phlizon 165w settings?

[EvanStorzuk]

I have a single coral that was gifted to me and I’m trying to keep alive while I cycle my big tank. it had opened up a bit since I got it, but it contracted back in slightly a couple hours ago. I’m just wondering what height and setting I should put my 165w phlizon light at.  The tank is 12” tall and the coral is just sitting at the bottom.

[seabass]

What type of coral is it?  This could make a big difference regarding lighting.  A pic of the coral and tank might help too.

 

3 hours ago, EvanStorzuk said:

I’m just wondering what height and setting I should put my 165w phlizon light at.

That's a fairly powerful fixture.  Just generically, I'd say to mount it about 12" above the tank, at maybe 50% intensity.

 

3 hours ago, EvanStorzuk said:

it had opened up a bit since I got it, but it contracted back in slightly a couple hours ago.

It's hard to say why this happened.  There could be any number of reasons (or combinations of reasons), like: changes in one or more parameters (including nutrient levels and temperature), changes in flow or light, stress due to transport, etc.

[mcarroll]

14 hours ago, EvanStorzuk said:

I have a single coral that was gifted to me and I’m trying to keep alive while I cycle my big tank. it had opened up a bit since I got it, but it contracted back in slightly a couple hours ago. I’m just wondering what height and setting I should put my 165w phlizon light at.  The tank is 12” tall and the coral is just sitting at the bottom.

Unless you know otherwise, that fixture probably has 90º lenses.  

 

90º lenses give the light a coverage area that's twice the mounting height.  

 

So if your tank's narrow dimension (not its long dimension) is 18", you'd divide that by 1/2 to know the proper mounting height.....9" or less .  

 

You might want the coverage area to be a little smaller than the tank surface....but not a lot smaller....so if you experiment, a *little* lower than 9" might be preferable.  Higher than 9" and you start lighting up the filter compartment (if present) and the room the tank is in.  (Wasteful, ugly, will grow algae in places you don't want it, and not great for your eyes.)

 

BTW, can you post a tank+light picture as well as some water test results?  Everything you have would be interesting....including specific gravity, alk, calcium, magnesium, nitrate and phosphate, and ammonia.

[jservedio]

15 hours ago, seabass said:

That's a fairly powerful fixture.  Just generically, I'd say to mount it about 12" above the tank, at maybe 50% intensity.

I'd definitely go much, much lower. It appears that fixture is split 50/50 between 470nm for blue and a bunch of other diodes on the white channel. At just 40%, the blue channel would be around 33w which is way more than enough for anything in a 12" deep tank if it's right underneath. I'd probably set the blue channel around 25ish percent and then dial in the white channel for looks so it isn't so windex blue, keeping it at like 10% or lower.

 

50% would almost certainly light bleach anything at that depth.

[mcarroll]

That sounds like a great starting point!

 

Using a PAR meter, lux meter or lux meter app to verify intensity levels after setup would be smart too!  👍  (The apps are free if cost is a concern.)