Lighting for OceanRevive Arctic-T247-B with IM Nuvo 40gl

[RanmanFish]

I'm looking for some advice on the best way to utilize my new-ish OceanRevive Arctic-T247-B for my IM Nuvo 40gl. Below is what is currently in the tank. BTW - sounds like a lot of inhabitants, a few fish and frag size or just a bit bigger corals, but there's plenty of room far everything. See attached pics:

Corals (mostly zoas, few mushrooms & some polyps):
-Mushroom
-Candy Cane
-Coraline
-Torch Coral
-White Pom-Pom Xenia
-Blue Tip Hammer
-Red People Eater
-Alligator Eye Zoa
-Green Star Polyp
-Pink Goni
-Bird's Nest
-Acan Brain
-Kenya Tree (moving from Nano 4gl?)

Fish & Critters:
Ocellaris Clownfish
Blood Red Fire Shrimp
Starry Blenny
Sexy Anemone Shrimp
Sea Cucumber
Coco Worm
Condi Anemone
Benggai Cardinal
Hermit Crabs
Snails
Sand Star

 

[Ron Reefman]

I'd start out with lower levels where the two power levels added together equal about 80 to 100. Something like 50B and 30W = 80. Or 50B and 50W = 100. Any mix is fine, just remember that your corals prefer the blue spectrum. I go as blue as I can and still enjoy the overall color.

Then step the levels up by a total of 10 every week or so until you get to a total of about 140 to 150. You have corals higher up in the tank and I'm guessing the tank is less than 24" deep? So your peak levels will be a bit lower than other people might use.

Find your local club (there is a list of local clubs down at the bottom of the RC listed subjects) and see if anybody has a PAR meter they can loan you. You'd like a PAR at the bottom of between 100 and 150 given your current corals. With more sps corals you would want slightly higher PAR, in the 175 to 225 range at the sand.

I'd start out with an 6 hour photo period and add an hour every 2 to 4 weeks until you get to a total of 8 to 10 hours. Since you aren't doing sunrise and sunset, you can run for a shorter total time. That is, other than doing the blue channel only for 30 or 60 minutes before and after your white channel goes on and off. Some, like me, do long sunrise and sunset cycles to give the tank a more realistic day. It isn't important to the corals, but I enjoy the variety of looks in my tank. Coral Zooxanthellae only do photosynthesis for 6 to 8 hours. So any lighting beyond 8 hours is just for your viewing pleasure and does the coral little if any good.

 

[RanmanFish]

Your advice is greatly appreciated and I will give it a shot!!!

It's funny you mentioned joining a club as I ran this idea past my wife recently...and...she basically called me a fish geek