Kessils and New SPS help

[firemountain]

I just picked up a pink lemonade, green slimer, and A. millepora from a local reefer. I currently run a pair of Kessil 360we on their Spectral Controller on my 65g mixed reef. I do supplement with 1 T5 strip running ATI coral plus 39 w bulb.

The only SPS I have in the tank is a Garf Bonsai, which I have been having some coloring issues with. They are a slow grower for me, so it's hard to use them as a comparison.

I currently have the Pink Lemonade and Millepora placed mid tank, and the slimmer is currently on the sand bed ( I know it's too low, but I am trying to figure out a good spot for it.

While I do plan to use the coral acclimation program on the controller. I am looking for some help with the color and intensity settings with the new additions.

The lights are currently about 5 inches off the waterline, and the new corals are placed around 10 down in the tank, so a total of about 15 inches from the light source.

Here is my currently lighting schedule...

Left light
1200... 5 color 10 intensity
1330...... 15 color 20 intensity
1425..... 25 color 35 intensity
1445..... 35 color 40 intensity
1730.... 10 color 25 intensity
2335. Off

Right side
1200 ... 5 color 10 intensity
1230 ... 15 color 30 intensity
1330... 35 color 50 intensity
1700.... 40 color 60 intensity
1835.... 30 color 35 intensity
2300. Off

I currently run one side higher than the other because of some LPS placement on the left side on the tank, and a clam on the right side.

I am not only looking for some advice on the general settings for my lights, as well as the color and intensity settings of my newly acquired corals.

FYI..I just set the controller to coral acclimation mode with a intensity of 30 % over a 14 day period.

 

[sixpackgarage]

settings look fine to me although I don't think changing the color makes much difference in the actual wavelength that the coral 'sees'.

how about some pics of your corals too?

 

[Scorpius]

If you're trying to acclimate things then don't run higher than 35% intensity for awhile and see how things respond. You run slightly higher intensity settings than I do. I run three 360we's over my 65 gal at a max of 35% intensity and 40% color. Remember these Kessils are deceptively intense and slowly increase intensity over time. I'd increase intensity only 5% per month. Corals can survive low intensity, but too high and they fry.

 

[firemountain]

If you're trying to acclimate things then don't run higher than 35% intensity for awhile and see how things respond. You run slightly higher intensity settings than I do. I run three 360we's over my 65 gal at a max of 35% intensity and 40% color. Remember these Kessils are deceptively intense and slowly increase intensity over time. I'd increase intensity only 5% per month. Corals can survive low intensity, but too high and they fry.

Thanks for the advice!! I actually got off the phone with a Kessil rep today. She indicated that that SPS, she feels that I am actually on the low side of my currently intensity. She recommend that I actually shoot for like 85 over time....while pointing out that a lot of people push them as far as 95-100.

From what I have read...I don't know too many guys that push them that high, unless they are a lot higher off the water line.

Also....she indicated that the color portion of the controller or on the dial, is more for aesthetics than anything else....has no real affect of the growth of the corals for the most part.

Weirdly enough.....I have read from a fellow reefer that with some of the deep water across like my Garf Bonsai, that anything over 35-40 color for some reason does not do well, and guys have had to back down the white balance.

With the coral acclimation feature.....it takes the max intensity you set, cuts it in half on day one....then slowly ramps up the intensity from like 3-5% over the amount of days you set for the acclimation.

I have read that guys normally recommend like a 5% increase per month, which sounds more realistic. Personally....I think I am going set up and run a 2 phase Coral Acclimation to split the difference on what my target intensity is currently set at. The first phase will hit like 35-40 %, and then the second phase to hit like 65% which is where I am currently at. After that...I will the. See how the new corals I added are doing, my only concern is the maxima.....which solely relies on sunlight for is growth. That is partly why I added to the T5 strip to my setup.