LEDs and corals question.

Discussion in 'Corals' started by Cgshelo1, Jan 31, 2014.

  1. Cgshelo1

    Cgshelo1 Guest

    If this amazing led fixture I have is high enough light if for hard corals and clams etc isn't it too bright for soft corals or the lower light ones? Maybe a dumb question. My Xenia is doing amazing but my purple shrooms stay shrunk up. Any ideas?


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  2. Uperepik

    Uperepik Administrator

    What led fixture is it and what do you have it set on?
     
  3. Reefer

    Reefer Plankton

    We have massive colony of xenia. They love high light!! The higher the light the faster pulse and reproduce!
     
  4. fattytwobyfour

    fattytwobyfour Grouper

    Not at all. I have some soft corals placed higher in the tank than my light loving sps. I run LEDs, and almost on full power.


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  5. fattytwobyfour

    fattytwobyfour Grouper

    But the shrooms I would keep in low light. I have mine under ledges of rock, & in the corners.


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  6. Uperepik

    Uperepik Administrator

    Where are you running your lights at now Allen? I'm only at 50% on whites and 65% blues at peak.
     
  7. fattytwobyfour

    fattytwobyfour Grouper

    My whites peak at 80% & my blues peak at 90%. So I could still go higher.


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  8. Uperepik

    Uperepik Administrator

    I feel like I should turn mine up more for my acro's but when I do certain zoanthids seem to not like it. Some love it
     
  9. huntindoc

    huntindoc RRMAS BOD Membership Director Staff Member

    Different fixtures are going to deliver light differently. I had my whites at 56% and had most of my acros bleached. I turned it down to 32% whites and 55% on the blues and most have recovered their color pretty well and one browned up :-(. I slowly ramped mine back up with acclimation mode to 52% whites and 70% blues and everything is doing well so far.

    I think you can use pretty high settings with SPS and most LPS IF you gradually acclimate the coral to it. I.E. the range of light corals can survive at is pretty wide if they get used to it slowly. Of course that doesn't mean they will thrive or color will be optimal.

    It's also different with individual corals (this drives me crazy). My Stunner and Blue monster chalice seem to do well with any settings. My frogspawn is happy as can be with anything while the Hammer on the other end gets mad if the lights are too high. The dragon eye zoas aren't picky at all while the PE palys don't like high light or high flow! Regular mushrooms shrink in high light, the dang green hairy mushroom grows like crab grass no matter what. There is a lot more art to this than science ...at least that's what I'm starting to think. Experience is invaluable and I just don't have it.....yet.
     

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