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T5 Lighting help


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  1. #1

    Default T5 Lighting help

    OK, so I have a 28gal one of a kind rectangle tank. It is about 18" tall and has a 24" fixture with 4 t5s, metal halide, and moon leds. The water is great and things are growing well, except my GSP. Never had much luck with it. Waving hand is like a weed in there. The lights used are 1- 10k white and 3- actinic Blue. No Halide as some of the corals hate it.

    I have large devil's hand, dragon soul favia, pavona, GSP, 6" frog spawn, leather unknown, waving hand groups, zoos randomly all over, various frags, a yellow pagoda, a damsel, and a dragonet.

    The problem, all though things are all growing well, Some corals have changed in the last 2 months. The frogspawn is starting grow new heads, but the others have gone translucent green rather than dark. The unknown leather, similar to a Solomon type went from green hue to a white with pink tips and polyps. GSP never really did put out many polyps. after a few months.

    So could it be a lighting issue? too bright? I run the lights from 10am-9pm.

  2. #2
    MizTanks - Reefkeeper
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
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    U.P. of Michigan.
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    Jamie
    Awards Photo of the Month - October 2012 Photo of the Month Post and Reply Award - Winner of the first PAR Contest. Monthly Giveaway Winner

    Default

    All parameters stable and acceptable? If so then it may be a light issue. Try cutting back a couple hours, 8hrs a day.
    There's nothing like being a Reefer! www.upmmas.com

  3. #3

    Default

    Params good. ph~8.2, ~0s on NH3, and Nits. good on others and trace dosing here and there. Temps are at 79-81. Salinity i keep around 0.025. I plan to rotate a few corals out as soon as my fragging tank is more stable. I want to try pectinia and Lobo, but don't want to toss away money. Chalice never seem to last for me either. They seem to waste away. The favia and pavona thrive along with almost all softies.

  4. #4
    MizTanks - Reefkeeper
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    U.P. of Michigan.
    Posts
    8,444
    First Name
    Jamie
    Awards Photo of the Month - October 2012 Photo of the Month Post and Reply Award - Winner of the first PAR Contest. Monthly Giveaway Winner

    Default

    What about your PO4?
    There's nothing like being a Reefer! www.upmmas.com

  5. #5

    Default

    lol typo 1.025 salinity. So I did phosphates and got ~0.5. My KH is 560ppm and CA2+ is ~540ppm.

  6. #6
    MizTanks - Reefkeeper
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    U.P. of Michigan.
    Posts
    8,444
    First Name
    Jamie
    Awards Photo of the Month - October 2012 Photo of the Month Post and Reply Award - Winner of the first PAR Contest. Monthly Giveaway Winner

    Default T5 Lighting help

    Ok something is definitely off. Acceptable levels for Alk is 125-200ppm, Ca is 380-420ppm, Phosphate (PO4) is 0.03 or less.

    What test kit are you using? Are you dosing anything? What is your Mag level?
    There's nothing like being a Reefer! www.upmmas.com

  7. #7

    Default

    Access Denied
    this is the kit. I will check with another kit i have. I don't really test those. I just know our water is very hard. I have tried using RO water and purple bag of instant ocean salt mix.

  8. #8

    Default

    opps..link doesn't work. nutrafin master test kit. I just got the whole kit since I wanted both when doing freshwater and was planning on getting more involved in marine systems.
    I will be trying my API kit I got from a friend.....do the kits expire?

  9. #9

    Default

    On Phosphate. The kit has 1.0 and above as bad. Is there a unit of measure I could compare with?

  10. #10
    MizTanks - Reefkeeper
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    U.P. of Michigan.
    Posts
    8,444
    First Name
    Jamie
    Awards Photo of the Month - October 2012 Photo of the Month Post and Reply Award - Winner of the first PAR Contest. Monthly Giveaway Winner

    Default

    The API kit for Ca & Alk are pretty accurate. Do they expire, yes. I wouldn't use nor depend on one that's more then a year old.
    Is it possible to take a water sample to your LFS and have them test it?
    Here's a reference chart for parameters.
    Reef Aquarium Water Parameters by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
    There's nothing like being a Reefer! www.upmmas.com

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