Reefbreeder Photon 48 Intensity

[rk4435]

I've had trouble over the last few months with brain corals. Someone suggested yesterday that my light may be too intense for them. My wife says they started to decline when I switched from a 4 bulb T5 to the RB Photon last summer. I've had to move them to my sump repeatedly, then when they seem better they go back to the DT and don't last long before the cucle happens again.

I started my RB out at about 20% intensity and worked it up to 45% intensity over several months, and it ran at that intensity for 3.5 hours per day. FWIW I've got other items that seem to be thriving.

So, other RB users, how high do you run your whites and for how long?

 

[koifour]

I am currently running white for 8 hours ( 50% from 12 pm to 8 pm) and blue for 12 hours ( ramp up from 30% to 50% for 2 hours, running at 70% for 8 hours and ramp back down from 50% to 30% for 2 hours.

It took more than 1 1/2 years for me to get the intensity up to 70%. I usually increase 10% every 2 to 3 months in order not to stress the corals.

 

[rk4435]

I bumped it down yesterday Koifour because I figured it wouldn't hurt. At the peak I was running 45% white and 30% blue.

This may make me sound incredibly dumb, does the blue really factor into intensity? I thought it was more for our viewing pleasure. If it does I probably did certainly overdo it.

I took one of my brain corals to rehab at a local lfs and they had it in a tank with a T5 and it looked better already after 24 hours.

 

[mikesmith34]

I also have an open brain that did very well under mh. When I switched to the P48 it doesn't do well. They are to intense for it. I ramp up/down but at its peak its at 75b and 55w. My tank has never looked better as my sticks love the light. I am looking for a new home for my open brain as we speak. If you will put him in the shade he will do a lot better. I just don't have a shady spot for him.

 

[rk4435]

I've tried shady spots too Mike with no luck. I guess I need to rehab them at the local LFS and get them a new home. It is really hard to have a mixed reef. I have an orange plate coral (fungia?) that has been thriving through all of this. It has gone from a skinny plate to Big Mac.