using red/green lights on Radion XR15 Gen4?

[Aconphoto]

Hi All,

Just upgraded to Reefer 250 with 2 x Radion XR15 G4 Pro lights (with diffusers). I have LPS and softies and the standard fish. Currently 1 piece of SPS (monti) and no current plans to go crazy with SPS.

I decided to use Ecotech's pre-programmed light schedule called LPS/Soft. I'm running this at 50% and with a 3 week acclimation period. My question is this...should I lower the red channel (I think is around 25-27%) and green channel lights (~20%) to avoid algae growth on the glass? Should I bring them down to 5% each??

Before my XR15s arrived, I was using a borrowed XR30 for about a 10 days and the glass needed cleaning every day as it got cloudy with algae. I'd like to avoid this while still operating in the "right/optimum" spectrum for the corals.

Thanks,
ACon

 

[Cheddah93]

Typically what I found with the algae growth is it’s due to the excessive nutrients in the water compared to people blaming the red and green channels.

I don’t have a Radion but do agree that they are a little higher then I’d run, I have a reefbreeders light and run them both at 15% power.

Early on in the tank I was cleaning the glass everyday, but as it matured And I got phosphate and nitrates in check, I’m cleaning it once a week with a magnet scrubber.

Just some food for thought, maybe take another look at phosphates and nitrates. Those two things accompanied by light is what causes undesirable algae growth.

 

[Phinfan]

I'm not so sure, when I switched to radions I had the same issue, that film on the glass. Only thing that changed in the tank was the lighting

 

[Aconphoto]

Nitrates = 0, phos = damn close to 0. skimmer and fuge running. Much less algae on class past 2 days with the new XR15s. I'm pretty sure the algae was due to the XR30 I had borrowed but had not changed anything in the setup of those lights. Just wondering if 25% reds is too much.

 

[Cheddah93]

could try turning them down to like 15 for a month, then after that month turn them back to 25 and see if you notice a difference for the better or worse...

 

[BiGGiePauls33]

I'm running an XR15 Gen 4Pro with the SPS AB+ setting and having decent amounts of growth and coloration. Other than the usual brown film that grows on the glass, this is great. I got the same film on the glass with an AI Prime.

 

[Aconphoto]

BiGGiePauls - did you modify the SPS AB+ program at all? Also, the results you mentioned, is that for SPS or also for LPS/softies?
Thanks!

 

[BiGGiePauls33]

The only thing that I did was a 4 week acclimation period, starting at 30%. Check out this link, page 7. https://ecotechmarine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/ReefWholesale_CoralLab.pdf
Coral Lab chose these schedules and color numbers after testing for a year. Myself personally, I watched numerous videos on their findings and read quite a bit and just use what they recommend .

 

[nickeg79]

Use the default program. 50 percent is way to high for lps. 35 percent max. If you have a sandbed 25 percent.is better At 35 + acans loose color. If you have mostly zoas you can do 35 percent. Use the default hours and set it and leave it alone.

 

[dz6t]

Since many tanks are different, such as water depth, water coloration, a par meter is needed to tune LED.


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