or if I can find 2x used Chinese black boxes. Is there anything else out there that I haven't seen? I would definitely like to stay Led too. Thanks!

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[Ron Reefman]

There aren't a lot of choices for a 4' tank that are led and come in at under $200. The MarsAqua should be a good light for your needs though.

[rookum]

Originally Posted by Grimreaperz

How old is the tank? Cyano is quite common in new tanks. Part of the cycling maturing process. Try to reduce feeding. And increase flow at the sand bed level.

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Tank is a year old. I've had it two months. I'm assuming that along with it being a new tank the movie love it kick some things up and probably destabilized the tank to a degree. I'm just running the lights at 25%. More Blues than whites, right lower the lights to their 529 inch height above the tank with a should be for a 90 degree optic lens I just don't know how low I can turn these LEDs down if it's going to hurt the coral and not that type of stuff. Water parameters are fine except nitrates.
Salinity 1.026
pH 8.0
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Alk 8
Phosphorus 0
Cal 520
40 gallon breeder with a maxspect 130. Only running under halfway
Feed once a week now, was heavy handed when I got the tank.
Inhabitants are
6 line wrasse
Two snowflake clowns
Full sized engineer goby,so I was told.
Blue Dotty
Serpent star
One green carpet anemone
2 small btas bringing them back from the dead I think?
Few mushrooms
Two types of star polyps
Couple hermits and snail.
Used chemiclean two weeks ago but here I am again.

[rookum]

Originally Posted by Ron Reefman

Lighting probably isn't your issue. Lights can have some effect on cyanobacteria, but there are lots of other contributing factors as well. If you are trying to get rid of the cyano strictly by adjusting your lights you will likely be unsuccessful.

The one thing you can do is siphon out all the cyano and then run with your lights off for 3 days. Or 1 day with lights off and 3 or 4 days with just blue leds (the corals will be happier but the cyano won't like it.

But your real problem is probably flow (as Grimreaperz said) and nutrient (including carbon).

I did turn off one power head. Thought this maxspect gyre would be plenty. I can definitely dark out the tank. Thanks.

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by rookum

I did turn off one power head. Thought this maxspect gyre would be plenty. I can definitely dark out the tank. Thanks.

IMHO, the more flow you can have in your tank the better. Obviously, at some point the flow starts to disturb certain corals or the sand bed, but if everybody is currently OK with the flow, consider adding more. The new wavemaker pumps with adjustable speed and flow patterns really make this a lot easier than it use to be... back in the days of no waves and single speed pumps.

Good luck.

[rookum]

Turned off the light. Just running blues at 40 % to keep them happy. Cyano is already starting to peel off. I'll be siphoning what I can when I can. But for the first 24 I'm impressed. Have a great picture to post but my silly self can't figure it out at this time. Thanks. I'll be back

[Ron Reefman]

Originally Posted by rookum

Have a great picture to post but my silly self can't figure it out at this time. Thanks. I'll be back

It may be due to not having enough posts yet or just that you are new to the system. I expect a moderator will let you know now that you've asked. There is also a forum where you can ask such questions about how RC works.

[rookum]

Thanks Ron. Appreciate the help!