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Lighting a SPS heavy 75G

G

Gonzapa

I got a deep blue rimless 75G with the overflow box in the middle of the tank.

Currently is being lit by 2 of these which I got from TB aquatics.

SWC Xtreme Cree LED 60 watt Light------------------------>2c3f52526fe2f5f5d4b854a80e8b6232.image.200x200.jpg

And a 4 39W T5 fixture.


The T5s are in the front of the tank and the led lights on each side of the overflow.


The corals that are not under the leds are starting to brown out due to lack of light.

I dont want to spend a fortune in another pair of led lights, Can anyone suggest how can I Cheaply put more light into this tank?
 
redfishbluefish

redfishbluefish

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
I ask with ignorance, but could it be too much light? How long have you had the LED’s and did you acclimate your corals to the new lights?
 
G

Gonzapa

I have had the leds for 2 months. The corals directly under the LEDs look spectacular. Anything under the T5s looks dull and brown. I would love to put 3 more of the LEDs to cover the full tank I kust dont have 1K to do it
 
redfishbluefish

redfishbluefish

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
I’m sorry….my fast read did NOT see the “NOT” in your sentence….Doh!


How old are the T5 bulbs? And who’s brand of bulb? I’m growing everything under T5’s…although I’m overdriving with IceCaps ballasts.
 
spotter

spotter

do you have a picture of how they are mounted over the tank? I saw the dimensions of them and 16x6x3 seems pretty narrow.
 
Nickjr000

Nickjr000

U have 4 t5's in the front of the tank and cant keep a coral under them? U should b able to keep just about any coral under 4 t5's only, without the led. Try raising the leds so u get more spread. That tank is shallow right? U should b able to mount the led high for a good spread and still get good par
 
JRWOHLER

JRWOHLER

Nickjr000 said:
U have 4 t5's in the front of the tank and cant keep a coral under them? U should b able to keep just about any coral under 4 t5's only, without the led. Try raising the leds so u get more spread. That tank is shallow right? U should b able to mount the led high for a good spread and still get good par
Click to expand...

I agree with what Nick said...unless you are shading something a 10K ATI bulb should do pretty well providing enough light without the LEDs. Is there any chance it is not the light? Maybe it is in the path of some softy or something? Just throwing it out there.
 
C

CFM6793

Try to hang the leds the other way.(Have them like this | | over the tank) raise them up a little also and move them a little to the center. I saw someone on a other forum was having problems getting the spread that he wanted out of the same leds you have. I run 6 t5s over my 40 breeder zero problems with keeping color is my sps.
 
JRWOHLER

JRWOHLER

I don't see how that is not enough light for those in the front. Maybe take a picture of the tank.
The only thing I can think is what if you reversed the LED to the front so they penetrate deeper and the T5 in the back over the shallow part? That said I have T5s above my 120 with clams on the bottom.
 
G

Gonzapa

CFM6793 said:
yes get rid of the t5s. mount the led in the middle of the tank. it looks like you have them on the back wall you are not using the spread of the lights at all.
Click to expand...
The spread is not that big. you really need 1 of these fixtures per foot of tank and I only have 2 . Thats why the T5s are there
 
JRWOHLER

JRWOHLER

Can you flip the two fixtures. The way you have it now the LEDs hit the top rocks and that is it. If you moved them to the front they would be over the deeper corals and the back could be the T5. Wouldn't be a problem for the T5 to be higher because you won't loose that much par in the air .. only until you hit the water. Again I don't understand how the T5 are not strong enough I have them over my tank and they do fine on a 120 for corals and clams on the sandbed.
 
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