LED Lighting Question

[kodiak23]

Hi all -

I started my first saltwater aquarium earlier this year and have finally decided to upgrade my LED lights. I've been running two 36 inch Reef Brite LED strips without any other lighting, one all blue and one 50%50%, totaling 36 led's. I just got three 48 inch Reef Brite XHO strips, 2 blue and 1 white totaling 108 LED's, so 3 times the amount of light. I plan to get rid of my two 36 inch strips. During this time one sps and all of my non-sps corals, have been doing great except have not seen much growth. Also, a few of my newer zoa's are having an issue, while my older zoa's are doing fine. The newer ones (3 different kinds) seem to be over extending (look like an umbrella with their skirts pointed down). I am hoping it has to do with low light and my new lights will fix this, any ideas? Also, my older Reef Brites have been mounted about 6 inches from the water and run for 7-9 hours per day. So finally to my question, should I start my new lights higher from the water and slowly move them down or gradually run them for longer periods of time?
Here is my tank info.

65 gallon ADA 120p with a 30 gallon sump and SWC 160 skimmer
1-MP10

Calc - 420 (dose a very small amount of 2-part daily)
Alk - 7
Nitrates - 10-15 (have been working on this, but still difficult to get below 10 with a young tank and lots of fish)
Phosphate - I only have an API test kit and its not zero, the next reading up is .25, so somewhere in between. (Run GFO in a bag in the sump)
Temp-79.5 (does not fluctuate)
Salinity - 1.025
10 Gallon Water Change every week

By the way I live in Petaluma and plan to meet many of you this Sunday at Grants house.
Cody

 

[AMAYEU]

Pretty tank. Love ada's!

So you are keeping the same tank and going from two 36" @ 36 led to three 48" @ 108 LEDs? It's all a out the PAR. Don't know the details reefbrites if they are cree @ 3watts or not.

Go high with with less time. You can always add layers of screens to the top of the tank.

Once you have a sweet spot withe fixed placement then you can fine tune each corals placement within the height range of the tank.

 

[Grant W]

Good info Mike, I knew one of you would have the info for Cody. BTW Codys tank is even nicer in person. His setup is very clean and his rockwork looks great.

 

[northbay-reefer]

Love your tank cody, I would keep all 5 LED and use the reefbrite as supplement and dawn to dusk. Start the new lights higher and less time, gradually move them down and then gradually increase the time. Zoas will extend when they don't get anough light.

I've been thinking about using two 36" reef brite blue as supplement light for my 72" tank

 

[kodiak23]

Thanks all, I have the 3 strips up totaling 108 LEDs, and its amazing, what a difference. I don't have an easy way to keep the 36" strips up with the new 48" strips, but might add another 48" strip down the road.