Natural light spectrum.. Why do we use these so much blue lights?

[djf91]

Yeap I have 10K Metal Halide with 2 T5 Actinic Bulbs for that touch of blue shade.

I missed snorkeling and scuba diving. Maybe in the next few years ill be able to do some.

On my next set up some day, i will do a blue/green gradient for the background and have a hidden or side oveflow.

But for what knowledge and budget I had for setting it up my self, I think its pretty close.

I just need that one elusive oregon tort for my collection lol.

But look at that, you can see the yellow color.

Beautiful. Love this tank.

 

[djf91]

That's the kind of color I get from my AB+ radions. Personally, I don't like it because it looks very artificial like a disco/laser quest setting compared to the real ocean in around places like "redang islands & perhentian", Malaysia or Surin island, Thailand. In real life the lighting looks closer to a 10k spectrum or 7K with a touch of blue+green shade.
Plenty of colors in the real ocean.

I always liked this 10k looking tank.

 

[djf91]

A reason I think some hobbyists think the ocean has a very blue appearing spectrum is because of the blue backdrop you often see when looking at a reefscape in the ocean. This is because you are looking through miles of water behind what’s right in front of you.

This effect is very evident in this video. If you look up close, the reef is lit by very full spectrum sunlight but everything around it appears blue because of the backdrop.

 

[areefer01]

A reason I think some hobbyists think the ocean has a very blue appearing spectrum is because of the blue backdrop you often see when looking at a reefscape in the ocean. This is because you are looking through miles of water behind what’s right in front of you.

This effect is very evident in this video. If you look up close, the reef is lit by very full spectrum sunlight but everything around it appears blue because of the backdrop.

A lot of it depends on the equipment and filters used by the diver (including their experience). Here is a dive I did earlier this year using a Gopro 11 with the red filter no lights attached. Dive was between 85 and 40 feet which is obviously different than 40 and 12. Just showing the visual change close and away from the reef wall.

 

[robanister]

I don't run all blue. I run mostly 90 blue mix percent 10 white mix and accessories at 60 red 60 green 100 blie and 60 white. These run for 12 hrs.
There's a sun up and down for another 2.5 hr ramp up no white and 2.5 hr ramp down. There is 2 30 min periods in the day for great pics. I call it twilight hr.

 

[Anxur]

n

And if a filter was used. Pretty important.

On topic though not everyone cares for the heavy blue, AB+ look. It is a personal preference. Dana Riddle has done some real world tests on lighting in oceanic conditions.

Scuba diving does change ones perspective though.

no filter used..

 

[Anxur]

A lot of it depends on the equipment and filters used by the diver (including their experience). Here is a dive I did earlier this year using a Gopro 11 with the red filter no lights attached. Dive was between 85 and 40 feet which is obviously different than 40 and 12. Just showing the visual change close and away from the reef wall.

in the first first meters light is yellow..

 

[Anxur]

under blues..what is not to like

this is like disco...

 

[Solo McReefer]

this is like disco...

 

[billyo2811]

I’ll also say I’m a little leery of the photo-inhibition studies/claims. Just anecdotally from what I’ve seen, people who have longer photoperiods have faster growth.

I’m sure some people on here are sick of me talking about the past, but from what I’ve seen, tanks from earlier decades used to run their metal halides for 10-12 hours a day and had crazy amounts of growth. Just food for thought, I know electricity use is something to consider here too.

Tropical, shallow, stony coral reefs are very competitive environments where faster growth = a competitive edge over the coral next to you and thus survival. I have a hard time believing that these stony corals aren’t taking advantage of every last minute of sunlight during the day.

It’s funny when people say oh the electricity bill, but metal Halides are known to provide a true full spectrum and the extra wattage imo doesn’t just go down the drain a XR30 is 200 something watts and provides “high par” in the blue spectrum and people think that is the key to coral growth but halifes tend to be lower par producing compared to halides but People don’t realise the average par meter only measure the blue part of the spectrum it blows my mind that people carry on about changing % of certain colours I turn everything up 100% and adjust intensity. Certain corals may only use the bluer spectrum but it will not make it grow any slower if you give it white. We don’t know for certain what uses how much of what amd when ect so why not give it all you got and just have your desired colour temperature when you want to view your animals ? Completely agree with you dude

Edit*
Even 4-5hrs of full spectrum for a nice peak during the day. Most people aren’t even home for this.

 

[Solo McReefer]

Certain corals may only use the bluer spectrum but it will not make it grow any slower if you give it white

Who is making the claim that corals don't grow under full spectrum or white light?

I was on reef hiatus during this phase, and missed out on the memo

Reefing in the 90s, at the time, the move to bluer light(to actinic) was because full spectrum lighting grew nuisance algae a lot better than just blue light

We even put caulerpa prolifera in the mini reefs to outcompete nuisance algae. And gain the benefits we see with algae reactors and refugiums

Refugiums took off at this time because everyone had expensive wet/dry filters that they were no longer using for filtration. Because of life rock and protein skimmers. And wanted to put them back into use, Miracle Mud got it's start at this time as well

Any old timers, please correct me if I'm wrong here

 

[Aquariumaddictuk]

Personal preference I guess.
White also pushes higher par.
I have a 5 hour "full beans" photoperiod for max par then go back to blue.
I personally like my tanks to be as blue as possible but that's purely my preference & is entirely subjective

 

[Yanir34]

under blues..what is not to like

Full spectrum T5 light.

Your heavy blue simply Dont show the corals at their TRUE COLOR

 

[goosemans]

I can’t stand the look of windex tanks. All the details of the corals, fish, and inverts get washed out.

 

[billyo2811]

Full spectrum T5 light.

Your heavy blue simply Dont show the corals at their TRUE COLOR

Is this Sonny’s system ?

 

[Anxur]

Full spectrum T5 light.

Your heavy blue simply Dont show the corals at their TRUE COLOR

Sometimes is not possible to light with white light...

Is like woman without mask..

 

[strich]

Honestly I get a bit sad when I see the stark blue tanks with neon objects in them. Beyond the obvious things already said, I have to wonder what that room looks like most of the time - Just a constant blue tint to the entire space the tank is in.

The worst thing for me in this hobby and honestly on this forum - I cannot trust any pictures of tanks anymore. People bath their tanks in blue light, then take pictures with an orange filter and don't say anything. The images might as well be AI generated at that point - They're fake!

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

The industry may have made the shift to blue to sell more coral and reefing gear in general. Blue light makes the coral colors stand out more in many cases (but not all). Some hobbyists can grow coral just fine with blue only. I use a combination of “blue” and “white” light, and have spectrum and intensity ramp up and down throughout the day. It also comes down to person taste. Not every Reefer is a naturalist wanting the ocean in their home, they may just want living art.

 

[Yanir34]

Is this Sonny’s system ?

Nope , it's my reef tank

 

[Yanir34]

Take this blue stag for example.
under heavy blue light the true color is not presented .
This is with 50/50- full spectrum ,and other blue/fiji purple bulbs .