Does More Blue LEDs Make SPS Turn Green?

[RevMH]

Hello R2R!

I have read a number of different forum posts on the subject, but it appears that most of them sort of stopped a long time ago.

Do we have definitive evidence (pipe dream?) that LED "over-lighting" (say, almost all blue, very low in nm 500 and over) cause SPS corals to turn green?

 

[Ron Reefman]

I think corals 'survive' the mostly blue spectrum lighting. They need some other spectrum to create other chemistries internally as well as for pigment production.

All that said, I've never heard the theory you site, that all or too much blue makes corals (sps) turn green. I have a green zoa I collect in the shallows of the Florida Keys and if I subject them to my light (90% blue, 30% white, PAR of 300) they morph to be powder blue.

 

[RevMH]

I think corals 'survive' the mostly blue spectrum lighting. They need some other spectrum to create other chemistries internally as well as for pigment production.

All that said, I've never heard the theory you site, that all or too much blue makes corals (sps) turn green. I have a green zoa I collect in the shallows of the Florida Keys and if I subject them to my light (90% blue, 30% white, PAR of 300) they morph to be powder blue.

Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate the experience.

 

[blasterman]

If you look at actual spectrums vs forum posts of various reef light sources including T5, halide, LED Etc all running at typical reef color balances they all pump 80% of their energy or more around 450nm.

10k or 14k halides historically have the most energy in the green/orange spectrum.

We do have a trend with reefers to run blue only lights on LED tanks , but these are almost entirely softie tanks.

Other wavelengths likely provide regulation, but when my SPS turns green its typically an issue with insufficient PAR.

 

[Dana Riddle]

There was a peer-reviewed paper published recently that showed cyan-colored Porites became green when subjected to violet light. I've been working on an article for a while now that consolidates recently findings about how light can cause color shifts. It's about 20 pages long and still isn't completed...

 

[RevMH]

There was a peer-reviewed paper published recently that showed cyan-colored Porites became green when subjected to violet light. I've been working on an article for a while now that consolidates recently findings about how light can cause color shifts. It's about 20 pages long and still isn't completed...

The light man himself! Thank you for replying. Like everyone else, I'll be looking forward to reading the article when it's done.

Looks like you're just as busy in retirement.

Over the years, I've read a few threads where end-users, hobbyists, theorized blue (and/or violet) peaks with LEDs tend to "green out" their SPS.

We never really saw the conclusion, though, the answer may have been there wasn't one.

As always, like everyone else, I thank you for all the work you do to advance the hobby we love.

 

[Dana Riddle]

The light man himself! Thank you for replying. Like everyone else, I'll be looking forward to reading the article when it's done.

Looks like you're just as busy in retirement.

Over the years, I've read a few threads where end-users, hobbyists, theorized blue (and/or violet) peaks with LEDs tend to "green out" their SPS.

We never really saw the conclusion, though, the answer may have been there wasn't one.

As always, like everyone else, I thank you for all the work you do to advance the hobby we love.

Yes, just as busy in retirement was I was while working. I'm attempting to show if there are similar reactions to intensity/spectrum among corals possessing the same clade fluorescent/non-fluorescent proteins. It's a real challenge. And thank you for the compliment!

 

[RevMH]

Yes, just as busy in retirement was I was while working. I'm attempting to show if there are similar reactions to intensity/spectrum among corals possessing the same clade fluorescent/non-fluorescent proteins. It's a real challenge. And thank you for the compliment!

I can't even imagine the challenge. It's so far above my comprehension level.

I'm happy there's much smarter people to figure out the hard stuff.