LED color temp and coral color question

[WillKatt]

So wasn't sure where to post this but since I use LEDs figured this was a good place.

I had some sort of major bleaching event that occurred in my 28 nano a few months back. I'm not sure what caused it but I think it was a combo of moving the AI close to the surface and an accidental OD of kalk. Since then I have been nursing things back to health and switched from an AI sol blue to a Radion. My coloration has been on a pretty good incline and growth has exploded with the radion set at 14k most the day and 12k for a two hour peak then back to 14k. (50% intensity at peak hours. I'm still gradually bringing the intensity up 5% every two weeks to a goal of 70%)

Now for my question. I have heard that the bluer end of the spectrum 18k-20k is better for color but not so much for growth and that 10k-14k is better on growth but may lead to some browning. Is this true?

I bumped my spectrum to 14k-18k to see if I could get some better color but some of the corals don't seem to be responding as well. They are not doing bad by any means but a couple high end zoas have closed up and my sunset monty has closed and seems a little angry. Everything else seems fine, in fact some of my SPS such as a red planet that had browned badly following the bleach and a garf bonsai that had also browned following the bleach are now starting to go from brown to light brown almost while with pinks and greens starting at the tips of the red planet and and purples and blues at the tips of the bonsai. This was starting to happen with the the spectrum at 12k-14k as well but does seem accelerated at 14k-18k.

I'm tempted to just stay where I am and see what happens "IF" there is any truth to the bluer spectrum helping the corals to color up better. If there is no truth to this I will go back to the 12k -14k I was running because I know everything was happy there. I'm thinking even though I have not bumped up the intensity the shift in color is penetrating the water little better and may have been a little too aggressive in the change in overall intensities?

Thanks!

 

[ReefLEDLights]

Kalgra

LEDs are brighter than advertised. Its not uncommon for corals to bleach with too much light. Once the corals get used to the light they will look better than before under the stronger light.

There are a lot of myths about spectrum and will warmer or cooler grow better. These myths are founded in MH Bulbs and their relative PAR and do not apply to LEDs.

The Royal Blue or 450nm is your grow spectrum. The AI uses the Cree XP-E Cool White which has a very nice 450nm spike depending on the specific Bin of the Cool White will determine how strong this spike is.

I would tune for looks and then continue to bring up intensity slowly

Bill

 

[WillKatt]

Thanks Bill,

I think I convoluted my question a little. I really just want to know if there is any truth in what I had heard in that color pigmentation is increased with a bluer spectrum but growth may decrease vs higher growth with less blue spectrums but more browning in pigmentation.

I gather from your response that what I had heard may hold some truth with more convention lights but no so much LEDs?

Thanks again for your reply.

 

[ReefLEDLights]

Thanks Bill,

I think I convoluted my question a little. I really just want to know if there is any truth in what I had heard in that color pigmentation is increased with a bluer spectrum but growth may decrease vs higher growth with less blue spectrums but more browning in pigmentation.

I gather from your response that what I had heard may hold some truth with more convention lights but no so much LEDs?

Thanks again for your reply.

Colour Pigments vary between corals.

I've seen average beginner SPS colour up from a brown to nice tri colour, and I've also seen green a blue SPS loose their colour. I've also heard that those who have lost colour are sometimes pleasantly surprised a few months later when the coral fully acclimates.

Each pigment is different as well as how it behaves in each coral. The closer you can get to the 450-420nm range the more the pigments will florescence. This is why Bins in the Royal Blue is important.

Adding a few Greens or Reds to a LEDs fixture can highlight some pigments.

Overall I'm a fan of more Blue as the coral have adapted to this spectrum

Bill

 

[WillKatt]

Bill Thank you very much for your input. It was very helpful.

 

[chrispc66]

I love messing around with DIY LED....I'm running about 14K now asked on RB, 10K & 6.5K whites, 405nM UV. I added a few reds, however didn't like the results where my purple stag became duller, and some Acans seemed to loose te green pigments....

