How important is Lighting?

[Stopdrewling]

What effect does lighting have on coral? And does it effect the color of the coral/reef/fish?? If not what plays a part in that?

 

[MrDJeep123]

Fish, not so much. Just the difference between night and day.
For corals, it is required for photosynthesis ofzooxanthellae algae that resides in them which in turn give the coral it's energy. Lighting is the lifeblood for corals.

 

[mike007]

Fish, not so much. Just the difference between night and day.
For corals, it is required for photosynthesis ofzooxanthellae algae that resides in them which in turn give the coral it's energy. Lighting is the lifeblood for corals.

+ 1 but different corals require more light than others. As with sps they demand high lighting and some of the lps less.

 

[MrDJeep123]

+ 1 but different corals require more light than others. As with sps they demand high lighting and some of the lps less.

I figured I would keep it simple. But I think it's going to be hard to do that with my additional reply.

OP, is there a specific thing you want to know about a certain coral? As for does it affect color, different lighting temperatures affects how we perceive the color of the corals. Some fluoresce under actinic lighting. The zooxanthellae algae and certain phosphors is what give corals the color they have.

As for fish, it's just the pigmentation of their scales. They do not have this algae. Most of their colors are designed to help against predators, for mating purposes, and it's also a form of communication amongst each other and other fishes. Food and water quality affect fish colors. The healthier the fish, the brighter the colors.

 

[crayonbreaker]

Lighting will not effect the color of the fish. The color of the fish will stay for the most part the same from fish to fish unless they are upset or unhappy with the tank or other tank mates.

As far as coral each coral has its own requirements and it is best to look them up tank placement and lighting requirements as you purchase them.

https://sites.google.com/a/asira.org/www2/caresheets

 

[that Reef Guy]

Lighting will not effect the color of the fish. The color of the fish will stay for the most part the same from fish to fish unless they are upset or unhappy with the tank or other tank mates.

As far as coral each coral has its own requirements and it is best to look them up tank placement and lighting requirements as you purchase them.

https://sites.google.com/a/asira.org/www2/caresheets

I disagree.

Lighting most certainly will affect the color of Fish.

Look at Fish under a Single T8 vs. 4 Bulbs of T5HO (Huge Difference).

Look at a Blue Hippo Tang under Blue Light and it will look terrible.

So yes lighting will affect how Fish look just like it affects how Corals look.

 

[tyler1503]

I disagree.

Lighting most certainly will affect the color of Fish.

Look at Fish under a Single T8 vs. 4 Bulbs of T5HO (Huge Difference).

Look at a Blue Hippo Tang under Blue Light and it will look terrible.

So yes lighting will affect how Fish look just like it affects how Corals look.

+1 My Valentini was always nicely coloured under my old t8 lighting, but nothing special. Once I got him under an LED I could see all these beautiful greens and blues behind his eyes (that's how I know he's a male, beforehand under the t8s I wasn't 100% sure). His eyes glow when the light catches them and his white looks a lot crisper.
Light definitely has an effect on fish colour. Or at least how we perceive the colour.

 

[beadlocked450r]

the light doesnt changes the fishes colors but changes the way it looks to you and i. That would be like saying when you put you hand under a super actinic bulb and you hand changed colors.

 

[MrDJeep123]

the light doesnt changes the fishes colors but changes the way it looks to you and i. That would be like saying when you put you hand under a super actinic bulb and you hand changed colors.

Fish do change their colors slightly depending on lighting intensity and wavelengths. But lighting is not an important factor when keeping fish. Their behaviors can be affected, but fish do not require light for food as corals do.

 

[beadlocked450r]

Fish do change their colors slightly depending on lighting intensity and wavelengths. But lighting is not an important factor when keeping fish. Their behaviors can be affected, but fish do not require light for food as corals do.

I agree. They change slightly but they don't require the same lighting that most corals need too survive.

 

[moulton712]

Lighting will not effect the color of the fish. The color of the fish will stay for the most part the same from fish to fish unless they are upset or unhappy with the tank or other tank mates.

As far as coral each coral has its own requirements and it is best to look them up tank placement and lighting requirements as you purchase them.

https://sites.google.com/a/asira.org/www2/caresheets

I believe he meant light in general. For instance I've never heard "my browned out fish won't color up. " we know about coloring up corals, esp sps.

 

[crayonbreaker]

Correct your fish for the most part is the color it's going to be.

 

[that Reef Guy]

Correct your fish for the most part is the color it's going to be.

But your lighting is how you percieve the fish/coral.

Blue Hippo Tangs are beautiful fish but they look better under 50/50 lighting than they do all blue.

And Corals look better under All Blue LED than they do under 10K Metal Halide.

That is what is important (How you view things).

I know a guy who is color blind. He buys the ugliest brown corals you have ever seen. But to him they are Red and he likes them. His perception is different from most people. But at the end of the day the coral that he thinks is red is really brown.

 

[tyler1503]

But your lighting is how you percieve the fish/coral.

Blue Hippo Tangs are beautiful fish but they look better under 50/50 lighting than they do all blue.

And Corals look better under All Blue LED than they do under 10K Metal Halide.

That is what is important (How you view things).

I know a guy who is color blind. He buys the ugliest brown corals you have ever seen. But to him they are Red and he likes them. His perception is different from most people. But at the end of the day the coral that he thinks is red is really brown.

I'm colour blind and have to agree with you. I see all these fancy high price corals and think "so what? A green acro? Ok. It looks the same as the other 30 green ones I've seem recently." And people are raving about them. I also see other corals like the typical red and green candy canes and love the contrast that most people (I assume) don't see.
Light, while it won't directly change a fishes colour, will affect how we perceive the colour.
To prove it, take a regular white piece of A4 paper and put it under 10k lighting. What colour does it look? Now take that very same piece of paper and put it under actinic lights. What colour does it look? The paper was always white, but we will perceive it as appearing blue. It's the same with fish. Light will affect the way we perceive a fishes colour, but it won't actually change the physical pigment producing cells in the fishes body.

 

[that Reef Guy]

I'm colour blind and have to agree with you. I see all these fancy high price corals and think "so what? A green acro? Ok. It looks the same as the other 30 green ones I've seem recently." And people are raving about them. I also see other corals like the typical red and green candy canes and love the contrast that most people (I assume) don't see.
Light, while it won't directly change a fishes colour, will affect how we perceive the colour.
To prove it, take a regular white piece of A4 paper and put it under 10k lighting. What colour does it look? Now take that very same piece of paper and put it under actinic lights. What colour does it look? The paper was always white, but we will perceive it as appearing blue. It's the same with fish. Light will affect the way we perceive a fishes colour, but it won't actually change the physical pigment producing cells in the fishes body.

Exactly.

Well Said.