Led acclimatization

[claudacate]

Hi, just wondering how does one program the VDM so I can light acclimatize my sps? The rampup function only works in minutes, but light acclimatization needs days.

Thanks

[RussM]

You will need to manually change the intensity values in the profile(s) every few days to gradually build up to the max intensity desired.

[kenargo]

and go SLOW!!!

I used a PAR meter which showed that LEDs at 30% had about the same PAR as 3x250 Mhd + 4 96 CPC. If you have a PAR meter measure before and set LEDs to be about the same. If you don't, I'd suggest starting at 30%, maybe even 25% just to be sure. Add no more than 5% every 5 days until you reach the brightness you want.

[L8ndeb]

and go SLOW!!!

I used a PAR meter which showed that LEDs at 30% had about the same PAR as 3x250 Mhd + 4 96 CPC. If you have a PAR meter measure before and set LEDs to be about the same. If you don't, I'd suggest starting at 30%, maybe even 25% just to be sure. Add no more than 5% every 5 days until you reach the brightness you want.

Hi Ken,

Can you please tell me at what depth were the readings taken, how high are the fixtures over the surface, and what kind/brand of fixture was/is it?

Thank you,

Leyton

[kenargo]

I took 3 readings at 3 depths across the tank with the LEDs at the same height as the prior light fixture.

The fixture was a redesigned AquaLife using 3x 250 HQI halides (XM bulbs) + 4 96w CPC. In the redesign I replaced the AquaLife ballasts with IceCap ones.

The LED was AquaIllumination, 6' (6 LED units).

After reading about the high percentage of people burning their SPS I was determined not to have the same and following the process I mentioned above I had no losses.

[Xcali1985]

What you want for an auto acclimation would require a lot of virtual outlets but its possible that it can be done. It would also probably require all of your profiles depending on how you ramp your lights.

For instance you would need a master control outlet, say ACC_MASTER. Then you would need outlets for each day, say ACC_MON, ACC_TUES, etc.

Inside those outlets you would need

Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If DoW SMTWTFS Then ON set the day of the week for each one
If Time 00:00 To 00:00 Then OFF set the time you don't want the lights on
If Outlet ACC_MASTER = OFF THEN OFF set to check and see if you want acclimation cycle for that day

Adjust those commands as fit.

Within your LED control, you would need.

If Outlet ACC_MON = ON Then "profile-name"

Depending on how you want to ramp and ramp down you would need to create 2 or 3 virtual outlets for each day. If you want a midday setting. Although once you ramp up it will stay there until you ramp down or change the state of the outlet so midday isn't needed.

When you would want to acclimate a coral you would need to simply turn on the ACC_MASTER.

NOW, before everyone jumps on me for this, Im just stating the possibility of having an auto coding. Im not 100% sure that the apex has the amount of profiles that you would need to accomplish this.

In addition this coding would only work if you added the coral on the first day that you have set with the lowest intensity.

If the apex ever gets to the point where you can type "If Time 00:00 to 00:00 Then 20%" then it would become a lot easier to do this.

However, like Russ said if this acclimation is more than a week then you would be out of luck and have to manually edit the profiles to bring the values up.