Next to no SPS growth

[karimwassef]

I run MHs for 16 hours a day and I run a dual surge... my sps love it.

I also run 4 x WP60s on a mixed mode with pulsed flow only. It's an 8ft tank, but the idea is the same.

If you're blowing corals off the rocks, then you need to run pulsed mode or direct it to bounce against the glass.

 

[TwoLittleTangs]

It's difficult to direct the flow of my Vortech's without just putting them on the back glass to shoot at the front of the tank. I like having them shoot directly across the tank at each other to spread that flow out across the tank better. I've always been under the assumption that not being about to crank them both up to 100% means the tank has tons of flow, maybe not?

 

[TwoLittleTangs]

Tank pic (the lights really screw with my phone's camera)

 

[TwoLittleTangs]

Never mind, it won't let me post a pic

 

[karimwassef]

you shouldn't run anything continuously at 100% for any duration. changing flow is key. I usually run short bursts (seconds) to long pulses (10s of seconds) to surge (30 seconds). My main return is on rotating diverter outlets.

 

[TwoLittleTangs]

Well, my Vortech's run around 60- 70% on Reef Crest Mode. I haven't experimented much with the gyre, short or long pulse modes

 

[karimwassef]

but frankly, I think your photoperiod is the real issue.

 

[TwoLittleTangs]

No, I agree, I'm slowly bringing it up, how fast can I realistically raise my lighting brightness?

 

[karimwassef]

My halides don't have the option for different power levels but when I increased my photoperiod, I increased it by an hour each day from 8 hours to 16 hours. That's basically 10% each day. Photoperiod and intensity aren't the same though.

 

[tdjmain]

You should have the blues on the whole time your full spectrum are on then turn off the full spectrum

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[NeverlosT]

just to provide another data point, it is perfectly possible to have this issue with great lighting and strong/variable flow. (I have been struggling with it for a few months).

I run an 8 bult ATI powermodule, and have plenty of random flow, and I still have little to no growth on a lot of frags.

So yes, tweak your lighting and flow, that might be it, but those are certainly not the only causes of slow growth.

I suspect that my issue is based on lack of stability in my tank parameters. I would suggest looking into that as well.

Good luck!

 

[karimwassef]

True. I'm assuming the core 3 are solid - Alk, CA, Mg and that you're feeding - I like reef chili and reef roids myself

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2063491

 

[TwoLittleTangs]

Yes my Ca, Mag and Alk are all at good levels and stable. However I haven't fed much. I have reef roids but I don't use it often. Should I be spot feeding sps once a week?

 

[TwoLittleTangs]

First off I'd like to say, thanks for the help everyone!! This is awesome to have all this experience and advice chiming in. Yes my calc, mag and alk is all at good levels and consistently there as well. However, I have reef roids but hardly feed it. Should I be spot feeding my sps once a week?

 

[zsuman101]

its the light. preriod

 

[lynchmob3000]

I'd add some flow also. I run a 6ft tank with 2 mp60s and a dart hybrid return and I still might add more. mp10 is tiny


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[victor_c3]

I'm not trying to hijack the thread, but with the advice to purchase and use s PAR meter mentioned above, what should the par reading be at the level of most acropora corsls??

 

[karimwassef]

My surface PAR map looks like this:

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/LED%20experiments/Capture_zpsqflx1soi.png.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/LED%20experiments/Capture_zpsqflx1soi.png" border="0" alt=" photo Capture_zpsqflx1soi.png"/></a>

The top spread is new bulbs, the bottom spread is old bulbs.

I've now adjusted both left and right to match the middle now, but here's what I found:

Best growth (literally growing so fast that it bursts through the surface water) is >1000 PAR. They'll grow slowly at 800 PAR and they survive at 500 PAR.

That's just my experience

 

[jda]

This is such a loaded question. First, a PAR meter does not measure all of the output of some types of light. Most are from 420 to about 660 NM - almost what human eyes can see, but not quite. T5, VHO and Metal Halide will produce significant output on both sides of this that t to the coral growth. Some LEDs will get slightly below 420 and above 660 - there is output lost here too. Second, the type of light matters. 800+ PAR of Metal Halide and the coral will thrive. 800+ of most LEDs and they will burn and die. It is not a quantity of light thing - it is a quality of light thing. Third, PAR meters are not precision instruments - they are OK, but if you really want to know output then you need to spend a mint on an integrated sphere. People can switch sensors and get wildly different output. They need to be used as one of many tools to get to the right place.

About all a PAR meter is good for is to tell you with your particular light what is happening when you change something in your tank. ...so to see if you should move a coral from one spot to another in your tank - PAR meter is good for this to make sure that you don't raise it too much at once. To compare your results to mine - not so much.

I would rather focus on wattage of the lights. There is no energy savings by using one sort of light or the other. I would use 250W of light over every 2'x2' area for good results. ...so in a four foot standard 120G tank, 2x250W halide, 8x54W T5, 4 150W panels (some use 6), etc. The people who use one panel per 2x2 area are using less light and should compare their results to 150W halide or a 4 bulb T5 setup.

Reflectors matter with SPS. If you are going to cover a large area, then 8 T5s or a MH with a large reflector will eliminate shadows as well as anything. The larger panels like ReefBreeders, AcroOptics, etc, also cover more area than the point-source LEDs like Kessil and Radion. It can take 3x point source lights to avoid the shadowing of a single halide on a reflector.

Lastly, the type of acropora matters. Some will want as much light as you can give them - seriously, you cannot give most milles, stags or tenius enough light (within reason). Some will not - the deepwater stuff like most dragons, echinata, etc. will do much better under less amounts of light.

 

[mystikal]

3 things for SPS:
1) light
2) flow
3) nutrients

I recently moved all my SPS to a newer quick cycled tank. The tank is double the size. So, I got double of everything...2 radions xr30 pro (100% on for 10hrs), 4 mp10s(40-60% running various settings), feeding the tank 2-3 a day helps a lot. Dosing phyotophest, zooplankton, reefsnow, fish poop, part a/b, acropower, and water changes every two weeks. Everyday I see growth on my corals, even with the most stubborn/slowest growing corals, so it's possible for them to grow with leds.

I'm unsure of how powerful your leds are? Are they low enough? unsure of your flow? Do you have enough? Not to be blasted, but make them dance!and are you feeding enough? Are you feeding a variety of foods? I understand feeding to much can led to other things, but you need to get those corals some food! Dry skim so your skimmer is taking some chunks of poop! Make it look like a green smoothie lol.
Best of luck


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