Led lights

[Steve4tear]

Since changing to LED lights I am having trouble with color and no growth on live rock. All I can diagnose is these lights are not strong enough. I have a 75 gallon reef tank. We'll established. Any advice or other?? Thank you!

 

[Rare]

Might help if you let everyone here know what LED do you have now

 

[Steve4tear]

Yes it's a green element double strip.
I should add I replaced my halite with LEDs.

 

[mr_X]

Coralline algae can thrive under just a curly-Q energy saver bulb, so the odds are you are killing it with too much light too soon. What wattage halides did you remove...150s? If so, they put out very little PAR and this is definitely your problem. How are the corals, bleaching too, or turning brown?

 

[Steve4tear]

Doug, thank you. Yes the halides were 150's. I've also had 2 anenome die off. I've wondered if it's been to much light. I can make one strip just actinic blue and leave the other strip both blue and white. I also may be leaving them on to long. Suggestions? Thank you.

 

[mr_X]

How long have you had the new lights on? The trouble is there was no acclimation to the stronger light. Now all you can do is either raise them up, or some folks do the window screen method- go buy a roll of window screen from home depot, cut it in 3 or 4 sheets, put them over the tank between the water and the light, then remove one each week or so until you are at full strength. The damage has been done however, and You may just need to let it take it's course now. Even though you killed off a bunch of coralline, it will eventually grow back. The corals are another concern though.
How old is your tank? It might just be a bit too new and unstable for anemones at this point. Generally, I see anemones duck down in the rock work if there is too much light, not just sit there and bear it until they die.

 

[Steve4tear]

The light has been active for 4 weeks. I think I'll have to wait for it to repair itself now. I will also set light timer for 8 hrs. It's set at 12 hrs now. Feel bad I didn't research better. I did lose 2 cleaner shrimp as well. It's all very strange. Brown algae has dissipated.

 

[mr_X]

Cleaner shrimp didn't die from lighting. Check your parameters.

 

[Steve4tear]

Strange thing is ammonia nitrates and ph were fine. Idk

 

[mr_X]

How about acclimation? How long have you had them? How long has this tank been running?

 

[Steve4tear]

Doug, the tank has been up for 5 years. Maybe it's just petco that's the problem. They don't survive long. They lived for 3 to 4 days. Thank you.

 

[Steve4tear]

The LED I have is a green element evo quad. 3 watt leds. 64 leds total. 16 actinic, 48 10000k. 75 gallon tank. 48" wide. Thank you.

 

[Gregcoyote]

That's 2.56 watts per gallon which is quite a lot in the led world especially if the tank is only 24" deep or less.

For example, my system is mostly stoney corals and the 300 gallon tank is 32" deep. I light it with about 400 watts of led with lenses (to accommodate depth). That's about 1.3 watts per gallon. That replaced 1400 watts of MH/actinic which was 4.66 watts per gallon. I think X is right, you may have underestimated the actual PAR the led is producing.

A lot of folks end up buying dimmable panels and many times end up operating them at 50-75% power.

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[Steve4tear]

Greg, thank you! Live and learn. X mentioned screens to filter lighting. Any other suggestions? I have turned off part of the lights as you can switch it back and forth for wattage purposes. Thank you also x for your help. REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I owned a pet store with lots of tanks and pets years ago. Just goes to show you never have all the answers!!

 

[Rare]

X gave you the answer for non-dimmable LED is to raise the fixture if you are able too depending on your fixture the light might spill over- Try it put- Most these led units tell you to raise it 12-16'' above the water line. When i got the AI I had to do it in stages for acclimation with very low percentages on the control.

Greg no lens (90/120) on your led?

 

[Gregcoyote]

Yes, I have 60 deg lenses installed on Cree 3 watt leds as the fixtures hang over a foot over the water and the tanks deep.


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[Gregcoyote]

Yes, I have 60 deg lenses installed on Cree 3 watt leds as the fixtures hang over a foot over the water and the tanks deep.


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[Steve4tear]

The green element light doesn't come with hangers unfortunately. I assume you made some lenses for dispersion?

 

[Gregcoyote]

I distribute RapidLED, so I tend to use their stuff. But the lenses makes the fixture more versatile in the way it's hung. Also using lenses helps with color mixing and reduces the rainbow effects.


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