[03sonicstang]

I switched my Tank over to LED about 9 months ago and its gone down hill ever sense. I've kept up on water changes, changed media and dosing with a CR.

Tanks is a 180 with 40 Refuge, running a Aqua C Skimmer, and Vortech 40. I have about 20 Fish with a mixed reef. The Leathers and Lobo are are really doing terrible at this point

Im thinking its the lighting...I'm either going to bright or not bright enough. I made the mistake and purchased cheap Chinese lighting but picked the color for about 14K.

I would love to test the output in the tank...does anyone in the Northville, Plymouth area have an underwater par meter I can rent?

Thanks....I've hit a road block and need HELP!!!

 

[tdb560reef]

I switched my Tank over to LED about 9 months ago and its gone down hill ever sense. I've kept up on water changes, changed media and dosing with a CR.

Tanks is a 180 with 40 Refuge, running a Aqua C Skimmer, and Vortech 40. I have about 20 Fish with a mixed reef. The Leathers and Lobo are are really doing terrible at this point

Im thinking its the lighting...I'm either going to bright or not bright enough. I made the mistake and purchased cheap Chinese lighting but picked the color for about 14K.

I would love to test the output in the tank...does anyone in the Northville, Plymouth area have an underwater par meter I can rent?

Thanks....I've hit a road block and need HELP!!!

How did you acclimate the light? What are the settings?

 

[barav17]

The same thing happened to me, I went from t5 to led and burned up a lot of corals. more than likely they are getting to much intensity. I would suggest turning the whites down very low.

 

[03sonicstang]

At first I had them too high (about 85% on the Blues and 40-50% on the whites), but I ramped up to these settings over a month period.

Now the settings at their most intense is 65% Blue and 15% White. This has that way going on about 2 months. The lights are pretty close to the water, about 6-8"

My candy canes and Lobos look terrible!

I once read a quote on Reef Central, "If you've never hit a road block you've not been in the hobby long enough"....well 5 years later....I'm at a block!

Thank you for the replies and suggestions

 

[tdb560reef]

Id turn your whites off and put your blues down to about 20-30% and let everything recover.

It sounds like your corals reached photo inhibition too quickly which has damaged its photosynthetic apparatus. This could lead to the corals starving or spending all of if its energy recovering until its death.

Also Leds, depending on which type of optics are very focused which in my experience corals do not like. I am not sure what fixture you have but I modified my panels with light diffusers from Lowes for drop ceilings - The one here had a box of broken ones for a buck. This breaks up the direct focus and I have noted improvements on coral health and light spread.

 

[03sonicstang]

Id turn your whites off and put your blues down to about 20-30% and let everything recover.

It sounds like your corals reached photo inhibition too quickly which has damaged its photosynthetic apparatus. This could lead to the corals starving or spending all of if its energy recovering until its death.

Also Leds, depending on which type of optics are very focused which in my experience corals do not like. I am not sure what fixture you have but I modified my panels with light diffusers from Lowes for drop ceilings - The one here had a box of broken ones for a buck. This breaks up the direct focus and I have noted improvements on coral health and light spread.

Thanks; good call on the Light Diffusers.... I will reduce the lighting and try the diffusers....its frustrating...as everything looked great before!

 

[chadf]

I read this looking to see if I could use one too. Tough to figure out the intensity with an 8" high tank and the light 3' above the tank with 45* optics.

 

[03sonicstang]

Good morning. Did a large water change and lowered the lighting intensity .

Now the Blues are never over 50% and the Whites are at 1%. Going to pick up diffusers later today and give that a shot as well.

Thanks again for all the replies.

 

[alvieman]

I had an experience when I went to LEDs fairly similar. I put 24 bridgelux LED's over a 29g cube and noticed horrible spread but where the whites were the corals were burning up, the lens's were the issue for me. I actually run my LED's now with no lens whatsoever, the spread is fantastic and they are far less focused. I have no issues with corals burning up anymore either. I actually had 34 LEDs at one point and had to back that off, I went with wayyyy too much off the bat. New technology enthusiasm I would say.

The whites are WAY more intense than the blues I've learned can torch a coral in a heartbeat, especially if you went from a flourescent style (T5/T12/PC) to the LEDs. I think the transition from MH would be less intense as they are more focused similar to the LEDs, whereas the T5's are not.

Sounds like you are on the right path, back those babies down awhile and wait it out.

 

[03sonicstang]

Took the lenses off one of the fixtures and you're right, much better spread.

Hope my tank turns around... Thank you to everyone who replied!