30G LPS T5HO question

M

mattyboombatty

New member
Hey everybody,

I've been battling with my new T5HO fixture I got. The tank is a 36" 30G aga an I keep mostly LPS - Frogspawns, torches, blastos, echinos, brains...that sort of thing. I also have a monti cap and some zoanthids.

I originally ordered 4x39w with icecap individual reflectors and an icecap 660 ballast. The bulbs were the recommended bulbs from reefgeek - 2 actinic plus 1 daylight, and 1 aquablue. They are all geissman.

The lighting on the tank before this new fixture was a coralife 2x96w pc fixture, which I had for a year with success. When I upgraded the light I put some eggcrate and a few sheets of screening (of which I still haven't removed the eggcrate and 1 sheet of screening) and also reduced the light duration to 6 hours(now back up at at 11hrs). After a few days everything lost color or browned out significantly. So I removed one of the actinic + bulbs from the fixture, and just ran 3 bulbs. Things continued to look like crap for a few weeks and eventually started looking a bit better, healthy at least. That's when I started increasing the light duration, and removed a couple sheets of screen over a couple month period. However, after a couple months things still were brown and ugly for the most part. A few weeks ago, I decided that maybe it was too much of the daylight spectrum, not enough actinic and switched the daylight bulb for the extra actinic + I had around. After a few weeks things still don't look much better.

I know switching the lighting around all willy nilly is a bad idea, and it sounds like I've done that but this is the culmination of around 5 months, I set the fixture up in August. I've tried to give my coral plenty of time to adjust to light changes, but they aren't looking any better IMO.

I'm pretty sure this is a lighting issue, as I've ran tests to make sure - NH4(0), NO2(0), NO3(0-1), PO4(0), Ca(410ish), Alk(2.5-3). My tank has a very low stock with 2 occ and a clown goby in a 30 with a 30 sump/fuge. And I do water changes every 2 weeks at 15G each.

So my questions - is three bulbs too much for LPS in a 16" tall tank? Would 2 bulbs be better? Maybe my light bulbs are crap and I should order new ones? So I guess, how many bulbs should I use above my 30g LPS tank and which bulbs should I use in that setup?

At this point I'm actually thinking of switching back to PC cause my corals looked better, but I've seen what some of the exact same corals can look like under T5HO (my friend had a set up before he moved and fragged me some corals), and that's why I bought the fixture. Everything from acros to zoas looked amazing in his 50 with 4 bulbs.

Thanks a ton for any help,
Matt

EDIT: BTW I have tried to search the forums (even read a lot of that silly long thread on T5s)but haven't really seen anybody running T5's on a 30 with LPS.
 
The Icecap is overdriving your bulbs producing a more intense light. The unit you have is producing a A LOT more par or available light for your corals. May be too many lights on your tank.... I believe that the Geismanns are great bulbs. Have you contacted reefgeek to ask about this issue. LPS and those included in your list corals are not real heavy duty light consuming corals.

I'd back off the light duration and take out a daylight lamp. They produce much higher par than the actinics.

HTH
 
About three and a half weeks ago I exchanged the daylight bulb for and actinic plus. I thought the same thing...might be too much light, maybe an actinic would help. Things aren't looking any better yet.

The bulbs I'm running now are

:actinic plus:
:aquablue:
:actinic plus:

I don't think I can remove the aquablue, it would only be actinic then.

You still think I should run 3 bulbs?

What would you suggest for a lighting duration?
 
You would replace the 660 with normally driven ballast like Triad or Advance. The 660 is a very versatile ballast and you could easily sell it to help recoup the cost.
 
I re read your post and have a thought, maybe others could give their thoughts

The browning is because of the corals producing / taking on more Zooxanthalle alge within their tissue. The coloration pigment of many corals is a result of high lighting and the coral protecting itself from UV and or intense light ergo bright tips on SPS corals. . As I rethink this, as corals get too much light and or are shocked by a powerful light change they tend to bleach or expell their zooxanthalle. (this can be deadly to the coral)

We may be thinking the wrong direction here....
By putting the eggcrate and screens on top of the tank, you might have reduced the light to a level below that of the PC's you previously had (especially if the screen is black or grey plastic )

QUOTE Fr Orig Post >>>>
The lighting on the tank before this new fixture was a coralife 2x96w pc fixture, which I had for a year with success. When I upgraded the light I put some eggcrate and a few sheets of screening (of which I still haven't removed the eggcrate and 1 sheet of screening) and also reduced the light duration to 6 hours(now back up at at 11hrs).QUOTE>>>>


