AQUA ILLUMINATIONS CLUB

[Reef attack]

Are you starting at a low intensity and increasing it slowly over the course of a month or two? Or, have you tried to increase it faster, or in larger %'s?

 

Here is my current light cycle: all with lunar off

 

10:20am 2-3-4

10:50am 5-9-10

11:35am 8-13-14

1:25pm 11-15-16

5:30pm 9-13-13

7:30pm 3-7-7

8:00pm 0-1-0

 

I backed off even more as my green birds nest (placed middle of the tank 6" below water level) started looking bad even at the 15-20-20 peak.

To answer your question pschom and, by the way thanks for offering to help, I bumped up about 1% white and 2% on B/RB every two weeks or so on my way to 20-25-25. Some of the intensity bumps were made at peak mid-day (1:25pm timer) only and others were at the 11:35, 1:25pm, and 5:30pm slots. I will post some pics of the corals once I figure out how to. According to the PAR measurements saltwatercoral posted on this thread, at this level of intensity I am worried that PAR is too low. What do you guys think? Thanks for the help.

[pschom]

Here is my current light cycle: all with lunar off

 

10:20am 2-3-4

10:50am 5-9-10

11:35am 8-13-14

1:25pm 11-15-16

5:30pm 9-13-13

7:30pm 3-7-7

8:00pm 0-1-0

 

I backed off even more as my green birds nest (placed middle of the tank 6" below water level) started looking bad even at the 15-20-20 peak.

To answer your question pschom and, by the way thanks for offering to help, I bumped up about 1% white and 2% on B/RB every two weeks or so on my way to 20-25-25. Some of the intensity bumps were made at peak mid-day (1:25pm timer) only and others were at the 11:35, 1:25pm, and 5:30pm slots. I will post some pics of the corals once I figure out how to. According to the PAR measurements saltwatercoral posted on this thread, at this level of intensity I am worried that PAR is too low. What do you guys think? Thanks for the help.

Browning will occur for a number of different reasons. Bleaching will occur due to no acclimation to light. In a little 8 gallon (and the LEDs are powerful, but should be perfect for what u have) but you were talking about softies too... Umm, hmm. When you turn the intensity down do the softies respond positively? Lemme think about it during this meeting. Wait, lemme go to the meeting and think about it afterwards. ...I'll post something during the meeting. Lol

[jT415Gz]

thinking about getting a vega, radion, a350w or another DIY.

anymore vega FTS's? post them!

[Flexin5]

hey guys i'm building a new tank, finally got a house..lol

 

the tank is all custom built, 60Lx30wx22w

 

for the sol's, i'm trying to find out the proper spread of them, are they 20''x20'' per unit? trying to see if i can get away two or if i'll definatly need three.

[pschom]

hey guys i'm building a new tank, finally got a house..lol

 

the tank is all custom built, 60Lx30wx22w

 

for the sol's, i'm trying to find out the proper spread of them, are they 20''x20'' per unit? trying to see if i can get away two or if i'll definatly need three.

3. Unless you want darker areas and scape appropriately. Could look cool if you did it right.

[Flexin5]

3. Unless you want darker areas and scape appropriately. Could look cool if you did it right.

 

well i was thinking about having about, 4..uhh..mountains i guess you could say, not all side by side, two bigger ones towards the back and two slighly smaller ones infront, then two small..uhh..bridges crossing them in a X pattern, one higher and one lower.

 

is there like a aquascape design program or something? lol

[pschom]

well i was thinking about having about, 4..uhh..mountains i guess you could say, not all side by side, two bigger ones towards the back and two slighly smaller ones infront, then two small..uhh..bridges crossing them in a X pattern, one higher and one lower.

 

is there like a aquascape design program or something? lol

Blood sweat and tears my friend. And some rum to keep you sane. I really want to like scaping but after an hour or so I just want to throw all the rocks in there and call it a day.

[Flexin5]

Blood sweat and tears my friend. And some rum to keep you sane. I really want to like scaping but after an hour or so I just want to throw all the rocks in there and call it a day.

 

 

i hear that. i hate doing it. maybe i'll photoshop up something. reason being is that if i can make the mountains up maybe i can get the two AI's to spread over them and if i want to just lightup parts of the tank i can do that with par bulbs or something.

[HiImSean]

been messing with my settings today and we'll see how i like them

 

whites

up 9:00-10:30 0-30%

mid-day 10:30-2:00 30%

down 2:00-3:00 30-0%

 

B/RB

up 9:30-10:30 2-35%

mid-day 10:30-5:00 35%

down 5:00-7:00 35-2%

moonlights 7:00-9:00am 2%

 

any suggestions of changes or keep these for a while. im hopefully going to get some corals this weekend then i'll start ramping them up weekly 5%

 

Edited October 25, 2012 by HiImSean

[sfnt125]

How far above the water do you have your lights mounted and how deep is your DT? Honeslty, 30% seems low, I know, but these lights are super powerfull.

[HiImSean]

How far above the water do you have your lights mounted and how deep is your DT? Honeslty, 30% seems low, I know, but these lights are super powerfull.

 

 

lights are about 8" off the surface, tank is 22" deep. i didn't want to fry the corals at first. i was coming from par38 bulbs. next week i'll crank the intensities up

[sfnt125]

lights are about 8" off the surface, tank is 22" deep. i didn't want to fry the corals at first. i was coming from par38 bulbs. next week i'll crank the intensities up

Ok. I going to suggest using more of the programmable channels available. I personally use 8 of the 14.

