how high is too high for halides

[trentdingo]

is there a max height that halides should not exceed when being hung over a tank?

I ask because I have a 250w radium lumenark reflector above my growout close to 30" off the surface. In my growout, my colors are never as nice as they are in the dt...

 

[tnyr5]

Are they pale or brown? how deep is the growout tank? Is it connected to your main display? If not, any fish in it? Are the parameters stable and similar to the main display? Is it a full 20" lumenarc or the mini? Are you tired of me asking questions yet?

 

[trentdingo]

just generally dont have the same colors. montipora and lps like scolys, blastos, favia are fine. acros are just generally not as colorful. its like a loss of color but also a little more pale... if you can picture that lol? but the major problem is with chalices! they usually loose color, get brownish, then their flesh gets thin, then they start to loose it. (and i dont think this is due to flow because certain chalices do fine and others do poor when they are right beside each other)
growout is 12" deep
it is connected to the DT and parameters are stable
inhabitants include one anthias, a few clowns, and one kole tang
I think the lumenarc is the mini?

 

[tnyr5]

hrmm, how fast is the turnover from main tank to frag tank? I would get some shade cloth from a horticulture catalog for the chalices. Since you're at PSU, why not ask Sanjay to check the PAR on your reflector at 30" and see what you're getting.

 

[trentdingo]

lol! i was at his house tonight talking about it to him... he said to lower the halide closer to the water hahaha.
Maybe I will just keep the chalices in the DT if i keep having these problems.

The turnover from sump to growout is fairly low, approx. 300gph. why do you ask?

 

[tnyr5]

Sometimes I've noticed when the turnover isn't very high, things don't seem to do well in there. My guess is it becomes a nutrient sink for the system. You could also try reducing the photoperiod over the DT. Try and get a pic, the easiest way to tell is to see the corals . Sanjay could be right lol.

 

[rigleautomotive]

The frags tank is too young(is my theory) to get banging color on acros with any light.Your light is not the issue.Microbial life needs to be thick to make acros happy and even when linkd to a mature tank,a cycle will ensue and take 6 months minimum of stability to create idel conditions for acropora.Just your description alone is all I am going on but I have seen this a few times or more with frag tanks.

Give me your params.

Phos(read with a colormeter or hanna)
Daily average alk(measured morning and night)
MG levels
Cal level
SG (read on a calibrated Refract)
Temp swings
ph swings daily
what type of alk supp used
what salt
age of frag tank
type of flow in frag tank(ie random etc...)
GFO or GAC used
and bac dosing now or previously
did u ever use interceptor in the last year


Thanks Dan

 

[trentdingo]

Sorry, just saw this now Dan. values from DT are posted in quote. (didnt test from in the frag tank today)

The frags tank is too young(is my theory) to get banging color on acros with any light.Your light is not the issue.Microbial life needs to be thick to make acros happy and even when linkd to a mature tank,a cycle will ensue and take 6 months minimum of stability to create idel conditions for acropora.Just your description alone is all I am going on but I have seen this a few times or more with frag tanks.

Give me your params.

Phos(read with a colormeter or hanna) 0.02ppm hanna
Daily average alk(measured morning and night) 140ppm (7.84 dkh) hanna
MG levels around 1450ppm
Cal level- 420ppm
SG (read on a calibrated Refract) 1.026
Temp swings- night 78.1, day 80.1
ph swings daily- still chronically low. Considering resorting to kalk in top off soon. night 7.59, day 7.70
what type of alk supp used- ca reactor
what salt- Usually IO or RC no supplements added. Occasionally Brightwells
age of frag tank- June of 2011... so almost 6 months
type of flow in frag tank- (50 gallons) flow from sump is low, approx. 300gph, internal pumps are two mp20's. one on reef crest and one on short pulse making a standing 1" wave in the tank.
GFO or GAC used- GFO yes, GAC no
and bac dosing now or previously- no, dont believe in the science behind it WRT how acros respond.
did u ever use interceptor in the last year- never used interceptor
age of dt- approx. 3.5 years


Thanks Dan

Observations I have made: Acro frags that are cut then put into the frag tank usually fare well, have good color, and encrust/grow.
Larger acro pieces taken from DT get mad and health declines a few weeks after placed in growout.
Chalices are especially picky in the growout. Could just be too much direct light for them though? they do well down low in the DT.
Algae is not an issue in the dt AT ALL... but in the frag tank there is some type of brown, weak, short, thin algae that keeps coming back only on the sides.