Innovative Marine 25 Lagoon

[Reefkid88]

You may want to look into these,they are on closeout and have built in bulb clips:

https://www.coralvue.com/super-lumen-output-t5-reflectors

[Thrassian Atoll]

I moved my light down a couple of days ago to 4.5” above the tank.  The par meter right now is in the middle about 10” from the light. 

 

The par is exactly where I want it though.  Right around 250 at peak times.  I am going to adjust my hours a little though and adjust the rise and fall time amount to make it more of a gradual rise and decrease I think.  

 

This weekend I am going to take readings all over the tank and map it out over some photos of the tank itself to have a blueprint of the numbers everywhere.  I will also see what just the T5s are without the reflectors.  I beleive the area around 200 par at the beginning is without the T5 on so it’s only putting out around 50 I beleive.

 

 

[Reefkid88]

That is pretty good. You should be able to grow whatever you want with 250 par. 50ish par with no reflectors isn't bad. I think with reflectors you should be able to get 100-110 out of the T5's. 

[Thrassian Atoll]

8 hours ago, Reefkid88 said:

That is pretty good. You should be able to grow whatever you want with 250 par. 50ish par with no reflectors isn't bad. I think with reflectors you should be able to get 100-110 out of the T5's. 

 Yeah, I think reflectors would double the output of the T5s.  I think any sps will be able to do well in regards to the lighting.

 

I am not looking for a lot of par out of the T5s, I just hope it does well to help keep shadowing down on the sps.  

[Reefkid88]

I agree with you there. 

[Thrassian Atoll]

Par results are in for most of the areas in my tank.  I got a little lazy and wrote them down on photos.  

 

Whats weird is the lest side of the tank has a lot higher par than the right side, including the sand bed.  A couple inches above the rocks in the middle is around 250 and an inch or so higher is around 300.  

 

This should help a lot with coral placement and I got a better understanding of how much par the light puts out.

 

 

 

 

[shaner014]

Really cool stuff here! I’ve worried about par and schedules and all that for so long. I still do. Except I’m forcing myself to just set one of @nanoboxpresets this time and see what happens. I always chase light too much! 

 

 

[Reefkid88]

That is a perfect spread of light too. Sweet spots absolitely everywhere,so that is awesome. Definitely a little more par on the left rock but not too much. 

[Thrassian Atoll]

5 minutes ago, shaner014 said:

Really cool stuff here! I’ve worried about par and schedules and all that for so long. I still do. Except I’m forcing myself to just set one of @nanoboxpresets this time and see what happens. I always chase light too much! 

 

 

Thanks!  I would always adjust my light intensity based on what others have said.  With this being a custom light, it would have been hard figuring it out without doing the par testing.  I am glad I was able to see everything first hand for once.

 

7 minutes ago, Reefkid88 said:

That is a perfect spread of light too. Sweet spots absolitely everywhere,so that is awesome. Definitely a little more par on the left rock but not too much. 

 

The spread is pretty good.  It’s nice not having drastically different areas so I can basically place most sps anywhere.   The sand will be able to handle a clam as well I think on the left side.  

 

The higher light intesity corals can go up on that left rock.  I just hope that the sps I get don’t really need to be acclimated to the light because I can’t really go up levels with them besides on that left side.

[Thrassian Atoll]

It makes sense now.  The middle led cluster is closer to the left side since it’s not centered.  🤦‍♂️

[Reefkid88]

I would just get with whatever supplier and whatever and see what par the piece is grown in and place accordingly. 

[Thrassian Atoll]

34 minutes ago, Reefkid88 said:

I would just get with whatever supplier and whatever and see what par the piece is grown in and place accordingly. 

Seems like a lot of stuff is mariculture nowadays.  A lot of vendors get stuff and sell it within a day or 2.

[Andreww]

1 hour ago, TILTON said:

Thanks!  I would always adjust my light intensity based on what others have said.  With this being a custom light, it would have been hard figuring it out without doing the par testing.  I am glad I was able to see everything first hand for once.

 

 

The spread is pretty good.  It’s nice not having drastically different areas so I can basically place most sps anywhere.   The sand will be able to handle a clam as well I think on the left side.  

