Not enough lighting ??

[woyeng**]

Just realised that some of the Zoas though near the top of the tank is still sticking their necks out.

Is this an indication of the light strength being insufficient ? I am using G2 170W and I read that LEDs can last 10 years...

Any comments ?

[Evolutionz]

What's your tank size? yes zoas extending out long is an indication that theres not enough lighting. If your tank is more than 21" tall, i suggest changing out your g2 to a better fixture like the maxspect Razor. Reason being :

G2 uses SemiLed While Razor uses CREE Leds, studies have shown that cree led output is alot higher than China made LEDs, meaning you probably need 5 SemiLeds to have the same output power of 3 Crees.

Razor uses 90 degree optics while G2 comes without any optics. SemiLed's LEDs have a spread of 120 degree, without the optics, you'll likely lose ALOT of PAR when it hits near your tank's bottom.

G2 LED getting old, how old is your fixture? Yes many company claims that LED can last 10,000 hours or 10 years but in actual fact they cannot last past even a quarter of that. Actually one of Maxspect G2 major flaw is that the SemiLeds tend to give away (melt away or dim down) once it hits 1.5 - 2 years. Those that hit near 1.5years will have their led's optics melted away (usually its the violets that go first).

I suggest if you plan to go for SPS in the near future, its probably time to upgrade your fixture. Either to a Maxspect Razor 160w, or you can consider other fixtures. Given the fact that you uses the 170W G2, i guess your tank size will be at least 3 - 4 ft long. You can consider the AI Hydra or Ecotech Radion Pro but you'll need 2 fixture for both since they dont cover as much.

If you plan to stick to softies or don't have much budget to upgrade, you can also simply add a 2 tube (individual reflectors) T5HO fixture to run together with your g2.

[woyeng**]

Thanks for the feedback bro.

Yes I have the feeling that lighting insufficient.

My tank is 3.5ft x 1.5ft x 2ft deep, currently deploying 1 G2 170W to cover whole tank. G2 is placed right on top of tank and the Zoa are about 6-7 inch from the light. Their neck is about 1/2 inch, considered long ?