SPS/T5's

[Airborne]

I have a 8 bulb Tek Light. It is hung above a 120gal tank. It is hung 6" above the water level.

I have the following SPS:
2 Red Table Planets, 1 Green Slimer, 1 Cali Tort, 2 Valida's, 2 Setosa's, 1 Sublata, 1 ORA Frog Skin....etc the list goes on.

All do well with the exception of LPS. They are not happy unless they are completely shaded.

1) Should I move the light up? If so how high?
2) What distance off the water?
3) What causes one side or the center of a SPS to be brown but the rest colored? Too much light or too little?
4) With this light, where would you place the above SPS Corals? I have them all on the top. Can they be moved down? I have tons of low real estate but nothing left on the top.

Thanks

 

[Cultivatedcoral]

All of those SPS should do fine with that light. You can keep them middle to upper portion of your tank.

What kind of LPS are you having problems with? Some chalices will not like high light.

I would keep LPS low to middle of tank at most. I keep most of my LPS on the bottom to middle of the tank under my 14 bulb T5 Aquactinics Constellation on my 180g and they are fine.

Some SPS get brown in the center or the back side due to being shaded by branches etc.

Good luck.

Nick

 

[Airborne]

Chalices

Chalices

Thanks for the advice. I have lost the following:

1) Bubble Gum Monster
2) Jayda's Watermelon
3) Bazooka Joe

Then other chalices are fine at the 1/2 way mark like:
1) Golden Eye Chalice
2) Hills Have Eyes
3) Orange Cush
4) Hot Tamale

Just plain weird. All the expensive ones died.

 

[sedorusc]

I have the same light setup over a 48" wide 90g. I also have many of the same sps. only one with some off color is the valida. most of my lps are also kept below the middle of the tank. no expensive lps except my todd's torch, but they all seem to be happy below that point. any parameters off in your tank? how is water flow?

 

[fishieness]

Chalices in particular don't to well with higher light.
Definitely move them down and to a corner if you can. If you can shade them partially, it would also help.

 

[BuckeyeTodd]

adjust your light schedule, cut a little time off and go a little longer with two bulbs(you can also set it so when the six come on, the other two go off)...sounds like too much light for the lps to me, so adjust light schedule and as said by others move lps to the lower 1/3 of tank

 

[BeanMachine]

I was/have been having the same problem as the OP.

I too have a 4x2x2 with a tek 8 lamp fixture. All my SPS look beatiful, but zoas/palys, and chalices lost lost of color even at the bottom of the tank.

My light schedule is 11am to 9pm, so 10 hours total, but the center 4 t5s are only on for 3 hours.

Those corals that lost color are slowing getting it back. I moved all my chalices into partial shade which defintely helped. I would suggest to do that as others have.

I use the brackets, so I'm about 6" off the water also.

I think you can grow SPS at the bottom of your tank...

 

[BuckeyeTodd]

yes, eight bulbs on a two foot wide tank you could easily grow acros on the sand...I know someone who had this exact issue, and as stated before she turned of the two bulbs when the six came on. She found that the eight bulb coverage was just too much for the lps

 

[Tank2379]

I have a 8 bulb Tek Light. It is hung above a 120gal tank. It is hung 6" above the water level.

I have the following SPS:
2 Red Table Planets, 1 Green Slimer, 1 Cali Tort, 2 Valida's, 2 Setosa's, 1 Sublata, 1 ORA Frog Skin....etc the list goes on.

All do well with the exception of LPS. They are not happy unless they are completely shaded.

1) Should I move the light up? If so how high?
2) What distance off the water?
3) What causes one side or the center of a SPS to be brown but the rest colored? Too much light or too little?
4) With this light, where would you place the above SPS Corals? I have them all on the top. Can they be moved down? I have tons of low real estate but nothing left on the top.

Thanks

Thanks for the advice. I have lost the following:

1) Bubble Gum Monster
2) Jayda's Watermelon
3) Bazooka Joe

Then other chalices are fine at the 1/2 way mark like:
1) Golden Eye Chalice
2) Hills Have Eyes
3) Orange Cush
4) Hot Tamale

Just plain weird. All the expensive ones died.

I have all my SPS and Chalic under T-5's and they al do great.... Growth is fantastic


I keep all Chalic on the bottom for better growth...