Colors under LEDs are lackluster

[bsfmaximus]

I recently purchased some beautiful red zoas... the seller uses metal halides mainly. I've got them in my tank now under LEDs and they look more brown than red. I've noticed this before with other frags without realizing it. I have a 24 and an 18 inch marine orbit, and two 24 inch blue and white stunner strips. I guess I assumed if corals could grow (or bleach, I had an issue with a frogspawn getting too much light) then I was good in regard to light.
Do LEDs generally just produce less dazzling colors? Could the zoas adapt and be as pretty as they were in the seller's tank? Is color loss/change permanent or would they regain color if I added a light? Are there any supplemental lighting options that would help or does primary system need updated?

 

[Brew12]

I recently purchased some beautiful red zoas... the seller uses metal halides mainly. I've got them in my tank now under LEDs and they look more brown than red. I've noticed this before with other frags without realizing it. I have a 24 and an 18 inch marine orbit, and two 24 inch blue and white stunner strips. I guess I assumed if corals could grow (or bleach, I had an issue with a frogspawn getting too much light) then I was good in regard to light.
Do LEDs generally just produce less dazzling colors? Could the zoas adapt and be as pretty as they were in the seller's tank? Is color loss/change permanent or would they regain color if I added a light? Are there any supplemental lighting options that would help or does primary system need updated?

Shine a flashlight on it and see what it looks like. It may not have changed color at all but only look different.

Most LED fixtures have only a small amount of red LED's in them. For something to look red, it must have red light to reflect. White LED's do emit some red light but not as much as a metal halide. If you dial down the blue spectrum and raise the white you may get a color you like better.

 

[bsfmaximus]

Thanks! I feel enlightened, truly.

 

[mtraylor]

If you are seeing a red coral that looks more brown in your aquarium...Its my guess that your lights are giving off more light in the 6500K range. I do not know much about your fixture, but if you get the display to be in the 14K-20K range. You will see the beautiful reds you were seeing before. It may just take some tweaking to get it right. Hopefully some people chime in that have your fixtures.

 

[bsfmaximus]

If you are seeing a red coral that looks more brown in your aquarium...Its my guess that your lights are giving off more light in the 6500K range. I do not know much about your fixture, but if you get the display to be in the 14K-20K range. You will see the beautiful reds you were seeing before. It may just take some tweaking to get it right. Hopefully some people chime in that have your fixtures.

Tweaking as in...? These lights are set on high both blue and white. Is there some light I could add?

 

[bsfmaximus]

Shine a flashlight on it and see what it looks like. It may not have changed color at all but only look different.

Most LED fixtures have only a small amount of red LED's in them. For something to look red, it must have red light to reflect. White LED's do emit some red light but not as much as a metal halide. If you dial down the blue spectrum and raise the white you may get a color you like better.

Flashlight - they look the same as they do without it. I turned the blues down and my tank looked gross! Greens kind of looked brown. Plus no positive change on my reds.

 

[mtraylor]

Tweaking as in...? These lights are set on high both blue and white. Is there some light I could add?

I just looked up your light. It says The combination of 8,000K/12,000K white along with 445nm/460nm actinic blue creates the perfect spectrum for marine fish, inverts,
live rock and corals to fluoresce like never before.

What does it look like with just the actinic blues on? looks like you have a nice ~10k reference of whit light with very nice actinics.

 

[bsfmaximus]

What does it look like with just the actinic blues on? looks like you have a nice ~10k reference of whit light with very nice actinics.

Blues only look great but not the same color as when I bought them. Much closer in color though.

 

[mtraylor]

yeah it appears the aquarium that your coral came from is closer to 20k spectrum and may have a bit more actinics. Not sure exactly where your spectrum is at, but you may be able to supplement some more actinics in to get it there. The actinics will actually help bring pop to all corals.

 

[Brew12]

Flashlight - they look the same as they do without it. I turned the blues down and my tank looked gross! Greens kind of looked brown. Plus no positive change on my reds.

