Detour
11-17-2010, 12:23 PM
I wasn't sure where to start this thread - but with may moving to or having experimented with LED lighting on our systems, I thought I would start a thread where we could summarize what livestock seemed to react to the change - both good and bad.
Feel free to share your experiences - include a brief summary of the lighting change to LEDs, any other environment considerations, and what livestock you observed reacted (not just to the overall adjustment - but had an noticeable change after the adjustment period).
TANK OVERVIEW - 120 DT - 4x2x2
OLD LIGHTING - in canopy, 2 150w MH, 2 T5HO, supplemental compact actinic
NEW LIGHTING - 4 AI LED modules, mounted in canopy
STOCK - NOTED IMPACT
RBTA - positive - brighter color, more profuse bubbles
open brain - positive - brighter color, greater inflation
Aussie Ellegance - negative - continued recession, then polyp bail out
red lobo - negative - continued recession
orange wall hammer - negative - did well with lower levels of blues, but when we started to adjust the blues higher, it started to recede - coupled with irratation from a nearby toadstool, developed brown jelly
ADDTIONAL NOTES
Our adjustment period was very slow. We started our AI units at 15% white and gradually increased to 50% white over a course of 4 months. Over the course of that time, the blues were about 2/3 the level of the whites. We didn't bring up the blue more until we had white levels at about 40%, and then we gradually increased the blues to be the same as white, and then a bit highter. Perhaps slower than some corals would have preferred - but we didn't burn anything in our tank and our previous lighting setup was using 18 month old bubls - we we knew we needed to start lower than if we had new bulbs. We have a variety of other livestock, some of which reacted to the adjustment period, but for the most part, after becoming adjusted to the new lighting, aren't showing any major difference in color, growth, or behavior. Having PAR meter would have helpful to confirm our old light levels so as to start our LEDs at a slightly lower level.
Feel free to share your experiences - include a brief summary of the lighting change to LEDs, any other environment considerations, and what livestock you observed reacted (not just to the overall adjustment - but had an noticeable change after the adjustment period).
TANK OVERVIEW - 120 DT - 4x2x2
OLD LIGHTING - in canopy, 2 150w MH, 2 T5HO, supplemental compact actinic
NEW LIGHTING - 4 AI LED modules, mounted in canopy
STOCK - NOTED IMPACT
RBTA - positive - brighter color, more profuse bubbles
open brain - positive - brighter color, greater inflation
Aussie Ellegance - negative - continued recession, then polyp bail out
red lobo - negative - continued recession
orange wall hammer - negative - did well with lower levels of blues, but when we started to adjust the blues higher, it started to recede - coupled with irratation from a nearby toadstool, developed brown jelly
ADDTIONAL NOTES
Our adjustment period was very slow. We started our AI units at 15% white and gradually increased to 50% white over a course of 4 months. Over the course of that time, the blues were about 2/3 the level of the whites. We didn't bring up the blue more until we had white levels at about 40%, and then we gradually increased the blues to be the same as white, and then a bit highter. Perhaps slower than some corals would have preferred - but we didn't burn anything in our tank and our previous lighting setup was using 18 month old bubls - we we knew we needed to start lower than if we had new bulbs. We have a variety of other livestock, some of which reacted to the adjustment period, but for the most part, after becoming adjusted to the new lighting, aren't showing any major difference in color, growth, or behavior. Having PAR meter would have helpful to confirm our old light levels so as to start our LEDs at a slightly lower level.