james1990

Advanced Reefer
Location
Long Island NY
Rating - 100%
57   0   0
I would have to say the water quality is pretty close to perfect. All params are in the zone as well as ph and temp.

I am using a non dimming 12' fixture LED with blue/white. daytime is on a 6 hour timer 100%

Edit: the light is about 20' from the water line and its a shallow 13' tank (24x24x13 deep blue cube)
 

james1990

Advanced Reefer
Location
Long Island NY
Rating - 100%
57   0   0
That's kind of hard to say. The system has been running with the light for about two years. It started as a mixed reef but I cleaned up my act and added about 10-15 frags from last years frag swap.

Most of the sps that turned green are from that day. And no I didn't buy them all from the same system.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2
 

lnevo

Advanced Reefer
Location
Bellmore, NY
Rating - 100%
106   0   0
What kind of fixture is it? 20 inches sounds very high and also a 12 inch fixture is small for a 24x24 and 6 hours is a pretty short photo period. Granted, i could be completely off base but i would suggest getting some par readings...
 

sig45

Experienced Reefer
Location
upstate
Rating - 100%
5   0   0
IME color shift to green is more of a light spectrum issue. Spectrum degrades in all lights over time. It might be time for a new fixture or bulb change. Water flow and feeding also play an important role as well.
Browning is more of a water quality issue. Elevated NO4/PO4 etc.. will affect SPS negatively.
Bleaching or 'pale' coloration is usually an indicator of Intensity/duration of photoperiod.

Obviously, one parameter is not solely responsible for change but this may help.

Sig
 

strgazr27

Advanced Reefer
Location
Kings Park, NY
Rating - 100%
123   0   0
LEDs do not shift spectrum over time. This is one of their selling points. Morphing to green? Are you sure they are not green and were off color when you bought them? The fixture you have is likely not powerful enough to run at 20" awl. Your likely running it at that height to get coverage which is killing your par. As far as water quality goes, simply stating its good doesn't help us. If you post specific test results a much better answer can be given...
 

sig45

Experienced Reefer
Location
upstate
Rating - 100%
5   0   0
Strgazr27-
My experience with all types of lighting is that spectrum degrades and color shifts. LED are no exception but possibly less so with newer tech drivers. Duration of use & dimming may also be factors. The subject has been discussed extensively.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2077636

I have already noted color shift in my blue corals under 2 yr old Orphek LED(?higher end LED) I'm certainly no expert in lighting, but to say LEDs do not shift is inaccurate.

With that said, the color change is likely multifactorial. Lighting a possibility....
 

strgazr27

Advanced Reefer
Location
Kings Park, NY
Rating - 100%
123   0   0
Strgazr27-
My experience with all types of lighting is that spectrum degrades and color shifts. LED are no exception but possibly less so with newer tech drivers. Duration of use & dimming may also be factors. The subject has been discussed extensively.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2077636

I have already noted color shift in my blue corals under 2 yr old Orphek LED(?higher end LED) I'm certainly no expert in lighting, but to say LEDs do not shift is inaccurate.

With that said, the color change is likely multifactorial. Lighting a possibility....

The spectral shift they speak of in the thread you referenced has to do with spectral shift from dimming and driver output. Not a shift in spectrum caused by age. Now the drivers in his fixtures may be decaying over time and causing the shift but not the age of the LEDs themselves.
 

sig45

Experienced Reefer
Location
upstate
Rating - 100%
5   0   0
My understanding is that there is thermal degradation of the lens which is time dependent. One study I read showed 5nm spectral shift at 600hrs(<100 days for most of us)of use w 350mA. The peripheral lens degrades with time from heat and thus reduces radiation.
Newer lens designs may have improved this.
I don't think there are any absolutes here on LEDs.
 

james1990

Advanced Reefer
Location
Long Island NY
Rating - 100%
57   0   0
The fixture is made by aquarium village. I watched the mrsaltwatertank episode on LEDs and he suggested mounting them higher because his par readings were sky high with them on 100% intensity. given those were different leds.

my cal is 450 and alk tested a little low at 9.2 dkH (red sea kit) I turned up the alk now. Ill keep testing but the color morphing has been going on before the alk lowered.

Should I try changing the time period? or maybe lower the fixture? which variable would you change first.
 

james1990

Advanced Reefer
Location
Long Island NY
Rating - 100%
57   0   0
surely,

tank is 30 gal cube, with a 25 gal sump with cheato, and octopus skimmer. Running about 3-4 tablespoons of GFO and 4-5 tablespoons of carbon both in reactors. Dosing B-ionic 2 part with the bubble magus pump

water change is with I/O reef crystals. 5 gallons a week. matching temp and salinity.
 
Location
Ridgewood, NY
Rating - 100%
54   0   0
What kind of fixture is it? 20 inches sounds very high and also a 12 inch fixture is small for a 24x24 and 6 hours is a pretty short photo period. Granted, i could be completely off base but i would suggest getting some par readings...

+1 on the PAR readings, my buddy Vio came over and helped me out. It turns out my Radio Pros were too intense for my corals. I lowered them from 50 to 35%. Hope this helps.
 

Sponsor Reefs

We're a FREE website, and we exist because of hobbyists like YOU who help us run this community.

Click here to sponsor $10:


Top