Small Supplemental Lighting

[jservedio]

Now that my acros are starting to get much bigger, they are starting to heavily shade many of the LPS that live below them and I need a little extra light. Any recommendations for a small, aimable LED fixture that isn't going to add a ton of light to the system and not break the bank? Ideally something that could be mounted to the rim of the tank, 12" or less long (since it'd be going on the side), and be just a couple inches above the water line and aimed down at about a 45 degree angle.

[Ratvan]

How about something like this? 

https://www.aquacadabra.com/products/tunze-strip-led-8811-marine-eco-chic?variant=15069418356802&currency=GBP&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google+shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQjwybD0BRDyARIsACyS8muR8xbWdFwUpAwLR56w-VeqxtoYRfq0WoG0vekDRF9WoHJysCm2wAsaAnLoEALw_wcB

 

[jservedio]

45 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

How about something like this? 

https://www.aquacadabra.com/products/tunze-strip-led-8811-marine-eco-chic?variant=15069418356802&currency=GBP&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=google+shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQjwybD0BRDyARIsACyS8muR8xbWdFwUpAwLR56w-VeqxtoYRfq0WoG0vekDRF9WoHJysCm2wAsaAnLoEALw_wcB

 

I really like those, but they are $150 for the full-spectrum ones, unfortunately! I could always go with a 12" ReefBrite, but was hoping there was something better and lower-power.

[mcarroll]

On 4/7/2020 at 10:03 AM, jservedio said:

Now that my acros are starting to get much bigger, they are starting to heavily shade many of the LPS that live below them and I need a little extra light. Any recommendations for a small, aimable LED fixture that isn't going to add a ton of light to the system and not break the bank? Ideally something that could be mounted to the rim of the tank, 12" or less long (since it'd be going on the side), and be just a couple inches above the water line and aimed down at about a 45 degree angle.

I'd consider doing nothing....at least for a good while.  

 

"Shadowing" is not a real issue, although a lot has been made out of it.  

 

Corals deal with shadows fine in a healthy system.  (I've had M. cap. plates grow polyps and have good color on the UNDERSIDE of the plates, for example....they don't even grow skin on the bottom in many tanks though, or in the wild so far as reports I've read indicate.)

 

On 4/7/2020 at 11:04 AM, jservedio said:

I really like those, but they are $150 for the full-spectrum ones, unfortunately! I could always go with a 12" ReefBrite, but was hoping there was something better and lower-power.

I don't think you'd want the full spectrum anyway....if you pull the trigger on something, I think you'd want this one that's blue+white and only $79:

LED marine eco chic

 

Can you post a pic of the coral that's getting shaded just for reference?

 

[jservedio]

4 hours ago, mcarroll said:

I'd consider doing nothing....at least for a good while.  

 

"Shadowing" is not a real issue, although a lot has been made out of it.  

 

Corals deal with shadows fine in a healthy system.  (I've had M. cap. plates grow polyps and have good color on the UNDERSIDE of the plates, for example....they don't even grow skin on the bottom in many tanks though, or in the wild so far as reports I've read indicate.)

 

I don't think you'd want the full spectrum anyway....if you pull the trigger on something, I think you'd want this one that's blue+white and only $79:

LED marine eco chic

 

Can you post a pic of the coral that's getting shaded just for reference?

 

I like the look of that one. Since I'm upgrading in October-ish and will have lots of room to move things around so it won't be a concern. However, if I get delayed, I'll need to do something. It's my big acan echinata - it's not just some "shading," it's a table of acro that has put it into total darkness and it's receded to exactly the line between total darkness and "shading." None of my other LPS are having issues and this acan is actually growing at it's normal pace in the lit area. As the acro grows and the shadow line changes, the flesh on the acan follows that shadow in recession. I get happy polyps on the bottom of my monti caps too, but that's because the light is powerful enough to penetrate through wafer thin caps. This is a thick table of acro.

 

Acan being shaded:

 

Acro doing the shading:

[mcarroll]

You do good camera work even on "utility" shots like these.  I can't  get decent photos to save myself.  LOL

 

On 4/28/2020 at 12:05 PM, jservedio said:

it's receded to exactly the line between total darkness and "shading."

Moving the acan, fragging the table, doing nothing, or adding a light would all be valid options.  

 

(Cancel "doing nothing" if the acan is growing more slowly than the table.  But if the acan is keeping up with growth, then it won't die off, it'll just vacate the space under the acro and keep growing as it is.)

 

But, the actual problem for the acan is lack of nutrition, not lack of light.  (To be succinct: Light is used to make nutrition.  I'm sure you know the details.)

 

Target-feeding that specific coral (acan) might be the best possible option IF it works for your routine.  Not everyone wants the bother of having to target feed....and maybe you just want the second light.  😉

 

 

[jservedio]

24 minutes ago, mcarroll said:

You do good camera work even on "utility" shots like these.  I can't  get decent photos to save myself.  LOL

 

Moving the acan, fragging the table, doing nothing, or adding a light would all be valid options.  

 

(Cancel "doing nothing" if the acan is growing more slowly than the table.  But if the acan is keeping up with growth, then it won't die off, it'll just vacate the space under the acro and keep growing as it is.)

 

But, the actual problem for the acan is lack of nutrition, not lack of light.  (To be succinct: Light is used to make nutrition.  I'm sure you know the details.)

 

Target-feeding that specific coral (acan) might be the best possible option IF it works for your routine.  Not everyone wants the bother of having to target feed....and maybe you just want the second light.  😉

 

 

Thanks! Just shoot in RAW (even on your phone) and use any RAW editor to adjust your white balance after the fact to whatever you keep your lights at. Just that will get you 90% of the way there.

 

Moving the acan isn't possible without a hammer and chisel and taking that entire island out is really not possible without doing significant damage since a few of the acros bridge the two rocks and they aren't glued together. I'm going to remove the acan when I switch tanks, so I just need to make it 6-8 months. But, for now that isn't an option.

 

I'll give the target feeding a go, but it's such a tough balance between more food and more nem problems. They are getting wildly out of control, but look so good that I don't want to get rid of them. This is what they are looking like today, so you can see why I'm hesitant to add even more nutrients to a tank where the fish get fed twice a day and are pretty big. This is the entire right half of my tank and they are just going crazy. My two other mini-maxi's already jumped ship off that rock last week after being there for at least 4 years.

 

 

 

[mcarroll]

29 minutes ago, jservedio said:

This is the entire right half of my tank and they are just going crazy.

Beautiful!!

 

Keep in mind that adding a second light is likely to have the same effect on the anemones.

 

With target feeding you can at least relegate the lion's share specifically to the acan.  (Does depend on how good the acan is at catching/consuming the food you're offering tho.)

 

31 minutes ago, jservedio said:

Just shoot in RAW (even on your phone) and use any RAW editor to adjust your white balance

Good tip!    I actually just bought ProCam which appears to allow RAW.  I'll have to give that a try!  (The built in WB doesn't get enough "traction" to wipe out the blue.)

[DSA65PRO]

Check out 21 LED USA dot com. 

[jservedio]

2 hours ago, DSA65PRO said:

Check out 21 LED USA dot com. 

As long as you are a real member and aren't posting spam or trying to get around sponsored content rules you are allowed to post links.

 

Their aquarium stuff looks cool - almost like the old ecoxotic stuff. Their little 10" might be a good fit.