 

The higher light intesity corals can go up on that left rock.  I just hope that the sps I get don’t really need to be acclimated to the light because I can’t really go up levels with them besides on that left side.

I’d say maybe you should start with some LPS and softies to keep you busy for another year or so then add SPS and get rid of the rest.

There’s something about a new tank and SPS that no one can really understand. Even with perfect water , they still die.

Take it slow this time . Light looks good but those T5’s are a bit pointless with no reflectors . PAR is good and no doubt you’ll be able to keep SPS but you’ll have a hard time coloring up some SPS if that is maximum intensity.

Either way, I wish you good luck and will follow this 👍🏻

[shaner014]

57 minutes ago, Andreww said:

I’d say maybe you should start with some LPS and softies to keep you busy for another year or so then add SPS and get rid of the rest.

There’s something about a new tank and SPS that no one can really understand. Even with perfect water , they still die.

Take it slow this time . Light looks good but those T5’s are a bit pointless with no reflectors . PAR is good and no doubt you’ll be able to keep SPS but you’ll have a hard time coloring up some SPS if that is maximum intensity.

Either way, I wish you good luck and will follow this 👍🏻

 

As far as mature tanks and SPS. I find that hard to buy into. I agree there is such a thing as bio-stability and getting over the initial brand new tank swings.. but a year? Nah.. And the T5's are not pointless, they are just not as efficient as they could be. The light given off is still more blanketing than the single points of the LED's and they are undoubtedly filling in some otherwise would be shadowy areas. And, well, not to refute all of what you said, but I just watched an hour long talk with Jason Fox and he's a pretty big proponent of less light being fine for SPS. Flow and Water Quality having more to do with growth and color than light. The mariculture stuff maybe being the exception since its farmed in such shallow water. 

[Andreww]

39 minutes ago, shaner014 said:

 

As far as mature tanks and SPS. I find that hard to buy into. I agree there is such a thing as bio-stability and getting over the initial brand new tank swings.. but a year? Nah.. And the T5's are not pointless, they are just not as efficient as they could be. The light given off is still more blanketing than the single points of the LED's and they are undoubtedly filling in some otherwise would be shadowy areas. And, well, not to refute all of what you said, but I just watched an hour long talk with Jason Fox and he's a pretty big proponent of less light being fine for SPS. Flow and Water Quality having more to do with growth and color than light. The mariculture stuff maybe being the exception since its farmed in such shallow water. 

Fair enough. One thing is SPS being “fine” and totally different to thrive and look the best they can.

Ive also watched a lot of Dana Riddle’s videos where he did PAR testing on Porites and found that higher PAR (usually over 300) leads to photoinhibition. But that’s one stony coral, doesn’t mean all will exhibit the same behavior.

Ofcourse testing more pieces would be lots of work and is not paid enough for anyone to care.

Id like to summon mister @markalot that I have been impressed with lately for lack of better words as far as growth and coloration on his acros in his 150. Thread is long , over on RC.

I remember some of his pieces didn’t start to color up until 500PAR and up. 

I could be wrong though. I am sometimes.

[Andreww]

Don’t get me wrong, 250-350 par is more than enough for SPS.

I wasn’t implying OP’s light is worthless cuz it’s far from that. 

My bad on using the wrong wording, not pointless but not as best as it can be.

[Thrassian Atoll]

1 hour ago, Andreww said:

I’d say maybe you should start with some LPS and softies to keep you busy for another year or so then add SPS and get rid of the rest.

There’s something about a new tank and SPS that no one can really understand. Even with perfect water , they still die.

Take it slow this time . Light looks good but those T5’s are a bit pointless with no reflectors . PAR is good and no doubt you’ll be able to keep SPS but you’ll have a hard time coloring up some SPS if that is maximum intensity.

Either way, I wish you good luck and will follow this 👍🏻

 

Led par I have read from some vendors that they keep it in the 200-300 range.  It’s not like halides back in the day where people had it at 500+.  The white intesity is halfway.  The T5 actually help with light color pretty well and hopefully will help keep the coral shadowing to a minimum.  

