Need Help...Lighting?!?!

[johnfluevogs]

I have a 30 gallon cube that has been set up for 2+ years and it has never been a striving system. No I understand there may be a multitude of things happening but over the two years I have addressed many aspects and have come up short. All levels are in range according to home testing and LFS testing.

My latest theory is the lighting.

I have 175w MH 14k with (2) 36w PC Actinic 03.

FYI the tank is 30g and measures about 18"x18"x18"

I have recently stopped using the PC's to see if I noticed any difference, and nothing.

(side note: I was useing a homade reflector and found out that if I upgrade to a 'spider' style reflector i would get much better use of the light)

What I would like are some suggestions on what others would recommend lighting this tank with.

Thanks!!

 

[Anonymous]

Can you be more specific about it not being a "striving" system? Are things dying, or just not flourishing? What do you have in the tank?
Water quality?

I'm no expert but Im sure some more details will help the "brains" around here help you come up with some answers. :wink:

 

[mr_X]

what's in your tank that's not doing well? what halide lamp are you using?

 

[johnfluevogs]

I have had a number of corals that all ended up dieing slowly. The corals seem to live and die very slowly. Nothing has ever grown.
(torch, mushrooms, candy, caps, hydno, acro)

I currently have a candy that is hanging on, I never see any feeder tentacles and it doesn’t open up like it once did. I also just added a red cap frag from a friend and it is beginning to look pale though its polyps are out during the 'day.' There is also a hydno frag that seems to be living but I don’t know if it is comfortable and surviving.

I have been playing with this hobby for a couple of years but still feel like a beginner. Tough luck I suppose.

 

[johnfluevogs]

my current lighting system is homemade with an advance magnetic ballast. I have been useing Hamilton 175w 14k MH bulbs and Coralife 36w PC Actinic 03 bulbs.

 

[mr_X]

how deep is your 30 cube? what else do you have in the tank? is anything doing good? how about a pic? how old is the bulb? how about your water parameters? how often do you do water changes? are you using RODI water?

i don't have an answer for your problem but maybe an answer to one of those above questions might help.

 

[johnfluevogs]

18" deep

20-30 lbs of LR (guess)
1 maroon/gold clown
1 sailfin blenny
1-2 hermit
1 cleaner shrimp
crushed coral/sand floor

none of the corals have or are doing "good"

bulb new as of the 1st of the year

water parameters are good according to the LFS and my test kits I will have to get back to you on specific numbers

water changes every 1-2 weeks appox 20 %

I use RO/DI water

 

[mr_X]

well, when you changed out the bulb did they start doing gradually worse? i noticed when i changed out my bulbs a cooked alot of zoos and bleached some lps. also candy canes suffered for a while too.
once thing we can rule out is the actinic lamps- i doubt that they would cause an issue like this.


advance ballasts- are they any good? a while back i had a generic electronic ballast that would not push the bulb to it's full power. all the corals starved for light, and the zoos grew super tall trying to get whatever they could.
check out this picture of them-

sorry i can't be of more help. :?

 

[johnfluevogs]

I appreciate all the help I can get.

I guess where I am at right now is:

Am I getting enough light? OR Am I getting too much light?

What is a 'good' amount of light for a mixed tank (LPS/SPS) mostly LPS. 30 gallons 18" deep.

Aslo, if a 175w halide is acceptable how high should it be above the tank.

 

[mr_X]

what do your corals look like exactly? are they shriveled and pale looking? are they stretching out as hard as they can for light?

i have a 175 watt halide over my sump/temp frag tank, and i have the bulb about 8" off of the water surface, and the eggcrate that holds the frags is only about 4 inches below the surface. some zoos towards the corners of the eggcrate, just over from being directly under the lamp, are stretching out alittle. this can only mean that they are lacking some usable light somehow.

what does the sps look like? are the polyps extended well?

a question i forgot to ask- what kind of flow do you have in the tank?

i was under the impression that a 175 should be enough. somehow i don't think you have too much light.
i actually, am in the process of downgrading to 250 watters for my 25" deep tank, because i have too much light over it. i know what corals look like that have been blasted with light. :?

 

[johnfluevogs]

OK, your comment "somehow i don't think you have too much light." I think might be getting me somewhere.

The corals:

The hydno frag has its polyps extended; it sits near the top of the tank

The Cap has its polyps extended but has been slowly loosing is reddish color over the last 2 weeks since I put it in. (can the cap loose color from lack of light?)

The candy is less than half way to the bottom of the tank (i did this thinking it required less light that the others and didnt want to burn it) it mostly stays burried in the skeliton and for a little while during the light cycle will grow or puff. I would only say it is 'puffing' out 50% of what i have seen it do in the past.


THIS LEADS TO MY GRAND CONCLUSION: I HAVE A HOMEMADE LIGHT WITH A MIRRORED FLORESCENT REFLECTOR FROM A FLOURESCNET SHOP LIGHT. tHE REFLECTIVE MATERIAL IS A COATING AND IS BEGINING TO PEAL OFF RIGHT ABOVE THE LIGHT BULB DUE TO THE HEAT. I SUSPECT THAT THIS REFLECTOR IS CRAPPY AND DOES NOT REFLECT NEARLY ENOUGH OF THE LIGHT INTO THE TANK.

What do you think?


I will try and post pics when I get home tonight, it will be late though. (EST).

THANKS

 

[mr_X]

i'm EST too.
that's very possible. it's even possible that the ballast is not pushing the bulb to it's full potential.

i haven't had corals under less light long enough to tell you that losing color is a symptom. i can only tell you that too much light over a coral, and that is definitely a symptom.


don't forget the flow issue as well. good luck.

 

[cindre2000]

Some additional questions:

How high off the water is your light?
What color is your cap turning?

I personally have kept poccillapora, blue tort, and hammer coral in a 30 cube (20 x 20 x 16) with a 150w DE about 5-6" off the water. I am currently keeping some very happy hammer, candy cane, and misc. acro under 150w SE in the bottom half of a 125g (similar light height). However, the green monti cap lost its color a couple of months ago and is still tan.

You torch sounds like it might have an issue; however, the cap might just not have the right light to stay that color.

 

[johnfluevogs]

Flow in 30 gallon cube (18"x18"x18")

Mag Drive 500 return from sump; 1 return to tank split in tank with two outlets made from loc-line

Mag Drive 250 closed loop; sucks from bottom center behind rock stack and returns opposate side of rear wall with 1 outlet (fan) loc-line.

 

[johnfluevogs]

So I visited the LFS this afternoon and they informed me that my salinity was way high ~1.029. I guess I need to be around 1.024/1.025. Apparently my hydrometer has lost its calibration.

There was also a large amount of nitrates.

I will easy the salinity to acceptable levels and doe a water change or two and come back with the results.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Anonymous]

I thought the LFS tested it and said it was good?

Either way, I'm glad you're finding some answers. Good luck!

 

[johnfluevogs]

Flow in 30 gallon cube (18"x18"x18")

Mag Drive 500 return from sump; 1 return to tank split in tank with two outlets made from loc-line

Mag Drive 250 closed loop; sucks from bottom center behind rock stack and returns opposate side of rear wall with 1 outlet (fan) loc-line.

You think this is enough flow, or would you be suspicious that I would need more? Anyone, THANKS!

 

[mr_X]

for sps, i'd bump it up a bit. lps only requires moderate flow. frogs, hammers, bubble...stuff like that just like to giggle a bit in the current. sps likes stronger flow.