I keep reading about people all over the forums complaining of poor colour, browned out SPS corals and poor growth. Many of these people blame it on their lights often pointing at their LED's being the culprits but are they? Personally, I think not most of the time. I have had all manner of lighting in my 35 plus years keeping corals from simple fluorescent tubes through to mercury vapour ( anybody remember them?) with HQI (metal halides) being the big break trough in lighting.
My current lighting consists of AI Hydra 26s (not the new HD I hasten to add) While early lighting was poor (pre HQI) for coral growth and colour we have made massive strides in lighting with LED's leading the way. I get good growth and great colour with my Hydras so why it some complain of poor colour and or growth in their SPS when using LED's is the culprit some other factor? Some go back to T5s and others even HQI in an attempt to resolve the issues but there is controversy and so many differences of opinions everywhere.
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I just don't get it and yes there will be people who will tell me I switched back to whatever previous lighting and things changed for the better" However that does not explain why many of us have good colour along with good growth just using LED's. There is no way I could see myself going back to T5s or HQI lamps for a whole variety of reasons but I won't bore you with them. We all know the advantages LED's have over other forms of lighting ( some may say disadvantages as well) they have been stated often enough.
However, I just don't see LED's as being the root cause of poor growth and or colour in corals. Sure all LED's are not created equal. Having said that I have seen great colour and growth in SPS corals with people using cheap Chinese multi spectrum LED units as well as LED's like Radion's at the top end ( I am not saying Radion's are at the very top of the chain just that they are near the top) I have however seen LED corals that look so false, unnatural and gaudy as to put me off them but that was down to the colours dialed into the likes of Radion's more than the light itself.
Which brings me to another question. What do people want from their lights? Do you want over saturated colours or more "natural" colours? I say "natural" as unless you view a coral in it's natural environment on the reef how do we even know what it looked like in the wild? I guess most people go for a colour look on their tank that pleases them to their eyes and bother little as to how any coral would look from whence it came.
I have moved away from my original intention for this post but lighting plays such an important part of our hobby and gets so many conflicting views I just had to add my 2 pence (OK cents to you) on a couple of my own thoughts on the subject. The controversy will run for some time to come that's for sure.
My current lighting consists of AI Hydra 26s (not the new HD I hasten to add) While early lighting was poor (pre HQI) for coral growth and colour we have made massive strides in lighting with LED's leading the way. I get good growth and great colour with my Hydras so why it some complain of poor colour and or growth in their SPS when using LED's is the culprit some other factor? Some go back to T5s and others even HQI in an attempt to resolve the issues but there is controversy and so many differences of opinions everywhere.
"
I just don't get it and yes there will be people who will tell me I switched back to whatever previous lighting and things changed for the better" However that does not explain why many of us have good colour along with good growth just using LED's. There is no way I could see myself going back to T5s or HQI lamps for a whole variety of reasons but I won't bore you with them. We all know the advantages LED's have over other forms of lighting ( some may say disadvantages as well) they have been stated often enough.
However, I just don't see LED's as being the root cause of poor growth and or colour in corals. Sure all LED's are not created equal. Having said that I have seen great colour and growth in SPS corals with people using cheap Chinese multi spectrum LED units as well as LED's like Radion's at the top end ( I am not saying Radion's are at the very top of the chain just that they are near the top) I have however seen LED corals that look so false, unnatural and gaudy as to put me off them but that was down to the colours dialed into the likes of Radion's more than the light itself.
Which brings me to another question. What do people want from their lights? Do you want over saturated colours or more "natural" colours? I say "natural" as unless you view a coral in it's natural environment on the reef how do we even know what it looked like in the wild? I guess most people go for a colour look on their tank that pleases them to their eyes and bother little as to how any coral would look from whence it came.
I have moved away from my original intention for this post but lighting plays such an important part of our hobby and gets so many conflicting views I just had to add my 2 pence (OK cents to you) on a couple of my own thoughts on the subject. The controversy will run for some time to come that's for sure.