I removed the reds, added 2 pinks and 4 greens.....that was about 8 weeks ago sand the results are a lot better. I'm sure the greens have contributed greatly. I'm told there is more than enough of the red spectrum in the 10K LEDS.

I'm definetly no expert, I just love experimenting with the 3W LEDS and effects on te tank. Ivealso been playing around with different lenses too. Would also be interested in any posts here from those who actually know hat they are doing.....

 

[Fishinbob]

I love messing around with DIY LED....I'm running about 14K now asked on RB, 10K & 6.5K whites, 405nM UV. I added a few reds, however didn't like the results where my purple stag became duller, and some Acans seemed to loose te green pigments....

I removed the reds, added 2 pinks and 4 greens.....that was about 8 weeks ago sand the results are a lot better. I'm sure the greens have contributed greatly. I'm told there is more than enough of the red spectrum in the 10K LEDS.

I'm definetly no expert, I just love experimenting with the 3W LEDS and effects on te tank. Ivealso been playing around with different lenses too. Would also be interested in any posts here from those who actually know hat they are doing.....

I wouldn't say I know what I'm doing but I have gone through quite a bit of trial and error and I'm liking the results!! I have a 90 gallon tank with 80 Cree LEDS over it split between 2 6x20" heatsinks! Tank has been setup around 7 months with LEDs( tank about 9 months old) I have 15 rb, 3 b, 2 uv and 16 cw, 2 nw, 1red, 1 green on each heatsink. RB's, blues and UVs on one dimmer and whites, reds and green on other. I'm in the process of ordering more uv, neutral white,cyan and blues! I will be replacing the blues from the blue string to the white string, and replacing the blues with the UVs. Then switching some cw for nw and mixing it a bit. LEDs are great but some LPS(acans mainly) and sps don't seem to color up as nicely! Want to add these colors and give it a few months... Optimally I would put each color on it's own driver but not reasonable right now! I'm staying posted because this is the reason I went diy so I can adjust the fixture as technology moves forward. Trying to avoid adding t5's( i have a pair of brand new atenic t8's i might add just to see if the uv helps any!Where did you get the pink LEDs from?

 

[Fishinbob]

Here is my diy fixture

 

[chrispc66]

Awesome....it's a whole new aspect to reef keeping...

On the contrary, I see lovely colour intensity with SPS and Acans....was just the reds I believe that reduced this in my opinion....

The greens have really made a difference with daytime colouration intensity.....

I purchased the pink 3W LEDS from Aquastyle online....awesome service too.

Lovely photos by the way....wish I could share pics, using an IPad which is not pic posting friendly...cheers

 

[WillKatt]

I only run my reds with sun rise and sunset but it seems like my red digi really colored up nice when I started using the reds after about a month. I have no way of determining if my reds had anything to do with that and in all likley hood they didnt, but the sunrise and sunset modes im running should do make a cool effect.

 

[Fishinbob]

Awesome....it's a whole new aspect to reef keeping...

On the contrary, I see lovely colour intensity with SPS and Acans....was just the reds I believe that reduced this in my opinion....

The greens have really made a difference with daytime colouration intensity.....

I purchased the pink 3W LEDS from Aquastyle online....awesome service too.

Lovely photos by the way....wish I could share pics, using an IPad which is not pic posting friendly...cheers

Thanks chris, I only have one red on each fixture and then run with the whites so probably 20-30% as well as the greens! Acans seem to orange up under the LEDs( my red bowerbanki holds true red) and my purple sps are more green but might just be too low! I was considering adding another green to each heatsink an then cyan and blue to the white strings to give it a bit more pop the pink intrigues me gotta do more research! Oh and for posting pictures get the "tapatalk app" cost like 2$ best forum app there is... They also offer unlimited file hosting for like 2$ too well worth it!!

 

[chrispc66]

Interesting....over here in Aussie there has been a bit of discussion about red LEDS, and I have also trialled red. I found that my Acans become dominant red with red LEDS. To a point where te tripes on the polyps became very thin....this changed when I removed them....I agree your sunrise / sunset look would be awesome....sounds like a beaut LED build there.

Thanks for sharing....cheers