Dumb newb LED observations

[BMW1600]

I put Reefbreeders LEDs over my 54 bowfront a few months ago, replacing a 4 bulb Deep Blue fixture. They hang maybe 16 inches or so above the waterline.

 

I slowly turned them up over the course of a month and a half to a maximum of 55% on the white channel and 50% on blue (of course gradually ramping up and tapering down). Growth was OK, but not what I expected. I since turned down the whites to no more than 40% and blues up to 45% and lowered the ramping up/tapering even more aggressively.

 

Surprisingly I have seen amazing growth...stuff that never seemed to do anything suddenly budded (SPS)/reproduced (LPS) and my algae issues became a lot more manageable.

 

Anyway, for anyone else in my shoes who is still figuring stuff out and thinking about LEDs, I thought this might be useful

 

Dave

[LCDRDATA]

"Murphy's Laws of War" #5: If it's 'stupid' but it works, it's not stupid.

[Neto]

do you have before and after pics? I am interested since I have leds, I usually set them at 100% blue's and around 60% whites.. Now I dont have optics because I need big spread since I have a 24"x 24" tank

[matt]

Would be interesting to check par readings....perhaps it relates to heat...or optimal coral desired wavelengths for particlar leds at a lower mA level

[BMW1600]

do you have before and after pics? I am interested since I have leds, I usually set them at 100% blue's and around 60% whites.. Now I dont have optics because I need big spread since I have a 24"x 24" tank

 

Unfortunately no before and after. But VERY noticeable difference.

 

In fact - and I would love to hear from experienced SPS keepers - even at the lower power levels my two birdsnests are growing more or less laterally, and not vertically, despite their position about 30% up the height of the tank. I might lower the light level some more and see what happens.

 

When I first lowered the light the tips of my pink birdsnest suddenly "sprouted" and split within a matter of a week.

Edited May 17, 2013 by BMW1600

[blur456]

Which reefbreeder unit do you have? I have the value unit at about 65% blue and 50% white (which I set based on aesthetics) and my birdsnest has shown the most growth out of my newbie corals.