 

I know I need to take it slow with the sps, but man it’s hard to do.  Haha.  I am definitely going to take it easy on the dosing of 2 part and trying to change my parameters around.  I am sure that’s what did me in.  I was testing a ton too but I think something was off.  I am definitely going to take is super slow with high end acros.  I will probably grab some monti caps and some easier Aquacultured stuff.  I just can’t get into the softies anymore.  I might grab a few LPS.

 

 I actually had my little 5 gallon going pretty well.  I didn’t do anything with that.  It was definitely on the kiss method and did better than this tank.

[Thrassian Atoll]

Once the corals start to grow out the par will go up as well.  Seemed like every inch was 50+ par more.  

[xiaoxiy]

You'll do great with that PAR range. That's actually what I have slowly transitioned my corals to over the past couple of months (from 3-500 PAR previously) in both my display and frag tanks. I've noticed that my growth and coloration are better. 

[markalot]

19 hours ago, Andreww said:

Fair enough. One thing is SPS being “fine” and totally different to thrive and look the best they can.

Ive also watched a lot of Dana Riddle’s videos where he did PAR testing on Porites and found that higher PAR (usually over 300) leads to photoinhibition. But that’s one stony coral, doesn’t mean all will exhibit the same behavior.

Ofcourse testing more pieces would be lots of work and is not paid enough for anyone to care.

Id like to summon mister @markalot that I have been impressed with lately for lack of better words as far as growth and coloration on his acros in his 150. Thread is long , over on RC.

I remember some of his pieces didn’t start to color up until 500PAR and up. 

I could be wrong though. I am sometimes.

 

Hi Andrew.

 

I don't think anything needs 500 PAR or more.  I might have thought that at one time, or it may have been true when my tank was newer or dirtier?  Nowadays 200 to 350 is just about perfect, less if all LED and you have good coverage IMO.  If all you could do is 250 I think you'll be very happy.  :)   Stability stability stability though, tough to do in a small tank, good luck!

[Andreww]

31 minutes ago, markalot said:

 

Hi Andrew.

 

I don't think anything needs 500 PAR or more.  I might have thought that at one time, or it may have been true when my tank was newer or dirtier?  Nowadays 200 to 350 is just about perfect, less if all LED and you have good coverage IMO.  If all you could do is 250 I think you'll be very happy.  🙂  Stability stability stability though, tough to do in a small tank, good luck!

Ahh you tricked me mister. Haha

No problem I learn stuff every day.

Thanks for chiming in👍🏻

[Thrassian Atoll]

1 hour ago, xiaoxiy said:

You'll do great with that PAR range. That's actually what I have slowly transitioned my corals to over the past couple of months (from 3-500 PAR previously) in both my display and frag tanks. I've noticed that my growth and coloration are better. 

Great to hear!

[Thrassian Atoll]

1 hour ago, markalot said:

 

Hi Andrew.

 

I don't think anything needs 500 PAR or more.  I might have thought that at one time, or it may have been true when my tank was newer or dirtier?  Nowadays 200 to 350 is just about perfect, less if all LED and you have good coverage IMO.  If all you could do is 250 I think you'll be very happy.  🙂  Stability stability stability though, tough to do in a small tank, good luck!

 

Thanks!  Stability is key for sure.  That’s going to be the tough part.  Test, test, test.  I need to just log the values for a while before I even think about dosing again.

[Thrassian Atoll]

Tank is cycled!  It’s been 3 weeks today.  Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrates are all at 0.  I am sure the Nitrates are higher than zero, but I tested it with the api kit.  I’ll check with the Red Sea later.  I used a raw shrimp, api quick start to start the cycle.  I threw in a pinch of food a couple of days ago too. 

 

I went ahead and ordered my first fish and most of my clean up crew.  That should be here Tuesday.  I’ll take some photos and list what I got when the shipment is here from LiveAquaria.  

[Thrassian Atoll]

I painted the wall behind my tank recently.  Here’s how high the light is as well now.  Painted the wall made a big difference with esthetics I think.  It looks way better.