Problem With Kessil Spectral Controller Coral Acclimation Setting?

[Prezpreston]

Hey All!

 

So I recently got the Spectral controller for xmas to control my Kessil A80 Tuna Blue (wohoo!) and three frags. I had done research on the spectral controller and watched a few videos and read some articles talking about how the Spectral controller had a coral acclimation setting; but beyond showing what the screen looked like for the setting, nothing went too in depth. All videos and articles mainly focused on how to set your own manual lighting schedule.

 

When I reached the coral acclimation setting on the controller, the only two factors you can adjust are: how many days you want the coral acclimation to run for, as well as the light intensity percentage you would like it to start it.

 

There was no option to adjust times or anything like that (e.g. start coral acclimation lighting for the day at 7 AM daily).

 

In the interest of being overcautious, I set the controller for a 14 day acclimation (max setting) with the starting light intensity at 0%. For the first day, it didn't switch on the lighting at all. For the second and third days, it's been set at 10% color and 2% intensity (not sure how many blues vs whites the 10% color is, but my color is a deep blue, so I would assume it's saying 10% whites).

 

However, as far as I can tell, the light hasn't switched off for almost 48 hours. Now, I wouldn't think this would be a problem, except that I feel like it might be disrupting my poor clowns sleeping pattern.

 

So, my question is - is there something I'm missing with the coral acclimation setting? Did I somehow do it wrong? Or is this just par (not light intensity 😉) for the course? Any light you guys  can shed (😎) would be much appreciated.

[Timaaa]

I have not tried the acclimation mode, I just increase the percentage by five percent each week

[MainelyReefer]

Acclimating the corals to a 15w bulb from 0% is absurd.  Throw it on there at 100% intensity and what ever color you want and as long as the corals are in more than 1.5-2g of water and deeper than 3 inches I’m guessing they will be fine.  The A80 is small and only good to light 5g or less IMO or as supplemental.  My 1.75g bowl can’t run on an a80 as it isn’t enough light so it needed the AI Prime throttled down to 20w.  I have corals in there 4-5” from the light 1” under the water surface.  FWIW I think acclimation mode corresponds to the settings you had the light on before setting up acclimation mode, what are the settings acclimation mode is eventually getting to?

[Prezpreston]

1 hour ago, GraniteReefer said:

Acclimating the corals to a 15w bulb from 0% is absurd.  Throw it on there at 100% intensity and what ever color you want and as long as the corals are in more than 1.5-2g of water and deeper than 3 inches I’m guessing they will be fine.  The A80 is small and only good to light 5g or less IMO or as supplemental.  My 1.75g bowl can’t run on an a80 as it isn’t enough light so it needed the AI Prime throttled down to 20w.  I have corals in there 4-5” from the light 1” under the water surface.  FWIW I think acclimation mode corresponds to the settings you had the light on before setting up acclimation mode, what are the settings acclimation mode is eventually getting to?

Wow - that would make a ton of sense why my coral acclimation mode was off; I got my spectral controller at the same time as my 3 frags, and simply started my coral acclimation mode without messing with the quick set programs at all. I had thought the coral acclimation mode was some preset programming that the quick set mode had no impact on; but I’m seeing now that the controller will control for intensity and color depending on the program you are having the coral acclimate to - I feel like an idiot, but what the heck! I couldn’t find that information anywhere. Thank you so much for clearing that up for me.

 

I went with the A80 based on the tank I have and what mccaroll said below - 

A Prime is way overkill for a 12 gallon 16x14x15"H tank anyway.  Of that 15" of tank height, there can't be more than 10-12" of water column for the light to penetrate.  (Why ~36 watts of PC light worked.)

 

 

He (or someone else, I can’t remember) also linked me to some PAR readings of an A80 running at like 40% intensity in a similar or bigger sized tank than my own, and it was in the 160-200 range from what I remember; which I thought was more than adequate for the three corals I had listed above? I found an old thread on these forums where someone said they had gotten this lighting schedule from kessil for their A80 for a nano, and I thought this schedule below would work:

 

1200  0% color 10% intensity

1400 10%  30%

1600 25%  60%

1800 45%  60% 

2000 30%  30% 

2200 0%     0%

 

Since turning off the coral acclimation program that I set incorrectly last night, I programmed my Kessil for this schedule - and my hammer certainly opened up a bit more. My Galaxea and Zoa largely look the same. Should I just leave this schedule running or do I need to work up to it?

[mcarroll]

I would consider mounting the light closer to the tank (around 4" seems ideal in many cases) so there's NO light being wasted outside the top rim of the tank.  You don't have to target a specific height in inches though, just lower the light until the ring of wasted light "disappears" into the tank.  Then you're done.   (My 360X's are about 4" from the surface of my 125G just for comparison....)  15 watts doesn't give you much/if any power to waste.  (Which isn't a bad thing.  Why have a light that's too big?) 👍 

 

I also wouldn't hesitate (for long) to get the light up to 100% intensity unless you have sensitive corals right at the top, directly under the light, in which case the acclimation mode would be handy, but should still eventually end with the light running a standard mode at 100% intensity during the peak times.

 

P.S.  I don't remember finding PAR ratings for the A80.  (Wish Kessil would provide them, but they object in principle due to PAR not accurately reflecting the Kessil spectrum. I can only guess that's due to UV wavelengths. 🤷‍♂️)  Could be my memory is bad -- too many threads to remember all the details... 😜...but I suspect maybe it was for the Current USA's that I also suggested?  They do have PAR charts for their lights and could even be about the same wattage.) but I still think it'll be no problem/no worry.  You DO have some worries with that saltwater tho!  Weird!