Do I have too much light?

[EasyEd77]

Although the coraline algae in my aquarium grows, it is very dull in color. It is a mild pink to bleached look. The calcium in my aquarium is always 450+, I have a calcium reactor and I constantly monitor my parameters. The tank has been set up for around a year and a half and the coraline is just not where I expected it to be at this stage.

Could I have too much light? I have a 75 gallon AGA that is 20" deep. I am lighting it with an icecap 6 bulb T5 HO conopy retrofit fixture with individual reflectors. The bulbs I am using are 4 ATI Blue Plus bulbs, one Fiji Purple, and one GE 6700. All of my SPS corals look healthy but do not have the best color and I think my light may be bleaching them out as well.

 

[rtparty]

Although the coraline algae in my aquarium grows, it is very dull in color. It is a mild pink to bleached look. The calcium in my aquarium is always 450+, I have a calcium reactor and I constantly monitor my parameters. The tank has been set up for around a year and a half and the coraline is just not where I expected it to be at this stage.

Could I have too much light? I have a 75 gallon AGA that is 20" deep. I am lighting it with an icecap 6 bulb T5 HO conopy retrofit fixture with individual reflectors. The bulbs I am using are 4 ATI Blue Plus bulbs, one Fiji Purple, and one GE 6700. All of my SPS corals look healthy but do not have the best color and I think my light may be bleaching them out as well.

Are you overdriving the bulbs with IceCap ballasts or you just have IceCap reflectors?

6 bulbs over a 75g isn't too much light if you are using spec T5 ballasts that don't overdrive the bulbs. I would say your nutrients are too low. Corals aren't getting enough food.

If you are overdriving the bulbs, yes you more than likely have too much light.

 

[EasyEd77]

The bulbs put off 54 watts of light each. HO means they are being over driven correct?

 

[rtparty]

The bulbs put off 54 watts of light each. HO means they are being over driven correct?

No that means they are High Output. They are run by a spec T5 ballast if they are running at their designed wattage. Do you happen to know who the ballast is made by?

How close are the bulbs to the water surface? How long is your lighting period?

 

[EasyEd77]

It is an icecap ballast from reefgeek.com. The bulbs are about 12" from the surface of the aquarium and I run the lights 8 hours daily.

 

[Fishingpcola]

Icecap ballast will over drive the bulbs. I have same setup with 8 bulb config with 2 icecap ballast.

 

[EasyEd77]

I was thinking of changing 2 blue plus bulbs for 2 actinic. Do you think this would help?

 

[EasyEd77]

Anyone?

 

[rtparty]

I was thinking of changing 2 blue plus bulbs for 2 actinic. Do you think this would help?

Changing the ballasts will be the best idea. Actinics last less than 6 months when overdriven.

For the time being, shorten your lighting period down to like the 6 hours a day.

That IceCap is overdriving each bulb to about 80 watts. That is a TON of light over a 75g tank.

 

[EasyEd77]

Here is the description of what I bought:
48" 6x54W SLR T5 High-Output Retrofit Kit w/ Bulbs IceCap

Rather than change the ballast I am going to remove a couple of bulbs. I can always add them back if needed.

 

[rtparty]

Here is the description of what I bought:
48" 6x54W SLR T5 High-Output Retrofit Kit w/ Bulbs IceCap

Rather than change the ballast I am going to remove a couple of bulbs. I can always add them back if needed.

Well your description shows that you don't have an IceCap ballast. Reefgeek calls their retro kits that have an IceCap ballast, Very High Output.

Are your ballasts super skinny or bulky?

High Output is different then Very High Output. Different ballasts are used for each.

If you have the standard High Output setup, changing a Blue Plus for an actinic will work nicely for you.

 

[EasyEd77]

The retrofit kit is definitely made by icecap. It looks like they no longer sell the kit I purchased on reefgeek. The ballasts are skinny. I was scratching my head when you threw out the 80 watt thing. Thanks for clarifying, do you think I should swap out one or two blue plus for actinic?

 

[sminker]

Umm.. there are two Icecap ballasts that are widely used. The model number will make a huge difference.

Is it a 440 or a 660? 660 will overdrive the 440 runs them at normal operation.

 

[rtparty]

Umm.. there are two Icecap ballasts that are widely used. The model number will make a huge difference.

Is it a 440 or a 660? 660 will overdrive the 440 runs them at normal operation.

430 and 660?

Even the 430 overdrives the bulbs slightly. I don't remember the numbers for that one off the top of my head.

 

[williamjhitchcock]

I have the same setup but on a 40 gallon and 4 36" t5 ati bulbs with icecap ballast. I would switch half your bulbs to blue plus. i have 2 blue plus 2 aqua blue and my colors are perfect.

As for over driving the bulbs I don't know much about that, my bulbs seem to be overdrivin and pop about every 6 months like clock work. I plan on upgrading my tank next year so by then hopefully i will be able to justify have an icecap 660.

PS my coraline growth is only on the bottom of the rocks but grows very fast there.

 

[EasyEd77]

I stand corrected they are not icecap ballasts. I was at work and went by my receipt from reefgeek. They discontinued the kit so I could not pull it up on the website. I am not sure why they say that the manufacturer is icecap on the receipt. They are standard ballasts where 1 will power 2 54 watt bulbs. I am not sure of the brand because I will have to remove my canopy to see them and its kind of a PIA to do.