New LED fixture. Faded Zoanthids...

[Rob in Puyallup]

A week or so ago I hung a new LED unit over my nano reef tank. In the tank are a number of zoanthid colonies as well as a several corals.

I just realized earlier today that a couple of the zoa colonies and a favia coral have faded some. The zoas were bright green and orange are now a rather dull olive color, the favia was bright green, is now beige. I thought I had the LEDs dimmed below the intensity of the older fluorescents, but I'm thinking the animals may perceive the LED lights differently than those.

I've since dimmed the LEDs further. The tank is quite dark now...

My question is... Will the faded critters regain their color under the even dimmer lighting?

I hope so!

 

[ak_reefer]

Did you gradually acclimate your corals to the LED's? When I first got my LED's I slowly ramped them up to where I wanted them over a two and a half week process. I went from T5's to LEDs I have a mixed LPS/Softy reef.

 

[Rob in Puyallup]

Yes. The LEDs, to my eyes, at least, appeared dimmer than the fluorescents. A few minutes ago I adjusted the "blue" LEDs and the colors came back. Guessing the daylight (white) spectrum may have made them looked faded.

Okay. So I'm confused.

Guess I'll turn up the blue and hope for the best. I will keep an eye on things, though.

 

[ak_reefer]

Not sure what kind of LED's you have but they pack a punch as far as PAR readings go so you can easily burn your corals. Just keep an eye on them.

 

[Rob in Puyallup]

reefbreeders

Yup, they do. Have both "white" and "blue" dimmers set at about 20%.

 

[dawgwe1]

I started my LED's at 10% power and ramped up 3% every week or two. (Sometimes forgot to raise them) I currently have them at about 40% six months later. Probably leave the whites where they are and increase the blues a little more until I get the color I want.

 

[ak_reefer]

I ramped mine up very similar to the above poster and it worked well. I am running my blues at 60% and my whites at 40% and its been about 9 months since I switched over. My girlfriend also has LED's over her mixed reef and we did the same with her and everything is doing great.

 

[Rob in Puyallup]

Thanks. I'll slowly increase the lighting...

 

[DTECH07]

Yes they will regain their color. When i switched to LED's they ran 100% Blue and White for 5 days which bleached several coral from softies to sps, but now two months later ALL have regained their original color back and are growing nicely. I did move several to the bottom of my tank because of fear but i could have left them in place once i decreased the LED's output.

 

[Rob in Puyallup]

Thanks Dtech,

I'm thinking the faded appearance was due to too much white light. Have lowered it and increased the blue slightly which seems to have returned the missing color. Lol!

I'll be watching closely.

 

[DTECH07]

NP
LED's are GREAT! but must be handled with care.

 

[senji]

agreed leds should only be adjusted with a par meter. the nekid eye cant see the spectrum's that its truly producing and is in such a close range in which the zoox uses. so basically all of the light is useable by the coral as with full spectrum bulbs only a fraction of the light is useable by the coral. this is why we have to be so careful with these new age lights we are using. just my 2 cents.

 

[Rob in Puyallup]

Guess I'll have to find one of those PAR meters, then.

 

[senji]

i had oceans by design come out and bring theirs but i did buy their lighting give them a call they are the nicest people im sure they'll help in some way

 

[burning2nd]

I didnt use a par meater... I went from Mh to Led's

i did 2 days of 100% then i pulled back to about 10% and then ever other day or so i tweaked it up just a little...untill blue was at 100% and white was about like 75%.

Mixed reef.. lights are about 7-8" off the water..
total acclimation time was about a week and a half

 

[gutz54]

HI I'm new to the site-- just a beginner really although I had a reef tank a long time ago-- 15 years ago actually!! We only had bulbs light back then -- no LED's. My question is this-- I restarted my tank about 6 months ago and am trying to learn it all over again. I do have LED's now( my wife found some chinese knock-offs on the net) They have been working great it seems-- everything is really growing well-- esp several hard corals . My problem is several of my zoo colonies are losing their color-- they have been bright orangefor the past 4-5 months and beautiful but all of a sudden they are getting kind of an ugly dark brownish color and turning a whitish color centrally?? I haven't changed anything in the tank and it seems like it just started about 2 weeks ago?? I have some up close to the surface and some close the the bottom and they are are doing the same thing?? I started using Red Sea Reef Energy Part A and B about the time it started happening( maybe I'm imagining that though?) Otherwise they seem really healthy and continue to grow and expand onto the adjacent rocks. What do you guys and girls think?? Should I try just keeping my blue lights on for a few weeks? Thanks for any help.
s

 

[glweek]

that acclimation is VERY fast. Most recomend starting at 30% and ramping them up 5-10% a week. but its now been a month, how's it all looking?

 

[nickcassoclown]

the LED is nice but sometimes, some zoas do not like the LEDs like T5 compact....i have some zoas are fading...

 

[BEAU_RN]

Agreed! Does take LEDs a while to get dialed in, but when you do... Sweetness!!! Finally have mine at 100% blues and 60% whites and all is gravy. Did have an initial issue like you did and lowered it way down, but the partially bleached corals eventually all came back :amen:

 

[micah]

I understand acclimating existing corals to the light but when you add new corals to your system are you guys starting the cycle over? Or do you even have an issue with the new corals?