How do you light your SPS tank?

[Bpb]

My bulbs are precisely 12" off the water. 90 gallon display 8x54 watt ATI sunpower


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jacek_marine]

The best combo ever, works very well for me, Ati Powermodule + Kessil.

Untitled by Jacek Kowalski, on Flickr
Untitled by Jacek Kowalski, on Flickr
_IGP0167 by Jacek Kowalski, on Flickr

 

[hkgar]

The best combo ever, works very well for me, Ati Powermodule + Kessil.

Untitled by Jacek Kowalski, on Flickr
Untitled by Jacek Kowalski, on Flickr
_IGP0167 by Jacek Kowalski, on Flickr

Looks like 10 bulbs? What is the color mix and how for AWL?

 

[jacek_marine]

Hi Gary,

Yes, it is 10 bulbs ATI Powermodule. Bulb combo from left :
Ati C+
Osram67
E5 blue pop
Osram67
Giesemann Aquapink
Giesemann Aquablue+
Osram67
E5 blue pop
Osram67
Ati C+

Lamp is 38cm above water line.

 

[codydemmel4]

for people that are using T5s ATI.

What is th ebulb combo you are using to achieve the best growth?

I have a 8 bulb fixture but I need to get all new bulbs so I am looking to get the opinions of the experienced reefers with great SPS tanks on the bulb combo they would suggest. this is for a 180 gallon tank. 8x80 and I also have a reef brite on the front and back of the fixture.

Please let me know what you are thinking and how you have them in the fixture from front to back

 

[Idal305]

Love my ati sunpower with half blue+ and half coral+

 

[hkgar]

for people that are using T5s ATI.

What is th ebulb combo you are using to achieve the best growth?

I have a 8 bulb fixture but I need to get all new bulbs so I am looking to get the opinions of the experienced reefers with great SPS tanks on the bulb combo they would suggest. this is for a 180 gallon tank. 8x80 and I also have a reef brite on the front and back of the fixture.

Please let me know what you are thinking and how you have them in the fixture from front to back

You might find this link helpful

http://www.atinorthamerica.com/faq.php

 

[hkgar]

How long on?

How long on?

For t-5 only users:

How long are the lights on and do you turn them all on at once or spread it out?

Thanks

 

[codydemmel4]

You might find this link helpful

http://www.atinorthamerica.com/faq.php

Thanks for the link!

I am also looking for feedback from the reefers who have been using this for awhile and see which one they think does the best for growth.

 

[C.Eymann]

Jace K marine, your tank is simply gorgeous!!! :inlove:


I use a Hammy fixture 2x250wDE halides + 2 54wT5s.
Bulb wise I was initially running reeflux 12ks halides and ATI blue+ (450nm) and pure actinic (420nm)

Just recently switched to running Ushio 20k halides and T-5 wise I am running a aquablue special and a Blue+.

I think that in this hobby there is always more than one way to skin a cat, I just personally think that halides produce more P.U.R than LEDs. I really like T-5's too and to be honest if someone gave me a nice ATI fixture I would probably ditch my current fixture as I think you can achieve better coloration with all T-5 vs halides. However growth rate wise still think halides take the the taco.

Here is a (short of about a week) one year growth sequence on what I believe to be Acropora cytherea... yes I know, still fighting my Valonia problem. LARS life :headwally:

 

[Bpb]

for people that are using T5s ATI.

What is th ebulb combo you are using to achieve the best growth?

I have a 8 bulb fixture but I need to get all new bulbs so I am looking to get the opinions of the experienced reefers with great SPS tanks on the bulb combo they would suggest. this is for a 180 gallon tank. 8x80 and I also have a reef brite on the front and back of the fixture.

Please let me know what you are thinking and how you have them in the fixture from front to back

I'll be honest I was never crazy about any of ATI's stock bulb recommendations and I've tried them all. After a boatload of experimenting the bulb combo i finally settled on from front to back is a little unorthodox and I don't know anyone else running it, but my bulbs are placed in order based on what is under them in each region. My aquascape is a low lying gently upward sloping stack straight across. Going for the grocery store fruit display look with acro colonies. No fancy towers or caves or suspended rock pieces. Just maximum horizontal space for mounting acros. I left only about 3" of sand space in front and sides to hold some of my favorite Zoa and Lps colonies over the years. The rocks are 100% sps/acros. So my order of bulbs was placed accordingly to hit certain corals with certain colors to bring them out best. I've been floored with how fast everything has responded. Newly glued acro frags encrusting over the glue, plugs, and epoxy in just over two weeks time. Combo is as follows front to back:

