T5s Q&A

how do you light acclimate?

Bluefish, I honestly haven't really been light acclimating... When I first added the T5s I cut the photoperiod down and that has it. Now I try to add a coral to the approximate Lighting that it is under, as far as PAR or intensity is concerned. Or I just add it half way in the tank for a while then go from there.

what acros do you find to take longer to acclimate?
Not sure as I haven't really ever compared them... I know that my monti cap is just starting to get its darker color back if that says anything.

what would be the difference in appearance of a acro suffering from light shock(photo inhibition) to a acro suffering from not enough light.?

Lack or not enough light would cause the SPS to not only grow slowly but it would "brown" out as its zooxanthellae multiply rapidly to make enough energy from less light. With TOO MUCH light or photoinhibition, you would also see slow to no grow, if not recession, the colors would be faded out and the overall coral would look like it is suffering. Polyp entension isn't always a good way to gauge health as I have seen half dead corals with great extension and the opposite with corals that were growing an inch a month.

If the millie is doing back and fading move it DOWN not up. I would move then down quite a bit and let them sit there for close to a month. See if the color comes back, see if it is showing new growth tips and so on. If so, then you can try to SLOWLY move the piece higher and higher until you are short of where you were originally.
By chance do you know anyone with a Quantum meter?

Hope that helps Phish, I would go more in depth but I am making my kids some pancakes at the moment!

Happy lighting!

 

I do believe I have too much light on the tank and some of my corals are suffering from the above described photoinhibition. I'm seeing faded colors and slow growth on some but not all of my corals. I have decided to cut off 2 of the 6 bulbs over my tank for a few months to see how things go and if I get more color and growth this way. The only thing I'm worried about in my RBTA. It's the only really light demanding organism in my tank at the moment. I was reading 350 PAR on the sand floor in the center of the tank with all 6 bulbs running and around 250-275 PAR where the RBTA has taken up residence. Cutting off 2 bulbs dropped the PAR down to 220 in the center of the tank on the sand bed and down to 150-160 PAR where the RBTA is.

 

so is browning in sps's attributed to less par? I have a tooth coral that has gotten real brown in the lower stems of each tenical the tips are still florescent green. it is about half way down in my tank, would moving it closer to the t5's make a difference?

I guess what I mean to ask is is it common for t5's in general for browning or is it more to do with placement of the coral?

 

So Tangster you post only to say T5 cannot keep SPS?
Thats weird as my tank is growing SPS like crazy, and all the frags I have received from friends or club members from MH tanks, that frag looks just as good or better in my tank than theirs.

Glad you are feeling better and posting again Tangster but on a thread that is geared toward asking about T5 fixtures and lamps I don't see the need for the T5 blast.

Happy reefing!

 

Never said they could not keep SPS . O.K T5 wins so do brown corals

 

Still not sure why you are trying to not only knock T5 which ARE PROVEN TO GROW SPS that is not brown, but be argumentative on a thread that is here to help people with T5 questions... This thread is not here to determine whether or not they will brown corals out...

There are many people on this forum alone that have posted pics of gorgeous SPS that are vibrant with color off of T5 lighting...

Its the negative knocking of new ways that hinders growth and keeps people stuck in old ruts...

Happy reefing Tangster!

 

It has to do with placement and nutrients... All of the corals I have gambled on that were brown are now colorful in my tank....
T5 can put out just as much PAR as MH if not more...
Same with LED....
Light type itself doesn't brown corals out, its the lack of PAR coupled with elevated nutrients or one or the other.
I had SPS under PC and that wasn't brown....

 

makes sense. Thanks Dr.Fragenstein. just curious because there have been a few post about this.

 

No problem;D

 

I currently run 4 x 54w T5s and have a green pscamora (sp?) that is doing great and a green birds nest I just got that has started to grow. I also have a crocea clam i have had for about 9 months. I have had several montis too but had to get rid of them. My cap either had monti eating nudis or some sort of tissue necrosis, I never saw any nudis on it and I examined it fairly well. So I had to get rid of it and I also got rid of my superman, which color wise wasn't doing great. I plan on replacing my T5s with MH. I want the shimmer effect and want to have clams and sps throughout my tank, not just in the top portions. Now, I am not saying you can't keep sps throughout a tank with only T5s, I think the Dr. does, but I have a 55 gal. tank and a 6 or 8 bulb T5 fixture will be way too wide for my tank. I don' have a canopy so I can't do a retro fit kit. I am interested to see how my current corals respond to the new lighting. I plan on getting a Maristar fixture, 2 x 250w MH, with galaxy ballasts and running lower par bulbs, such as the XM 20,000K. I plan on using the screen method to allow my corals to adjust. I will comment on the pros and cons of both the T5s I currently have and the MH. I feel that some people who promote MH have never tried T5s and those who only promote T5s have never tried MH, so I will give it my most objective view. (Sorry Dr. if this was a little off topic, just wanted to comment)