Bright lights and wavmakers...

[SquidBreath]

Hey all!
I just wanted to relate some recent experiences and ask some advice on a possible new gear purchase...

I have a 40 breeder right now. But I am building up the gumption (and the pennies) to start that 200 triangle build...but for now, the 40 breeder is my methodone.

Anyway...I have a single 120watt chinese led fixture over the 40 breeder. Been tinkering with this light forever. Even before the last big disaster with my ATO, I had noticed something strange.
All my corals were growing explosively, but for instance, the zoanthids got to where they would not want to open up all the way. They were " squinty" and their stems started to slowly shrink down until the polyps were right against the rock.
Meanwhile, the acropora are going crazy some distance above.
I thought it was nitrates at first, but not so. Phospates, nope. Wasn't at war with anything I could detect. No pests no predation. To much flow, not enough flow...
I think I have my first breakthrouh though...
I think it's too much light.
I have since moved the light upwards a full 10" over the water and have cut the blue channel to 40% and the whites down to 25%
Things are now relaxing and somewhat recovering...no more squinty. But I did cook some nice zoa frags...grrr. :-(
It just defied conventional wisdom to me to have to turn the lights DOWN. Always been fighting for more light, not less.
Anyway--this light can go way way too high for a 40 breeder...not very deep.
Has anyone else had this with the chinese lights? (Otherwise I love this light)

Another thing I have been hunting down though, is a new wavemaker solution for the 40 breeder. I want some true wave action. Right now I am just crashing 2x modded maxijet 400s against the glass (and each other) and that is ok...BUT...
There are places that are always getting pummeled relentlessly, from the same direction--because I don't have actual wavemaking happening. I can see the effect on my millepora--the branches in the "relentless" area don't have good polyp extension, and their color isn't as good.
SOOOOOOO....
Blah blah blah...listen to me ramble...
Wavemaker: I was thinking of replacing the MJ400s with Hydor Korallias on some kind of simple wave maker. I figure it could be as simple as a strip that would do Left-on, Right-on, Both-on, None-on repeat.
Any Hydor users out there? Or other 40ish sized tank owners with nice wavemaker setups? Would love to hear any experiences.
Also...if Hydor...how big? Would the model 5 be the right size or drop down to the nano?
Is there any real benefit to the 12v varialble speed Hydors? I think someone was telling me that you can't actually make the 12v ramp up and down when they go on...you can only make them stronger or weaker when they do come on. Doesn't sound worth it to me...anyone seen this?

Thanks!
Dave

 

[jda123]

Too much light, or the wrong kind? You can come over if you want to see 4 250W HQI and 2 150W HQI over a standard 120, which is a ton of light and all of my coral love it. Others might not agree, but I don't think that there is any way that a Chinese LED fixture could produce more light than what I have. I personally don't think that you can have too much of the right kind of light.

I have some of the Korallia 1400s and their controler if you want to try it out - they are just sitting in my fish closet. I have 3 1400s and a 1050, I think. Their controller goes left/right from like 5 seconds to 6 hours.

 

[andyrm66]

You have 1300 watts of light over a 120?!?!?! Holy smokes.

 

[CRW Reef]

Re: Bright lights and wavmakers...

Dave- I'm in same boat as you. I run 2x 120w 20k evos on my 75g and run 2mp10s and a mp40 all at 90% reef crest mode. Further more I actually only run my whites maybe 3/4 days a week for 4 hours. I have a full mixed reef with multiple clams, sps, lps and a few zoas. All are super happy and I honestly have pretty great growth on everything. Also I would add that 70% of my corals are on the sand bed and I have par rating of 65, yes 65 lol.

So I think this is the age old statement that every tank is different and there is lots of success with different lighting and flow arrangements. Just have to play around with things and see what works best for your tank and setup.

 

[Haulin Oates]

Bright lights and wavmakers...

I run 2 Evo 120 watt lights 14"above my 40 breeder. PAR readings are 400 at top of water, down to 200 on the sand 150 in the corners. I'm Finally getting everything to grow, albeit sticks are still slower than I expect. I run a single MP10wes on nutrient export mode and I get a nice wave action in my tank.