At this point, if it were my tank, I'd do the following. Remove all shade / screens. (first light increase) Then after 3-4 days put the daylight back in and lower the photoperiod back to 6-7 hours. (incerase intensity and lower length of time exposed)
Watch the corals closely for bleaching. With the amount of additional zooxanthalle in their tissue, you may run a significant danger of bleaching if you increase the light too quickly.
They'll probably close up to some extent for the first few days. If they start to lighten significantly within a few days, back off on the photoperiod to 5 hours (or less). I read a Dana Riddel article that stated his belief that most corals get enough photosynthetic activity after about 2 hours of exposure to the sun. I wouldnt be worried in this scenario about starving them for light.

You may want to post on the T5 Q&A thread and see what grim or hahnmeister thinks.
 
Thanks Henry, I doubt it's less light though. I know it's not a quantitative measure, but it's a lot brighter in the tank by the eye. I'll try to find the T5HO thread and see what those guys think.
 
You probably have about the same light intensity as a 400 watt halide there. Take the IC ballast off and sell it. Can you say overkill?:D grab a couple triade ballasts, and go back to 4 lamps. Get a Pure Actinic for the 4th lamp. The Actinic Plus actually has a ton of PAR output.
 
Thanks grim!

I understand why having a 4 bulb set up would be ideal, but for the sake of time and $$ would running 2 bulbs with the icecap reduce the lighting enough? If so, what 2 bulbs would you run?
 
I spous but I like running more lamps so you get a better look. I guess running an aquablue and actinic plus would do the trick.
 
I spous but I like running more lamps so you get a better look. I guess running an aquablue and actinic plus would do the trick.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I really appreciate the help. I figured that's why you would recommend getting the other ballasts, and I'd agree, but I'm just a poor college kid :p . I'll try and save the beans I get at the lfs for a couple triad ballasts in the future. Or just upgrade my tank and use what I got :D .

With just the 2 bulbs, do you think I could eventually run without the eggcrate and screen(open top) eventually or should I keep that stuff on?
 
A pair of Triad ballast are ~ $80. A 660 goes for ~ 2x that much. You should be able to sell the 660, and buy the Triads and have a couple of $$ left over.
 
Hey guys. Just curious here but why do you think there is too much light if the corals are not bleaching? They are turning brown ?????
 
I just started learning about this last night but got a bogus DVD.

Lower light corals use bright colored pigments to reflect light back on the symbolic algae which is brown. The algae is outside the pigments so that any light that happens to flow past the algae will be reflected back on it. High light corals do the opposite, pigments are outside the algae.

What I ASSUME!!!! is happening is that the overkill light is too much for the corals so they fade the bright colors away leaving only the brownish Zooxynthle (SP?) as the dominate color. I spect when SPS bleach from too much light it is an attempt to do a better job of reflecting excess light away from the algae.

I am almost smart enough to understand this but not explain it:D
 
Ahhhhh, that makes sense.... Thanks.

Your last statement about SPS bleaching is not what I understand... Here's my take. The SPS start dumping Zooxanthalle alge because they are producing too much (food, o2 or whatever they produce inside the coral) for the coral to utilize. If the conditions are extreme the coral dumps all its Zooxanthalle and subsequently starve before the Zooxanthalle can be replenished.

AND
Thanks for all your contribution to the site.
 
not to take over the thread but man after reading this i am wondering if i should just go with the 4x24watt tek light over the 5x24 aquactnitics for my 29 gallon. What do you guys think? my tank dimensions are 30" long x 18" deep but the sand bed will put corals at about 16" deep.
 
Tremelo,

You are not taking over. I'm the one who took us off topic. I think you are headed the right direction. Grim may have a more specific answer for you but I think that the 4 light option is probably enough....

FWIW
 
hopefully he will chime in because he suggested the 5x24 because of the better reflectors and fan. I say i only want softies and some lps now but i also started out and wanted fish only. Hate to spend the money 3 times because i am already spending it 2 times upgrading
 
Either will be fine for your. The 5 lamp unit would give you more options as far as adding clams or anemones. If you are going to fill the tank with LPS using the Tek would probably give you an advantage, being able to keep corals happy near the top. Of course there are some pretty high ligh LPS too.
 
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