Photoperiod length from halide to T5 only

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

O.k., so not only is this my first BB(6'L 110g) but I have also switched from 2 x 400w CV ReefLux 10k's in LM 2 reflectors to 12 x 39w Icecap T5 set-up(overdriven on 3 - 660's). I have had some lightening, nothing drastic but don't want it to get to that point. I have fed even a little more than I usually do since going BB with this tank a few months ago to try and compensate.(contents transferred from 58g w/DSB)
For the first time since I started keeping sps only(about 1.5yrs. now) I am dosing R.N. Roti Feast in addition to the heavier feedings.

My photoperiod with my dual 400's was:
11:00a.m. - 11:00p.m. actinics
12:45p.m. - 9:15p.m. halides

Currently I am down to this schedule for my new T5 only set-up:
KZ Fiji Purple & UVL-SA 11:00a.m. - 11:00p.m.
UVL Aquasun - KZ Coral Light - KZ fiji purple - Current Blue 12:45p.m. - 9:15p.m.

What should I run for photo periods? I have these three sets on seperate timers so I can actually run three set of four lamps at different periods.

[crvz]

That's still quite a photoperiod in my experience. My T5's (I have 8 over my 156 gallon tank) are run from 1:30pm to 9:30, with 4 bulbs coming on only from 3:30 to 8:30. I think you're right on with putting more food in the tank since moving away from sand beds, but you may still be over-lighting.

If you're home and like to have the tank lights on (I'm not at home for most of the day), then maybe just have 4 bulbs on that long. Otherwise, keep watching the corals for colors (there will be some shift in color after swapping light fixtures) and cut back lighting as necessary. If nothing else, it helps keep down the electricity costs!

Good luck, I'd love to see some pictures of the setup.

[hng]

I think you need to remember two general guidelines: 1) BB tanks need less light than tanks with substrate (cleaner water means more light penetration) and 2) T5's can be just as strong as halides. Keeping those two things in mind (along with the lightening of your corals), I would recommend dropping the actinic duration to 10 hours and the daylights down to 6 hours. Of course, you can adjust as much as you want but less light is usually less damaging than too much light. If you find your corals too brown, go up an hour and then monitor. JMHO

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Thanks for the advice guys. I thought I understood the intensity of my T5's, it's just that this tank is also acrylic and has a top lid that is a .25" thick except for two 21"x9" holes and is always salt spray covered.
But after a few burnt acro tips, which all recovered nicely, I really understood.
I will shorten the period as suggested. I thought that even though i dose the roti and have benn feeding heavily that since I was BB and heavily skimmed that I might have been too sterile so I needed the long photoperiod?

[kalel1976]

Has the BB been running for a while and you just changed the lighting or was all of this done at the same time?

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

BB was only running for ~1 month with the halides before I made the lighting switch which is about 2 months ago now. Everything that is in this tank, except for a few frags came from my 58g which was up for almost a year. Also some of the rock was from my 210g before that and I bought the rock back from the guy who bought it when I almost a year later set-up the 58g.

[hng]

Personally, i think the problem started with the halides, you probably had too much light even back then. I always like to do simple things first and to try as few changes as possible. That's why i think decreasing the photoperiod will really help. You also have to keep in mind that the ice cap ballasts will overdrive the bulbs to a much higher intensity than you would expect. I learned the same lesson on my 30 gallon tank and bleached all of my sps. I ended up reducing the photoperiod AND removing the reflectors for some bulbs to cut the light down enough to get color back. People almost believe that you can never have too much light - well, you CAN!

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

I am also now a believer that there can be too much light. It's just that the 58g had a dsb and a 400w and a 250w, so that tank was really blasted and that's also when most of my sps built there ultra coloration.
I didn't understand fully the effect of BB on lighting until recently.
I did buy the IC set-up on purpose to overdrive the lamps thinking at the time that it was needed to match the 400's.

I changed my timers already, thanks guys.

[hng]

Isn't it weird? I would have never believed it myself except it happened to me too! Keep us updated on the progress. Good luck!

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Well, It's only been 10 days, but since changing my main 8 lamps(out of 12) to 6 hours from 9 I have seen no changes. No loss of color though which is good.

[hng]

Originally Posted by E-A-G-L-E-S

Well, It's only been 10 days, but since changing my main 8 lamps(out of 12) to 6 hours from 9 I have seen no changes. No loss of color though which is good.

Sometimes no change is a change. In my experience, bleaching happens overnight but regaining color can take weeks. I think your on the right track though.

[hng]

Update?