Possible Lighting Intensity Issue Causing Tissue Necrosis on SPS Corals.

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

I have run into my first major issue with my reef aquarium. I built my LED Lighting System myself. It consist of 4 independent Meanwell LPC-5-700W Drivers each with 6 LED's (three Cree XP-G R5 Cool White LED's & three Cree XP-E Royal Blue LED's) for a total of 24 LED's with 40 degree reflectors. I originally had the lighting system suspended about 8 inches from the top of the aquarium. My seabed is located 15 inches into the aquarium. This lighting system put out the equivalent of a 250 watt Metal Halide System (if not more). I have stable water parameters and temperature and decided to purchase a few small frags to test my worthiness of SPS Corals. I am starting to see sign of Tissue Necrosis. I immediately thought that this was caused due to my water parameters not being accurately assessed since I am utilizing an Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Test Kit. So I went to Greenwich Aquaria to purchase some Elos test kits. After some discussion about my issue we started to connect some dots. He has had a few customers with LED Lighting Kits (example: Aqua Illumination) that had their SPS Corals also experience Tissue Necrosis due to the intensity of the LED Lighting. So this started to make sense. I have a perfectly healthy clam that I purchased from a fellow reef keeper which has all the Mantle recessed for weeks. I originally suspected Pinched Mantel Disease but everything is starting to point to the intensity of the LED Lights. So I have raised the lighting system suspension from 8 inches to 16 inches above the aquarium in hopes to decrease the intensity but I may just have to purchase all new reflectors. What are your thoughts? Do you agree that the reflectors could be focusing too much light downward which is increasing the intensity to the level that the corals connect be exposed to? If so should I purchase 65 degree or 80 degree reflectors? Thank you in advance for all the advice.

View My Aquarium Journal Thread
http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/tank-threads/105278-reef-grows-bronx.html

 

[rkaragozler]

I am not an led expert but have been doing research for over 6 months on this particular matter, and from my research all I can say is that the reflectors used make a big difference, from what i have read the narrower the beam the stronger the intensity of light so in return its like putting a magnifying glass on the coral.

 

[Widdy]

I would pull the optics off for now and let your corals slowly acclimate. Since your Meanwell isn't dimmable, you'll have to adjust the height to increase/decrease intensity.

I'm running XRE/XPG as well @ approx 800mA with no optics in approximately 19" of water, fixture is about 8" above water surface. I finally got the intensity up to 100% today after about 8 weeks of increasing it 10% each week.

 

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

Reply to Rkaragozler.

I am not an led expert but have been doing research for over 6 months on this particular matter, and from my research all I can say is that the reflectors used make a big difference, from what i have read the narrower the beam the stronger the intensity of light so in return its like putting a magnifying glass on the coral.

Thank you for the information.

 

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

Reply to Widdy.

I would pull the optics off for now and let your corals slowly acclimate. Since your Meanwell isn't dimmable, you'll have to adjust the height to increase/decrease intensity.

I'm running XRE/XPG as well @ approx 800mA with no optics in approximately 19" of water, fixture is about 8" above water surface. I finally got the intensity up to 100% today after about 2 weeks of increasing it 10% each week.

Widdy, that is definitely food for thought. How are your corals doing during the acclimation process? The only reason I am hesitate to have no reflectors is because this aquarium is in my bedroom/office and I don't want to be blinded when I look at the aquarium. That and my wife suffers from Migraine Headaches so I don't want her not being able to come into the room because of the unfocused lights. I may just order 24 of the 80 degree optics as my choice and slowly lower the fixture over the course of a few weeks since I don't have a dimmer.

 

[Widdy]

Widdy, that is definitely food for thought. How are your corals doing during the acclimation process? The only reason I am hesitate to have no reflectors is because this aquarium is in my bedroom/office and I don't want to be blinded when I look at the aquarium. That and my wife suffers from Migraine Headaches so I don't want her not being able to come into the room because of the unfocused lights. I may just order 24 of the 80 degree optics as my choice and slowly lower the fixture over the course of a few weeks since I don't have a dimmer.

They're doing so much better after I took the time to acclimate. In the beginning, forget SPS... I was bleaching kenya trees! 80s sounds good, I think factory they 120 degrees. How long is your lighting schedule? Got a picture of your build?

 

[Josh]

Do you have a par meter?

 

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

They're doing so much better after I took the time to acclimate. In the beginning, forget SPS... I was bleaching kenya trees! 80s sounds good, I think factory they 120 degrees. How long is your lighting schedule? Got a picture of your build?

Well I am not at my computer now but if you look at my Build Thread you should be able to see the pictures of my build. The link is in the first post. I am currently running the lighting to turn on at 9:00am then 9:30am then 10:00am then 10:30pm the the run until 9:00pm and stagger of again in 30 minute increments.

 

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

Do you have a par meter?

No I don't. I would like to borrow one if someone has one or our base on myself if necessary.

 

[Widdy]

Well I am not at my computer now but if you look at my Build Thread you should be able to see the pictures of my build. The link is in the first post. I am currently running the lighting to turn on at 9:00am then 9:30am then 10:00am then 10:30pm the the run until 9:00pm and stagger of again in 30 minute increments.

Okay, I see it now. Any thoughts of adding an enclosure for the heatsinks? or adding something to take off some of the intensity if you stared right at the LEDs from across the room? I had that issue before and added a carpet edging plate and made a huge difference.

Why the staggered photo-period?

 

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

Okay, I see it now. Any thoughts of adding an enclosure for the heatsinks? or adding something to take off some of the intensity if you stared right at the LEDs from across the room? I had that issue before and added a carpet edging plate and made a huge difference.

Why the staggered photo-period?

I do plan on constructing an enclosure I. The future but their are some items that I want to add to it and having it open is easier to work with in the meantime. The lighting is staggered so that it simulates sunrise and sunset in the aquarium since I don't have a dimmer. It almost looks likes the sun moving from east to west.

 

[Widdy]

I do plan on constructing an enclosure I. The future but their are some items that I want to add to it and having it open is easier to work with in the meantime. The lighting is staggered so that it simulates sunrise and sunset in the aquarium since I don't have a dimmer. It almost looks likes the sun moving from east to west.

Oh! Separation of blues and whites? 12 hours @ 100% is huge light... I'm running 100% for about 5-6 hours with 2 hours of just actinics (Royal Blues) beginning and end.

 

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

Reply to Widdy.

Oh! Separation of blues and whites? 12 hours @ 100% is huge light... I'm running 100% for about 5-6 hours with 2 hours of just actinics (Royal Blues) beginning and end.

I am going to actually reduce the lighting period currently on each of the units and also increase the staggered lighting time from 30 minutes to probably 1.5 hours to 2 hours each. Since I don't have dimmers and I have to wait about 1 weeks for the new 80 degree optics to arrive.