Lighting for SPS

[tanit]

Hi All

Need some advice from all of guru here.

After 3 years of reefing I just fall in to darkside by going to SPS for the pass 5 months. I was using LED ligh(250W MH equivalent). I have no question on sustain of SPS as I can see PE and new grown some was growth very fast like red and green monti cap. But for some Acro,What I found is Majority of each colony was browning except the new growth that color up but base still brown.

First I confident that this should not because of water parameter as all parameter was in control and quit stable.

NO3 -> ~0.2 By Salifert

PO4 -> ~0.15 By Salifert

KH -> ~8 By API

Ca -> ~420 By Salifert

Mg -> 1300 By Salifert

Note: I am using FM ULNS and dose trace element through dosing pump.

And this my thread for tank condition ->

I am just switch back From LED to MH for some experiment. I go for 250W as I just got deal from reefer and to be fair compair with LED set that I have. I will track the progress and see outcome after 1 Month (Not sure is this time given enough any recommend???)

However I got some question on

1. Advice on Photo period for MH per day

(My current setting 7 Hrs and 4x80W t5 7 Hrs Both is overlap. total should 9Hrs/Days)

2. What reccomend hight of MH bulb to water surface water.

In parallel I also explore on 400W MH. (This is not about to keep SPS at the sandbed. But for amout of light that will push throug to surface and for SPS light loving on top of the tank)

- Is 400MH giving alot more heat compare to 250W?

- What (Generally) is photo periode for 400W compare to 250W? (Shorter periode?)

- What is hight of Bulb to water surface? ( It's should be higher than 250W right?)

- I read on some thread that if using good e-ballast on 250W can push PAR to same level of 400W on common ballast (Same reflector and same bulb). Is this true statement? As if this true it's better to go for good brand of ballast insated of go for 400W.(Event price of good brand will be 2 times more)

For help in advance

[gchoo]

Bro,

Lighting is just oone of the parameters you have too be aware of...but looking at your water parameters, it seems that your PO4 is way too high at 0.15. You need to reduce it to between 0.03-0.07. Best if you get a Hanna PO4 tester...Salifert and other test kits will not be as accurate as you as want it to be.

Rgds

[tanit]

Sorry for PO4 should be 0.015 as I double up water and test regent.

Any recommend where can I get Hanna PO4 meter and what is proce range.

[CFOh]

Sorry for PO4 should be 0.015 as I double up water and test regent.

Any recommend where can I get Hanna PO4 meter and what is proce range.

pmed... Thanks for the frag....

[limsc]

Good to know how will your 250W MH compared to LED.

Guess you should be keeping all parameters similar for an accurate comparsion.

I do hear from 1 SPS reefer (from CCK) that he changed from MH to LED then back to MH for some similar reason.

Hopefully they can share in this thread..

[tanit]

Good to know how will your 250W MH compared to LED.

Guess you should be keeping all parameters similar for an accurate comparsion.

I do hear from 1 SPS reefer (from CCK) that he changed from MH to LED then back to MH for some similar reason.

Hopefully they can share in this thread..

Yes that my plan I try to control it as much as I can. Anyway now I running both one side MH one side led.

Btw now my MH bulb is around 8-9 inch above water is it to high?

[gchoo]

Sorry for PO4 should be 0.015 as I double up water and test regent.

Any recommend where can I get Hanna PO4 meter and what is proce range.

U can check if there's anyone who want to sell theirs or get it from the Hanna Instruments SG at Kallang.

[Joe_P]

Yes that my plan I try to control it as much as I can. Anyway now I running both one side MH one side led.

Btw now my MH bulb is around 8-9 inch above water is it to high?

There is no hard and fast rule as to the distance between the MH and water surface.

Dependin on the reflector type, you will be getting a wider light spread is the MH is placed further distance from surface compromising light intensity.

Nearer water surface, you'll be getting heavier intensity and more focused light source. Place your fixture according to your reefs' needs.

And please do take note of salt spray as these could easily limit the performance of even the highest quality reflectors.

[cedricang]

Hi Bro,

Just some input for your MH level from water surface.

Take note not to shock your sps from MH in the begining. If possible, either adjust your MH level from at least 9 inches or start with a shorter photo period (say around 4 hrs).

