Do I need any white spectrum?

[TWYOUNG]

I keep seeing FB posts claiming white light is useless to corals and only causes nuisance algae. If that is true why do all the programs, AB+ etc., include some white? Should I eliminate it. I run G5 Radion XR 30 Blues on the AB+ schedule which includes 100% on all spectrums. Is lighting the reason these Rock Flowers look entirely different from what I ordered?

 

[paragrouper]

Try adjusting them down a bit until you get the look you like. I’ll leave others to debate the utility of whites. Personally, I run my blues strong look for the balance where the corals look good, but not too blue.

 

[ninjamyst]

Online photos will rarely look like real life because vendors use Photoshop and filters to bring out the colors of the corals in a way that rarely mimics our actual tank lights.

 

[Narideth]

When it comes to rock flowers and indeed a lot of coral pictures that you see, the 'blue' colors are most often the reflection of blue lighting, and the bright neon colors are the florescence showing under blues.

Those rock flowers look accurate to my experience with how rock flowers look under blue spectrum versus whites with blue mixed in. A couple of pretty pieces.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Lighting and water conditions can definitely impact how corals, nems, fish, etc. look (as can photoshop).

With regards to white vs. blue light - it's complicated, but basically corals can survive and thrive under white or blue light (which they do better under depends on a bunch of different factors); algae will also thrive under either blue of white light. Honestly, if using just blue light helps, the effect is almost certainly minimal - I'd guess it mostly helps by making the algae harder to see.

For the long winded discussion on white vs blue light and algae, see my posts in the threads below:

White Lighting As It Pertains To Algae

Most likely to make the coral colors pop more and thus more enticing to the buyer These are not places that deal in individual public sales. They sell quantity to LFS shops. Their light configuration is for optimal growth and minimal algae issues. Yes some corals pop more under different...

www.reef2reef.com

Controlling the Light Spectrum to Limit Algae Growth

I'm using the stock light fixture on Fluval's EVO 13.5 tank, and having read the *fantastic* review done by Nate at Spec-Tanks (https://spec-tanks.com/fluval-evo-13-5-saltwater-nano-aquarium-review/), I'm considering whether I should scrap the stock and get a light that allows for control of the...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Bpb]

Those are the same rock flowers as pictured. Theirs are just edited and shot under heavy blues. With experience you will start to be able to kind of see through the “makeup” that is present in online pictures.

Most all vendors will include a heavy hit of full spectrum in their daily photoperiod, but rarely ever actually take advertisement images under those same settings. Most will just use the 450 nm channel and sometimes the violet channel(s) and a heavy dose of Adobe Lightroom editing for their website photos.

 

[VintageReefer]

You don’t need white. I grew all these from frags under blue and violet.

 

[jda]

Rock Flowers are in very shallow water in the Florida. They get a daylight spectrum all day. Daylight has more blue in it than a Radion Blue has, but it also has other colors.

To get the best color, hit them with all colors for a good portion of the day an then blue-it-up when you want to look at them. Blue cannot pop color that is not there.

 

[VintageReefer]

To get the best color, hit them with all colors for a good portion of the day an then blue-it-up when you want to look at them. Blue cannot pop color that is not there.

I do agree with this. While I did go through phase of blue only and grew this coral, I have since added a few hours of full spectrum in. And I notice certain corals do look better as a result. I now run a long blue period in morning and evening/night, but have few hours of full spectrum in early afternoon

 

[rtparty]

No such thing as white spectrum. White is what we see when there’s enough red, green, and blue.

Providing a more full spectrum is a good thing.

 

[TWYOUNG]

Rock Flowers are in very shallow water in the Florida. They get a daylight spectrum all day. Daylight has more blue in it than a Radion Blue has, but it also has other colors.

To get the best color, hit them with all colors for a good portion of the day an then blue-it-up when you want to look at them. Blue cannot pop color that is not there.

So how would you alter this spectrum?

 

[Vjames]

I keep seeing FB posts claiming white light is useless to corals and only causes nuisance algae. If that is true why do all the programs, AB+ etc., include some white? Should I eliminate it. I run G5 Radion XR 30 Blues on the AB+ schedule which includes 100% on all spectrums. Is lighting the reason these Rock Flowers look entirely different from what I ordered?

Hello TWYOUNG! Most online sites right now are post-processing pictures to make them more attractive to your eyes. You can get the coral to look more similar by turning the blues more. Unfortunately, the hobby has become more of a money-making strategy for some people. They look healthy though. Make sure the water parameters are stable and they will color up.

 

[jda]

So how would you alter this spectrum?

I don't know. The Radion Blue is too blue for a lot of folks. AB is not a bad template but I would not run it any more blue. For species that thrive under daylight, it might be too blue for optimum color, but it still should make most things happy enough.

I don't use LED so I am not the best person to ask. I have a few Radion G4, but I run it nearly 100% on all channels but that is over a frag tank. Others will probably have better opinions.

 

[oreo54]

I keep seeing FB posts claiming white light is useless to corals and only causes nuisance algae. If that is true why do all the programs, AB+ etc., include some white?

Ab+ is based on the spectrum you get from 80% blue plus and 20% Aqua blue special.

 

[jda]