What would you recommend for my photoperiod? What do Red Planets like?

christyf5 · #1 12-12-2010, 11:41 PM

I'm with Greg on this one. I have my red planet fairly high up in my tank (probly 6-8" from the surface) under 250W.

Milad · #2 12-12-2010, 11:50 PM

whos got a frag of red planet they want to sell me in a few week? i would like to try it out under some LEDs

ScubaSteve · #3 12-13-2010, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Milad

whos got a frag of red planet they want to sell me in a few week? i would like to try it out under some LEDs

Paul at Oceanic Corals. I'm sure he'd love to sell you some.

Reefer Rob · #4 12-13-2010, 12:28 AM

I would lengthen you photo period until you get the colors you want. I just set up a cube with a 150w halide only, and I've thrown in a few SPS as an experiment. If they don't do well then it will become an LPS tank. I've started out at a 10 hour photo period, I assume I'll have to go longer for SPS. Time will tell.

ScubaSteve · #5 12-13-2010, 12:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reefer Rob

I would lengthen you photo period until you get the colors you want. I just set up a cube with a 150w halide only, and I've thrown in a few SPS as an experiment. If they don't do well then it will become an LPS tank. I've started out at a 10 hour photo period, I assume I'll have to go longer for SPS. Time will tell.

I've got several colonies that are just booming under the 150W, I'm pretty sure a master reefer like yourself will do just fine.

When you say 10 hours, is that 10 hours of your main light or 10 hours of actinic with a shorter main light period?

And again, is coloration a strong function of photoperiod as well?

Reefer Rob · #6 12-13-2010, 01:24 AM

For now I only have the one light, so that is the MH photo period. On my 180 when I ran 400s 7 hours was enough (but I did 8 trying to push growth, it was a waste of electricity). I switch to 250s and found 9 hours about right. So now it's 150s (I'm feeling a little inadequate) so I thought I'd start at 10 hours. I like the longer viewing period too

Most of the Acros are in the top 1/2 of the tank.

Reefer Rob · #7 12-13-2010, 01:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScubaSteve

And again, is coloration a strong function of photoperiod as well?

Ask 10 people that question and you'll get 10 different answers. I believe it does. I increase the photo period until the coral lighten to what I want. It remains to be seen whether that with happen with 150s.

Ryan · #8 12-13-2010, 02:49 AM

ScubaSteve · #9 12-13-2010, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shrimpchips

Depends on the colour you're going for - if it's all pink and red, have it up where it will get a lot of light.

If you're going for a very green base colour with a nice pink edge to the corallites, give it an area where it gets less light.

I have my frag under 2x24w T5HO bulbs right now (as I transfer tanks) and it's gone back to the dark green base and red/pink corallites you see in the ORA pictures. I can take PAR measurements for you later, but it's not getting a whole ton of light - the bulbs are crappy Current USA ones, and more than a year old too.

When I place it in the main tank, it'll definitely go in an area of low light so that it keeps it's green base colour.

I like the pink/green mix, that's why I haven't been too worried about it being under my 150W... Except it's been doing more of a fantastic shade of brown... It could be that it is still a bit stressed from when it bleached a bit I'd have expected it to be on the mend by now. I'm curious to see how yours does under the the two t5's. If it holds color under that light I'm going to make myself a cheap little tank for the office!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reefer Rob

For now I only have the one light, so that is the MH photo period. On my 180 when I ran 400s 7 hours was enough (but I did 8 trying to push growth, it was a waste of electricity). I switch to 250s and found 9 hours about right. So now it's 150s (I'm feeling a little inadequate) so I thought I'd start at 10 hours. I like the longer viewing period too

Most of the Acros are in the top 1/2 of the tank.

I'll try slowly bumping up the light to see if it makes any difference. I also wouldn't mind having a longer period as well. With all this dark weather it'd be nice to come home to a bit if sunshine.

Oh, don't feel inadequate because you have a 150w. I'm sure your wife thinks it's cute! And really, it's not the size of your bulbs, it's what you do with them. (at least that's what I tell myself until I can afford bulb enhancement.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reefer Rob

Ask 10 people that question and you'll get 10 different answers. I believe it does. I increase the photo period until the coral lighten to what I want. It remains to be seen whether that with happen with 150s.

I think more accurately if you ask 10 reefers you'll get 13 answer. I'll give it a try as well. Let me know how you make out with the 'little lights'

ScubaSteve · #10 12-13-2010, 12:01 AM

I figured that was what the answer was going to be. I've talked to a few people in other places who have their RPs in about the same position as mine under 150W MH and they have good growth and colour (nice mix of red/green.. not all red). Weird. I'll try slowly moving the RP up with the bonsai.

The strange thing is though the RP actually started bleaching in the original spot I had it in the tank, about 6" from the surface (Yes, full story comes out). I started it where it is now and them moved it to the high 6" spot a few weeks later. Yes, I understand that more than just lighting can cause bleaching but it was given a loooong acclimation time and other frags that were added the same day were fine. I moved it to a low light area to recover and now I'm moving it back out into the bright light. It's been in a moderate to high flow/light spot for a several weeks now and colour has come back a bit but still nothing of its former glory.

So is colouration only a function of intensity and not intensity+photoperiod?