Clarification for Spectrum/Growth etc

[damsels are not mean]

So I think i have a decent hold on spectrum and par etc... it is my understanding that best coral growth comes from white light and best coloration (fluorescing of the coral) comes from blue light.

Where i get confused is if i use white (6500k) light to grow the corals vs blue light (14000k) to grow the corals. Will a coral that is grown under 6500k light still have the same fluorescence and color if placed back under 14000k light vs a coral that is grown entirely under a 14000k light.

Make the tank look pretty and how you want it to look and make sure it isn't too bright. That's all you have to do. Most growth comes from blue but if you are successful more growth won't be what you want in 2 years when you have to play tetris with coral frags. Setting the lights where you want them now will let your corals adapt and grow to fit that lighting, and make them healthy in the long run.

 

[outhouse]

Make the tank look pretty and how you want it to look and make sure it isn't too bright. That's all you have to do. Most growth comes from blue but if you are successful more growth won't be what you want in 2 years when you have to play tetris with coral frags. Setting the lights where you want them now will let your corals adapt and grow to fit that lighting, and make them healthy in the long run.

The best thing I did was lower my intensity to where it didnt look nuclear, lol but what you say has a lot of truth, the light was appealing to the eyes, and low and behold, ive had the best growth yet. It was 14k ish but now with a UV bar, its added a color thats made it look more rich and full, for what ever thats worth lol

I wonder if the question should not be, MH against LEDS as much as ""which LEDS"" and what color spectrum, in what quantity, grows the fastest, while pleasing to the eye. Which wattage chip grows faster the 2 together that is a 5W chip like Orphek uses, or is a quality 3W chip any better then a cheap 3W chip.

If MH grows coral faster, it would be great if someone could create a led that mirrored it.

 

[damsels are not mean]

The best thing I did was lower my intensity to where it didnt look nuclear, lol but what you say has a lot of truth, the light was appealing to the eyes, and low and behold, ive had the best growth yet. It was 14k ish but now with a UV bar, its added a color thats made it look more rich and full, for what ever thats worth lol

I wonder if the question should not be, MH against LEDS as much as ""which LEDS"" and what color spectrum, in what quantity, grows the fastest, while pleasing to the eye. Which wattage chip grows faster the 2 together that is a 5W chip like Orphek uses, or is a quality 3W chip any better then a cheap 3W chip.

If MH grows coral faster, it would be great if someone could create a led that mirrored it.

My tank is pretty white with a bias towards blue which makes colors pop without having it look unnatural. I also take advantage of the ramping nature of the tank to have it very blue in the morning and evening and very white in the middle of the simulated day. I get to experience my tank in many different "angles" for lack of a better word this way. I get the best of both worlds by simply having both worlds heh.

 

[outhouse]

My tank is pretty white

Thats probably one of the keys that leds cannot copy. I looked at my old tank pics when I had the best growth ever under MH and the tank looks crystal clear white, and super bright, and whats funny is no picture color filter needed with a 10k look. Your phone could take great pictures without the filters one needs with leds to get a good clear picture.

You may be on to something there.

 

[oreo54]

Thats probably one of the keys that leds cannot copy. I looked at my old tank pics when I had the best growth ever under MH and the tank looks crystal clear white, and super bright, and whats funny is no picture color filter needed with a 10k look. Your phone could take great pictures without the filters one needs with leds to get a good clear picture.

You may be on to something there.

That is actually one of the easier things for leds to do.
As it would be for a 14000k " look".
IF people actually wanted that.
Which is sort of the " catch" isn't it.

Blue, cyan, green, amber red primary .
Maybe some whites to smooth it.

No white light

Hi all I was just wondering if anyone runs their lights with no white, just blues, uv, red and green?

www.reef2reef.com

total 90 LED belonging to the blue wavelengths, 18 amber, 6 green and 6 red. This mix create the white looking of my aquarium.

History and how things never really change.

Many people in the 90s insisted on running 8k which is very white. I rememeber the huge fights when 12k came out and how "all that blue would kill your corals". Then 18k bulbs and finally 20k.

QUESTION OF THE DAY - What, blue versus white, lighting combo gives the best coral growth?

Honestly I think the heavy blues are for us and how we perceive the coral’s colors with them.

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Brisco]

Reef lighting application is simpler than many will lead on.

Rent apogee MQ 510

Find whatever setting you find visually pleasing on your lights.

Use said MQ510 to adjust your intensity in appropriate ratios to maintain that aesthetic you like for a daylight peak of 4-8 hours.

For a softy/lps dominant tank, best results will usually come at 150 par max. Most thriving with much less

For an sps dominant tank 250-350 par is a safe goal.

Utilize a ramp up and down feature to extend your photoperiod to a max of 12 hours.

Doesn’t need to be any more complicated than that.

Some notes, try to avoid running any other channel higher than your blues. As in avoid running 100% whites but 60% blues for any length of time outside of taking photographs. It’s not that it won’t work if you are in the correct intensity range, it just may not be the most efficient use of the light fixture.

If running a mixed tank, just have an idea of where your higher and lower light areas are.

For my tank personally, the goal is to be acropora dominant. I have a large flat shelf like rock structure spanning the length of the tank which enjoys a 250-350 par range throughout. On the sandbed I am between 50-150 par. Which is perfect for the zoas and euphyllia.

At the end of the day. Set your lights and avoid adjusting them once they’re dialed in a comfortable range. Don’t obsess over absolute values, but just try to stay in ranges. Corals are adaptable to a point. Lights should not be a center of focus once they’re set. From then on, ignore them and best to obsess over water quality and stability than second guessing your lighting.

Very well put. Don't get trapped in chasing numbers, and adjust slowly.

 

[outhouse]

Yep I remember the days of XM 10k bulbs long before 14k was popular. The debate was 6500k verses 10k then lol