I'm curious, did you use an LED flashlight? I should have specified and incandescent flashlight. This is really just checking to see if the coral changed color significantly or if it is strictly a light spectrum issue. I do agree that it sounds like you just don't have the option to have enough red spectrum light. Your blue and green corals probably look amazing. Pink corals will look a bit faded and red corals will look brownish.

 

[bsfmaximus]

I'm curious, did you use an LED flashlight? I should have specified and incandescent flashlight. This is really just checking to see if the coral changed color significantly or if it is strictly a light spectrum issue. I do agree that it sounds like you just don't have the option to have enough red spectrum light. Your blue and green corals probably look amazing. Pink corals will look a bit faded and red corals will look brownish.

LED flashlight. You are exactly right. Green looks almost radioactive. Blues look good. So, this spectrum issue, will it actually cause my corals to lose color or is it just perceived color? Thinking about looking into another light or supplemental lighting, but wondering if that fixes the problem or if the color has been stripped away already.

 

[Brew12]

LED flashlight. You are exactly right. Green looks almost radioactive. Blues look good. So, this spectrum issue, will it actually cause my corals to lose color or is it just perceived color? Thinking about looking into another light or supplemental lighting, but wondering if that fixes the problem or if the color has been stripped away already.

It is probably a perceived color change although it could also be an actual color change. Since the frag sounds new I doubt it has actually changed color much. Over time the coral may change color to more efficiently use the available lighting.

FYI, there is no such thing as a white LED. LED's are single frequency sources where white light is a combination of colors. To make a white LED they use a single frequency light and shine it through a lens coated with phosphor. The "warmth" of the white light is determined by the chemical makeup of the phosphor coating and the color of the LED used.

You could add a light source with mostly red LED's but I don't think you would like that effect. Getting a bright white non-LED and non fluorescent light is probably the best route to go.

 

[bsfmaximus]

You could add a light source with mostly red LED's but I don't think you would like that effect. Getting a bright white non-LED and non fluorescent light is probably the best route to go.

Thanks for the science there... makes sense!
So, what do you suggest? No LED nor fluorescent... does that just leave metal halides? Funny the stuff you learn only by doing. I like the convenience and ease of LEDs but am disappointed my corals aren't able to have the color they are supposed to.

 

[Brew12]

Thanks for the science there... makes sense!
So, what do you suggest? No LED nor fluorescent... does that just leave metal halides? Funny the stuff you learn only by doing. I like the convenience and ease of LEDs but am disappointed my corals aren't able to have the color they are supposed to.

I probably shouldn't say no LED or fluorescent, only that you would need to be very careful choosing an option like that. In order to bring out the reds in an aquarium you need lighting in the 650nm-700nm range. You can find T5 lighting and LEDs that fit that range. The kicker is that these lights are what we normally use to grow algae in refugiums. If you look at plant grow lights you will see they are normally red dominant. This is one reason they aren't very popular in aquariums and most LED manufacturers don't emphasize them.

You could try to add a refugium light but I just don't think you will like the overall color you get in your aquarium going that route. If you wanted to replace your light fixtures instead of supplementing them you could find an LED or T5 option that would give you the colors you are looking for.

 

[McMullen]

It's not LEDs, rather the spectrum.

 

[bsfmaximus]

I probably shouldn't say no LED or fluorescent, only that you would need to be very careful choosing an option like that. In order to bring out the reds in an aquarium you need lighting in the 650nm-700nm range.

Thanks for all your help and insight so far... I feel like I am on the right path. I am currently looking at black boxes that have 30 watts of 660nm LEDs...

 

[Brew12]

Thanks for all your help and insight so far... I feel like I am on the right path. I am currently looking at black boxes that have 30 watts of 660nm LEDs...

I wish I could help more. I actually have one of these Reef Breeder V2 lights (link) but I haven't set it up yet. I'm planning on using it on a frag/invert QT. I like the fact it has a 660nm channel I can adjust on its own.

 

[bsfmaximus]

Thanks! You have been a huge help! I would be scratching my head and damning the local coral guy for selling me bogus zoas otherwise.