ATI Blue+
ATI Blue+
ATI True Actinic
ATI Purple+
Giesemann Tropic 6500k
ATI Blue+
ATI True Actinic
ATI Coral+

Looking at it objectively the three front blue and actinic combo give the more colorful fluorescent pigments the ability to really shine, the back half over the rocks where the sps lie is very much white in color. 12k at most I'd say. Warm colors a lot of natural pigments and if you look the spectrum is 100% covered from deep violet up to red with the 6500k bulb parked directly in the middle above the acros. Coral response has been phenomenal running it like this in even a short period of time. Here's an end down shot to illustrate how/why they're arranged like that.

Mind you I have only recently started stocking acros. Tank is 2.5 years old and the dozen acro frags I have are displaying healthy deep colors and encrusting very fast


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[codydemmel4]

I'll be honest I was never crazy about any of ATI's stock bulb recommendations and I've tried them all. After a boatload of experimenting the bulb combo i finally settled on from front to back is a little unorthodox and I don't know anyone else running it, but my bulbs are placed in order based on what is under them in each region. My aquascape is a low lying gently upward sloping stack straight across. Going for the grocery store fruit display look with acro colonies. No fancy towers or caves or suspended rock pieces. Just maximum horizontal space for mounting acros. I left only about 3" of sand space in front and sides to hold some of my favorite Zoa and Lps colonies over the years. The rocks are 100% sps/acros. So my order of bulbs was placed accordingly to hit certain corals with certain colors to bring them out best. I've been floored with how fast everything has responded. Newly glued acro frags encrusting over the glue, plugs, and epoxy in just over two weeks time. Combo is as follows front to back:

ATI Blue+
ATI Blue+
ATI True Actinic
ATI Purple+
Giesemann Tropic 6500k
ATI Blue+
ATI True Actinic
ATI Coral+

Looking at it objectively the three front blue and actinic combo give the more colorful fluorescent pigments the ability to really shine, the back half over the rocks where the sps lie is very much white in color. 12k at most I'd say. Warm colors a lot of natural pigments and if you look the spectrum is 100% covered from deep violet up to red with the 6500k bulb parked directly in the middle above the acros. Coral response has been phenomenal running it like this in even a short period of time. Here's an end down shot to illustrate how/why they're arranged like that.

Mind you I have only recently started stocking acros. Tank is 2.5 years old and the dozen acro frags I have are displaying healthy deep colors and encrusting very fast


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice tank!!!

I appreciate the explanation too, that does make a lot of sense.

 

[deputydog95]

Are there any LED setups that will perform at least as well as a T5?

 

[Peter Eichler]

I recently switched from 3 x 250w radiums to a 60" 8 bulb T5. The main reason is because the tank came from the basement to the family room and it's a room that doesn't get pumped full as much cold air as the rest of the house when the AC is on. The only real downside is the coverage on the ends of a 72" tank, but it's fine for lower light corals. Colors will be slightly different, but not better or worse as whole.

 

[codydemmel4]

I recently switched from 3 x 250w radiums to a 60" 8 bulb T5. The main reason is because the tank came from the basement to the family room and it's a room that doesn't get pumped full as much cold air as the rest of the house when the AC is on. The only real downside is the coverage on the ends of a 72" tank, but it's fine for lower light corals. Colors will be slightly different, but not better or worse as whole.

what are the bulbs you are using?

 

[Peter Eichler]

what are the bulbs you are using?

4 x blue+ 3 x coral+ and 1 x Aquablue special. This is also the combo I've been using over my frag tank for the last few years. I also like 5 x blue plus and 1 x coral+ 1 x aquablue and 1 x GE 6500k for more white or just doing equal blue+ and coral+ for a bluer tank. The first combo comes closest to radiums on electronic ballasts with an HQI setting

 

[Fissues]

I'm going with 2 marsaqua 165w led fixtures over my 55. I've always loved leds.

Sent from my SM-G530T using Tapatalk

 

[ShesEasy]

I'm running 5 gen1 radions on my 300 gallon. I get great growth and color from all my sps
Here are a few pics with date stamps to show the growth from radion LEDs

what kinda program are you running?

 

[Duality]

what kinda program are you running?

On and off. 100% 11 hours a day.

 

[scrapz]

On and off. 100% 11 hours a day.

That just makes me feel good. All this hassle about what programs to run when you can just switch it on and off for great results. How many units are you running and on what size tank?