New LED - arriving today need some advise. (1 Viewer)

[Reefkeeper]

Have some dimmable LED's 3W arriving today --- reefbreeders. I am replacing teK 6 x 54W fixture.

Was thinking to Mount 6 Inch above the water line, and start off with 30% power on the Whites for 4 hours per day - 10:00-16:00 and 70%( have some LPS on the sand that are struggling under T5 so need to feed them at the start) on the blues and other colors. For 11 hours per day 09:00 to 20:00. have large SPS colonies about 4" under the water and LED at 6 inches, above so total 10" from the LED's ????

Ramp up every week by 5% and an additional 30 min on the whites, and 10% per week on the blues. Might adjust but was thinking to run Blues/ and colors at 100% and white at 70% in time ... ?

 

[BlackSS]

Depends how many.
i would start 40 or so on blues and 30 on whites. Raise 3% every 3 days.

without knowing specifics of your tank I can't say for sure, but I would be very surprised if your lps are struggling from lack of light. Plenty of people keep SPS in the bottom 1/2 of their tank with similar fixtures. I've kept clams in the sand with t5's for long periods in the past.

If you are using old or crappy bulbs you need to be even more cautious with the LEDs at the start or you will blast everything.

i have way too many LEDs 12" above the water. I run them at 10% for about 4 hours them ramp up to 80/50 for 7 hours but have taken 3 months to get there (probably could have been done in 3 weeks)

 

[Jeremyee]

I agree with BlackSS, 40% on the Blue and 30% on the whites to start. I am running 12x White 70% and 12x Blue 60% and bleached my coral on a 90 Gallon tank. I am running my lights a bit high at 13" with 70 Degree lens.

 

[Reefkeeper]

Thanks these two units are also on 90 gallon, thanks for the advise, mounted 12 inch and will set as suggested.... should I run the whites longer than 5 hours per day at 30%?


Tek 6 x t5 , all Ati bulbs excepting 10000k's bulbs are still good 6 months with fan on then... Surprised was under the impression t5 max depth for coral is - 24nches anything over 24 inch is a issue. Can't remember we're i read this... But no punch to hit the bottom with significant par....

I have a walking dendro coral with worm, in the 90 on the bottom .. And the cup coral does not extend fully. Have moved to my frag tank same water off the 90dsp in a Tupperware with sand under t5 but shallow water and its a totally different coral.

Could be wrong.....