Eventually, to say the least, the nearer the MH to the surface level should ideally be better since you will be injecting the highest intensity to pamper your most light demanding sps species, though you might sacrifice some spread as a result. The only issue is now with regards to the heat that emits from the ultra hot temperature. Hence you will need to install some fan to help disperse some heat from directly heating up the water surface.

[Solo77]

Just be prepared glass might shatter if u place too near the water surface unless yr mh don't have the glass protection. In that case, yr reflector or mh bulb will subject to salt spray. Having said this, if u are keeping less "flying" fish.

[cedricang]

Bro, any update on your new MH versus LED lightings

[CFOh]

Bro, any update on your new MH versus LED lightings

Sifu, so fast can tell meh!? Haha.. Happy CNY

[cedricang]

Happy CNY bro haha...dont suan me lah CF, i am just a little curious hows fast would the sps colour changes from LED to MH, cos me got no money to try out LED mah. But imo, I notice that for some specimen such as letistella, monti cap or birdnest can react to light pretty fast. However that's with the case from the same lighting type while shiftinig from lower to higher lighting levels.

Cheers

[CFOh]

Happy CNY bro haha...dont suan me lah CF, i am just a little curious hows fast would the sps colour changes from LED to MH, cos me got no money to try out LED mah. But imo, I notice that for some specimen such as letistella, monti cap or birdnest can react to light pretty fast. However that's with the case from the same lighting type while shiftinig from lower to higher lighting levels.

Cheers

Ya, I believe MH still more convincing for sps. But some time very hard to quantify which factors is more important than others... Anyway. Is interesting topic to study sps response on LED to MH..

Hihi, I can help u DIY LED if u wan... but very poor workmanship..

Cheers

[cedricang]

Thanks bro for the kind offer, dont think i would be trying LED anytime soon as many bro has not got convincing feedback for sps so far...would wait for the LED technology to be more mature before venturing into this area.

Btw, I am convince that MH (as compared to T5) has a much superior effect on bringing out the luminous intensity pigment of sps, have done some experiment on milles before and the results are quite astonishing

[onizukaa]

yo cf and prof ang! tycoon Lee T5 is enough the let the SPS boomz... prof ang also using T5 that can boomz boomz many sps...

led must have good placement and power enough to boomz sps.. in the future confirm might over take MH haha.

[CFOh]

yo cf and prof ang! tycoon Lee T5 is enough the let the SPS boomz... prof ang also using T5 that can boomz boomz many sps...

led must have good placement and power enough to boomz sps.. in the future confirm might over take MH haha.

Tycoon Lee total T5's add up is equivalent or more than MH consumption..

[tanit]

Bro, any update on your new MH versus LED lightings

So far is not think notisable. One more parameter that I forgot is aged of the MH bulb. Because I do not the age of the blub but atleast from my eye it must brighter. I know it cannot compair by our own eye. I have no idea how to measure anyway

[CFOh]

So far is not think notisable. One more parameter that I forgot is aged of the MH bulb. Because I do not the age of the blub but atleast from my eye it must brighter. I know it cannot compair by our own eye. I have no idea how to measure anyway

I am also looking for something able to quantify the output, but heard quite ex... so far I only used normal Lux meter to check the brightness..

http://www.glassreef.com/equip_apogee.htm

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2008/2/review

Product specification:

http://www.eiccontrol.com/productos/productos/productos%20quantum/Medidor_mano/QMSS.pdf

Cheers...

[CFOh]

I am also looking for something able to quantify the output, but heard quite ex... so far I only used normal Lux meter to check the brightness..

http://www.glassreef.com/equip_apogee.htm

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2008/2/review

Product specification:

http://www.eiccontrol.com/productos/productos/productos%20quantum/Medidor_mano/QMSS.pdf

Cheers...

Quantum meter (photosynthetic photon flux)

[sherman]

Depending on what you want to measure.

If it is the light output in lumen or lux then

get a light meter.

But if you going to measure the PAR value then

you need a PAR meter.

This is about 5 to 6 times the price of a normal

lux meter.

Do you really need it?

[iskay]

for corals, it's all about par. Naked eye cannot see the difference. When I changed my aging Mh bulb recently, the new one looked less bright but the corals seems to get more par as their extension is lesser. Less area to expose to get the same amount of par. So getting a par meter maybe more appropriate.

Sent from my Milestone using Tapatalk

[tanit]

I don't think will go for any measuring meter as no budget for it. In worst case will go for new blub if one month still have no improvement.