Light Spectrum being confusing once again.

[Phelipe's Ocean]

Curious about one thing, so 6500k spectrum and other whiter spectrums are said by many well trusted hobbyists that it brings out blues, reds, yellows and if you run too much blues you will lose them but then I see how Jason Fox and Reef Raft both only run blue T5’s? Is this whiter spectum only for growth or is it really needed for those colors? I also was not aware corals could thrive under no whites. If you are not looking for growth is it truly beneficial to run 100 percent blues and actinics? Questioning my spectrums now once again and if removing whites and running only actinics and blue is possible. What do you guys think or know on this?

 

[ndrwater]

It's really all about what you like to see in tour tank. 6500k is a bit yellow IMO, but all blue is TOO blue as well.
If you are looking for that Pop, blue is where it's at. If you are looking for something kind of in the middle, a 15-20k spectrum works well.

 

[oreo54]

... but then I see how Jason Fox and Reef Raft both only run blue T5’s?

Really???
Best to look again

 

[Phelipe's Ocean]

It's really all about what you like to see in tour tank. 6500k is a bit yellow IMO, but all blue is TOO blue as well.
If you are looking for that Pop, blue is where it's at. If you are looking for something kind of in the middle, a 15-20k spectrum works well.

So lets say if I were to grow grow a walt disney under full blue no whites, im not going to lose the blue tips and yellow?

 

[Phelipe's Ocean]

Really???
Best to look again

I have watched that video before maybe I did not catch it, what are they running? I know RR canada runs only blue t5’s and reebrite though they did a post not too long ago on their insta.

 

[oreo54]

I have watched that video before maybe I did not catch it, what are they running? I know RR canada runs only blue t5’s and reebrite though they did a post not too long ago on their insta.

vid states T5's /LEDs.. but no hard spectrum data.. but not hard to estimate from the vid as to overall tone:

 

[PDR]

I may have this wrong, but when I was researching this it seemed that the bluer spectrum enhanced the fluorescent pigments in corals while a whiter spectrum enhanced the non-fluorescent pigments.

 

[oreo54]

There is pigment creation and pigment expression.. both are influenced by "quality" of the light..
The simplistic thing is florescent pigments are more visible when other colors are suppressed.. and vis versa..

As to which light creates what.. ???

 

[Phelipe's Ocean]

I may have this wrong, but when I was researching this it seemed that the bluer spectrum enhanced the fluorescent pigments in corals while a whiter spectrum enhanced the non-fluorescent pigments.

Interesting, this is what I am confused on. I got some great info from @jda on whiter lights bringing out pigments and experienced it myself but I am wondering with these big name industries that run all blue which one is truly the best to bring out colors. Or maybe both work? Not sure.

 

[PDR]

Interesting, this is what I am confused on. I got some great info from @jda on whiter lights bringing out pigments and experienced it myself but I am wondering with these big name industries that run all blue which one is truly the best to bring out colors. Or maybe both work? Not sure.

A few months ago I was absolutely obsessed with figuring this out, and I think there is so much conflicting info because a lot of it is dependant on the type of coral/specific pigments. I still think that blue light helps to develop more vivid fluorescents, but does sacrifice some growth. If you consider a lot of these sellers, especially the high-end ones, they are selling 1/2" frags for 100's if not 1000's of dollars. Most pictures are taken under actinic lighting so it makes sense that they would want the fluorescent pigments to be as bright/developed as possible. That's also why imo, so many of these vendors corals don't end up looking so great in our tanks long term, because we don't run at 100% blue.

I am no lighting expert so take this with a grain of salt, just my thoughts.

 

[oreo54]

https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006/9/aafeature

 

[jda]

There are three things at play. First, pigment creation in the coral. Second, illumination with the coral using some energy and then spitting the light back out at lower energy than it received - example is that a coral uses some 380nm spectrum and then emits a nice violet at 405nm after it used up some energy. Third, it just straight reflection. You can combine the second and third thing into just "illumination."

To make it simpler, I like to tell people that daylight is best for a wider range of pigment creation, but not great at illuminating. Daylight can be helpful straight reflection scenarios since the more red and yellow that you have, the more gets reflected, but bluer light does help with illumination in general. ...so color development under daylight, but illumination under blues. I have seen corals that lose the daylight spectrum lose some pigments in the coral.

I really wish that people would stop trying to be like a vendor. It usually works out better for a hobbyist to pattern their system off of another hobbyist.

 

[Dana Riddle]

There is little doubt that ultraviolet/violet/blue light can cause expression of pink non-fluorescent chromoproteins in Pocillopora specimens. The same broadband spectrum (<~450nm) can cause green fluorescent proteins to transition to red fluorescence in many, if not most (perhaps all) proteins in Clade D. Although there is only one yellow fluorescent protein described and this in a zoanthid, there are certainly others (such as some Hawaiian Porites.) Some corals will not express coloration when exposed to narrow bandwidth lighting (such as LEDs) and require broadband lighting.
As for non-fluorescent proteins, they merely reflect light hence yellows will require some yellow in their illumination source. The other can be said for other chromoproteins (pinks, reds, etc.) Blue chromoproteins under lighting skewed towards the blue nd of the spectrum will appear dark, sometimes black and it takes a broad bandwidth light source for us to appreciate their color.
As soon as I get my speaking engagement calendar clear, it is my hope to dive into this subject again and try to sort things out even more.