Thanks worm. Again, I'm sorry if my post seemed a bit harsh - didn't mean it that way. Sometimes I speak my mind with out thinking how to deliver it nice. I live with girls that tell me I'm mean all the time... I'm working on it!
We're all pulling for your gig to recover.
Like I told you before, I'm one of your biggest fans, and appreciate reading the help you give to others, your advice/intentions are always good. I really want to see you succeed with this.
It loosing color is my/our least concern. I know you don't think those are deflates, but I've seen tooooo many, I know what I'm staring at now. Someone needs to step up here. I don't want to be that guy, but here I am... For a gig, those are deflates. Staying inflated 24/7 is my biggest concern. It will regain color no problem, if it lives. Takes time, and needs to stay inflated to pass time. If it doesn't stay inflated, color won't matter, ever. It shouldn't be struggling like this so far into the game. I'm impressed it's made it so far with the intensity it's gotten, to be honest... Tells us it's a fighter. Like I said, everyone's different, and that one you've got needs a good internal flushing, still. IMO. If that guy you have was mine, it is still over one week, maybe two, from me even thinking about going to DT, and that's if it never deflates from here on out, and the mouth is closed all the way in that time frame also - all the time. I still believe 100% water changes everyday will be your nem's best friend too. What a hastle... I know!
Just to give you some insight as to why I feel the way I do about lighting... I want to show you my HT.
Bear with me, I'm going somewhere with all this... Just to give a peek inside of my OR... This is my 10 gallon, with a HOB filter with no media, just a surface scum skimmer. Not really doing anything but skimming the surface scum and moving a little water. I have an air stone in the back of it, poor man's oxygenator. Then a heater, and the smallest korillia I think they make. Very low flow. My lights are (2) runs of 12, (24 total LED's) of 3 watt cree, xre (old school from a few years ago, not the strong ones they sell now) with both white and blue on dimmers, seperate drivers. Manually dimmable.
Here's my driver dimmers. It's DIY, so not pretty. It works.
I run mine 9 hours, right out the gate, LOW INTENSITY. I'm blessed (or cursed, depending on the side of the fence you're on) to be self emplyoyed, so I've been able to be home with new arrivals, and see how they adapt to the lights throughout the day, and make manual adjustments on lighting as I see how they can handle it. I'm using (24) 3 watt cree LED's, which puts me around 72 watts, (less, I've got a couple burned out) which is about 100 watts less, I believe, than the fixture you're using. Isn't the radion 175 watts or so? I think? I start mine at about 5%, and slowly ramp it up on day one, until I see them start to shrink in size, then back it down to 75% of that. That's my starting LED intensity. Usually it's around 15-20% (of 72 watts). If it deflates later in the day and I catch it deflated, lights are out that second, for the rest of the day. (no lights fo you! next!) I back down the lights a little more, and we try again the next day, until they go all day with no deflate. One thing is sure. I can make any and every gig in my QT, so far, shrink by turning my lights too high. That's how I find their "breaking point", then back it down. I've done this with more than a few now.
So far this works very well.
When I'm ready to move mine to my DT, the HT lights are usually turned up to around 25-40% area by then, and they are starting to color up. It's not super intense. Super intense light comes later, after it's gained some color, then you can put the screws to it. Needs to stay inflated before this, and during all the light cycle. IMO, one week of absolutely NO deflation (IMO) for them to be welcomed into the DT.
Worm, you've been doing a great job so far, I know it's a lot of work. Don't give up! We're all cheering you on! I still think yours will make it, but it's got to start staying inflated 24/7. It's not, yet. Watching your cam, my gut is telling me it's still your lights. Water quality, only you can know that, and you have the experience for it, so non-issue, you know what you are doing. When it comes to DT water acclimation, it pales in comparison to light acclimation, IME. I have to agree with Minh, gigs aren't tough to keep, once acclimated and healthy. Getting them healthy, and acclimated is typically tough to do, and lots of work and time, but worth it! But, there's always that one that drops right in to the DT under the 1000 watt MH and does great. Not the norm. Doesn't take a degree to find thread after thread of dead gigs. Now with cipro, the biggest hurdle to overcome, IMO, is acclimation.
Everything I've typed is my opinion/my experience. Nice thing about cipro, it's like a reset button. Gig deflates all the time now? Reset. After reset, then acclimation. Thanks Doc (Minh).
I'm just trying to give you the best chance of your gig's survival from what I've done in the past, with great results, with what is in my opinion, the best chance of success. I've read a lot, I've talked a lot, I've killed a lot. Now, I feel I've learned a lot. One reason I hate responding to threads, too many details, and one detail left out can make a huge difference. Are 100% water changes really needed? Maybe not, but I feel everything I do just adds to the chances of a gig making it, and if it's one little detail that gets it over the hump, it's a win.
Best of luck my friend.
That last pic you posted, the top down, looks good. I really think this guy will make it, but it's a long road ahead.