I start my ramp up with blues on my first channel and then start to ramp my white up with the second channel. My whites are only on 30%, which is my max for them right now for only 2 hrs. (mid-day). Otherwise my whites are ramping up or down before and after this mid-day period. I like the 20k look and I have played with the settings enough that this look translates to whites being about 25% of the blues. For example, if whites were at 10% then the blues should be at 40%.

I like the heavy blue look as it provides monster par and great coloration for my corals.

I do not have my schedule on me but I can post it when I get home if you're interested.

Bottom line is I would utilize more channels if I were you. Yes it's more time consuming but once you get used to using the controller it's relatively easy and makes for a more realistic photoperiod that your corals will thank you for. Blues should ramp up slowly then whites mixed in to a max value at the middle of your photoperiod and then white ramp down to a zero which is followed by a ramp down of your blues. Then if you'd like, you can set your blues for a moon phase.

Make sense? LMK if you've got Q's or would like to see my schedule.

Scott

[HiImSean]

thanks, i'm using my Apex to program so i have a good bit of extra ramps to use if needed. id bump up the intensities today, b/rb 45% and w 40%, because the zoas i just moved over are already stretching for light. my blastos and chalices are looking very very happy though. i did keep the same timers so we'll see how that goes for a week or so.

[nano427]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but with over 1600 posts in this thread I haven't had a chance to read it all. Would it make sense to swap the stock optic locations in the sol, meaning put the 40's where the 70's are and put the 70's where the 40's are? My tank has about a 20"x18" footprint. I think this may reduce light spill into the room. It may also concentrate the light better over the small footprint, allowing me to use lower intensities. Any input is appreciated, thanks.

[pet_doc]

just got my AI nano today...should the fan always be running? bc mine is not.

[mdisalvo55]

It shouldn't always be on, but that being said mine runs most of the time. Try blowing on the fan to see if it gets going, if it does then you have a defective fan and they will send you a new one. My fan usually starts up once the white lights get going and it doesn't turn off until they dim out and it's just blues on at night.

[pschom]

It shouldn't always be on, but that being said mine runs most of the time. Try blowing on the fan to see if it gets going, if it does then you have a defective fan and they will send you a new one. My fan usually starts up once the white lights get going and it doesn't turn off until they dim out and it's just blues on at night.

+1

[pet_doc]

cool thanks, the fan did kick on with the whites

[jgpico]

I guess I'm part of the club now.

 

[pschom]

Welcome. How do you have this mounted? Are you worried about moisture/salt with the light so close to the surface?

[jgpico]

Welcome. How do you have this mounted? Are you worried about moisture/salt with the light so close to the surface?

In that shot the light is just resting on the tanks glass top so I could get that shot. I am in the process of deciding whether I want to get the hanging kit or make a conduit mount for it. What's do you think?

[jgpico]

I have the AI sol white and was wondering if anyone can help me out with some settings for the fixture. I wish I would have been able to get the sol blue because I like more of a 20k look but I have to make this light work for me for now. Anyone have some intensity setting for the whites and blues that is more on the 20k look that doesnt lack in the par department? Thanks.

[pschom]

I have the AI sol white and was wondering if anyone can help me out with some settings for the fixture. I wish I would have been able to get the sol blue because I like more of a 20k look but I have to make this light work for me for now. Anyone have some intensity setting for the whites and blues that is more on the 20k look that doesnt lack in the par department? Thanks.

I have the White version (cause it was readily available and I didn't know anything about LEDs at te time)

 

Here's my current timer list. This is the best coloration I've found so far.

 

10:30 - ramp 29m - B10

11:00 - ramp 119m - W5/B20

1:00 - ramp 60m - W55/B85

2:00 - ramp 30m - W60/B90

6:30 - ramp 29 - W40/B75

7:00 - ramp 60 - W5/B40

8:00 - ramp 120 - W0/B8 - Lunar On

 

On Manual Mode if I have guests or something and I'm trying to show off while they're looking at me and saying 'oh. That's nice' lol....I have it set for W50/B85. To me, that's a really cool looking blend and gives it a cooler blue tone. But not all corals like it. I've found that certain ones respond differently to different intensities of the W/B.

 

Lastly, it took me almost 6 months to work up to those intensities. So go slow!

[Flood504]

Recently I've noticed my corals losing color. Not browning, but not popping like they used to. Any suggestions on what I should do with my light intensities, or what could cause this? I've had my AI SOL hooked up since July.

[HiImSean]

i've been upping my Sol blues for a week or two now, here's the programming i have

 

Blus LEDs

Ramp Time Starting Intensity Ending Intensity Time

UP 90 4 50 09:00-10:30

ON 1 50 50 10:30-17:00

DN 120 50 4 17:00-19:00

Moon 1 4 4 19:00-09:00

 

 

Royal Blus LEDs

Ramp Time Starting Intensity Ending Intensity Time

UP 90 4 55 09:00-10:30

ON 1 55 55 10:30-17:00

DN 120 55 4 17:00-19:00

Moon 1 4 4 19:00-09:00

 

 

White LEDs

Ramp Time Starting Intensity Ending Intensity Time

UP 90 0 45 10:00-11:30

ON 1 45 45 11:30-14:00

DN 90 45 0 14:00-15:30