Lighting Issue/Question

[koa25]

Ok, So i had a single 250 over my SPS for the longest time and they were all doing amazingly well. I decided to make that scary jump to led. I got a single AI sol blue unit. Some of my corals reacted great to the change in light. Some brightened up. But some of the others are bleaching or browning. No likey. Now I have a 72 inch tank with two braces running across the tank for bowing support breaking the tank up in to three even 22 inch segments. My question is can two 250w MH hung over my tank each cover 36 inch segments of my tank and not be inhibited by my braces running across or should I insert a a single 175w MH between the 250's so that each MH is covering a 24 inch area and just have 1 segement with a 175? Cause i love the AI sol color but not happy with the response from some of my corals and the growth compared to the MH I had before. Appreciate the Input. Thank ya.

[kkiel02]

I used to run two lumenbrite 250w over my 180. Now I run 3 over my 375.

[Mr Cob]

we have a light fixture with 2 x 250w MH (20K) on our 220g tank. The corals under the light do great but I can only place LPS and softies in all other areas which was the purpose of the tank so it works for us. Plus only lighting a tank so large with 2 x 250w mh, open top, pretty much acts like a chiller since it's also plumbed in with my 85g frag tank.

[koa25]

Cool. Appreciate the input. So for proper placement they would be right over the braces. Those wouldn't cause too much interferance for the light? I mean they are only 2 inchs thick. But just still curious. If some of these corals die Rob. Who will i replace them through? Why are you doing this to me? ha ha.

[Mr Cob]

lol

[350gt]

U only had the AI a couple of weeks though?

I haven't had anything go south on me but a stunner chalice.... But I can't blame the lights yet cause I neglected the tank for a little while and he was semi buried by my goby....

What did you start the lights off at? I went from 35% to now at 55%, with it peaking at 55 for only 2 hours..... Think that has alot to do with me not burning or bleaching anything..... I bumped them 5% every few days...

[350gt]

Don't get me wrong though...... MH/t5 is so much easier than led..

Trying to figure out the programming and what percentage was a pain, I was lucky enough to snag the par meter from Louis which has helped alot to figure what is getting what.... But it has helped...

I am hoping this led venture works out..... If not oh well, I tried..

[koa25]

I started out at 35w 40b 40rb Then inceased by ten weekly. I'm at 60w 65b 65rb and it peeks for intensity for 7 hours. My 250w 12k MH was on for 9 so i figured that was a good run. Think that is too long? I moved the bleaching stuff down and the browning stuff up trying to correct for it. That was about a week or so ago. I have some SPS pieces I don't want to loose so I am kind worried right now. thats why i might be swithcing back to the MH. They worked. And it wasn't a guessing game on numbers. I just plugged play and tossed corals under them. I'm a simple man ha ha.

[koa25]

Yeah. I might have to borrow the par meter to see what I was getting in the water and better set the AI to that.

[FireWater]

I had to turn my whites way back on my 120 with 2 sol blues over it. I still have some difficulties with a couple of coral not liking the light. I moved a couple colonies around about 2 weeks ago and they are starting to show some color now. I even had a colony from ER that was grey/brown when I got it. It has been in my tank for several months and it is just now morphing into new colors - it is developing into a grey and lavender with bright screaming yellow tips.

Time is hard to wait for, but it is slowly paying off for me.

I have my lights set at a full intensity for only 4 hours and that setting is 95% royal and blues and 78% white

[350gt]

can you post your lighting schedule John?

[Bill S]

Back to your question about MH - you will like it a whole lot better with 3 vs. 2.

As for LEDs... I still haven't seen a MAASTard with LEDs and a packed, successful SPS tank. Have I?

[FireWater]

You are welcome to come by my house Bill.

[FireWater]

can you post your lighting schedule John?

I will see what I can do when I get home.

[koa25]

I will see what I can do when I get home.

Yeah, that would be greatly appreciated John. I would like to keep the LED's cause of the color they offer but I don't want to sacrafice my corals. I like my corals and growth.

[350gt]

Ya, didn't mean to go off subject but would like to see others schedules that are having some luck.....

[koa25]

Mi post es su post buddy. No worries. And his schedules are totally on topic. They might help me with my issue. I'm not one of those people that gets but hurt if you budge in. No worries.

[FireWater]

It's good. Bill brings a valid point to the table in that everyone has preferences and all lights have pros and cons.

Do I get the same growth from my LEDs that I got from t-5? No, but the coral does grow. I am not a big fragger anyway and it is not something I enjoy doing. Am I happy with my LEDs? Yes.

If you do run MH I would run 3 vs 2 because of the bracing even if you had to drop the wattag on each light.

[koa25]

Yeah. I'm not a huge fragger either. But I enjoy seeing the corals grow like they do under the MH's. wish they did that well under LED's. I know my red planets growth has slowed like crazy.

But thank you John for the input. I was kind of leaning towards the 3 light setup for even spread and a 175w in the middle would be fitting cause that is where my taller rock structures are.

[350gt]

How high up we're your Ai'S mounted?

[kkiel02]

I would just run three 175w then. 3x250 on that tank you might end up needing a chiller.

[Bill S]

It's good. Bill brings a valid point to the table in that everyone has preferences and all lights have pros and cons.

Do I get the same growth from my LEDs that I got from t-5? No, but the coral does grow. I am not a big fragger anyway and it is not something I enjoy doing. Am I happy with my LEDs? Yes.

If you do run MH I would run 3 vs 2 because of the bracing even if you had to drop the wattag on each light.

First, I'd love to stop by!

Second, I think the above echos what I've said about LEDs.

Please, don't get me wrong - I LOVE LEDS! Our boat is full of them - and they are wonderful. Some might remember that I was oh-so-very-close to buying them for my 215 when it was an SPS dominant tank. Waldon's experience is what stopped me. I firmly believe they will get there, I'm just not YET convinced, that's all. For growing out SPS anyway.

[FireWater]

Sorry guys, I forgot I said I would post my schedule.

Time on- White% - Blue% - Royal%
8 0 80 25 Ramp time of 50 minutes
1030 70 80 70
1230 85 98 97
430 80 85 80
630 70 85 90
730 25 25 25
8 10 35 40
9 0 3 5


My lights are 14 1/2" off the water surface.