ATI T5 Have I done the right thing?

[fishkeeprian]

Not sure if I've made the right move switching over to full T5.
Colours seem to be paling out I'm now running the fixture for 5 hours day 8" over my tank. 5 blue+ and 1 purple + I'm just worried I've made a mistake.

 

[Bpb]

Not sure if I've made the right move switching over to full T5.

Colours seem to be paling out I'm now running the fixture for 5 hours day 8" over my tank. 5 blue+ and 1 purple + I'm just worried I've made a mistake.

Switching to t5's is never a mistake. But the light is different. Changing lights will inherently create a cascade effect in the tank.

Different spectrum, intensity, and coverage means corals receive different light in different spots. This can increase or decrease their rate of photosynthesis. Which can change growth rates temporarily, which can shift water chemistry, which will again stress the coral by its own hand as it were.

You just have to pay close attention to your husbandry and measurables, use a par meter, and expect a shift in color. When changing light sources, colors will typically worsen before they improve (if they improve). In many cases it'll cause a coral to wither dump much of its pigment to develop new ones as a response to the environmental trigger, or they'll just start producing more which can cause a browning until a new equilibrium is reached.

It's only been a few weeks right? When I switched back to MH from t5ho it took roughly 6 months before the color shifts stabilized. I'm not even convinced some specimens are done changing.


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[fishkeeprian]

Switching to t5's is never a mistake. But the light is different. Changing lights will inherently create a cascade effect in the tank.

Different spectrum, intensity, and coverage means corals receive different light in different spots. This can increase or decrease their rate of photosynthesis. Which can change growth rates temporarily, which can shift water chemistry, which will again stress the coral by its own hand as it were.

You just have to pay close attention to your husbandry and measurables, use a par meter, and expect a shift in color. When changing light sources, colors will typically worsen before they improve (if they improve). In many cases it'll cause a coral to wither dump much of its pigment to develop new ones as a response to the environmental trigger, or they'll just start producing more which can cause a browning until a new equilibrium is reached.

It's only been a few weeks right? When I switched back to MH from t5ho it took roughly 6 months before the color shifts stabilized. I'm not even convinced some specimens are done changing.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Thanks


I.have noticed some browning also. I am getting used to it alot more, I'm just not wowed at the minute but like you said things will be adjusting. I am seeing an improvement of colour on a couple of things tho. Just seems to be my sps that are impacted where I thought they would be changing for the better.

Is 5 hours 8 inch above water line enough?

 

[outssider]

most of us run more like 8 hrs on t5

 

[Oldreeferman]

Im running blue & violet T5HOs 10hrs. a day from 8am to 6pm 7 days a week. Everything in the tank is thriving & growing, no browning & no algae issues. Browning is usually a sign of the coral not getting enough light for complete photosynthesis so it adds more algae in its body to make up that loss which is brown, and growth will slow down also. No harm done, corals are re-adjusting to short lights on is my guess, id add an extra hr. a day until your at at least 8hrs. min & then see how things do. I doubt with T5s you will have any issues with bleaching or too much light as most SPS like a lot of light.