Red spectrum.

[RBarth]

Been playing with my A360x and saw where BRS suggests a 20% red. Debate on red increasing algea etc. I do like the touch of red for more visually appealing coloration BUT is it worth the 'possibility' of algea? Can 20% really CAUSE algea? Thanks!

 

[Spare time]

No. In a reef tank, algae is not limited by light.

 

[Spare time]

I think the debate is ridiculous because reef tanks are quite literally designed to grow algae (inside corals). The most universal photopigment (chlorophyll A) has a stronger reaction to blue light. What color on its own is best at growing a specific algae depends on the individual species.

 

[SlugSnorter]

I think the debate is ridiculous because reef tanks are quite literally designed to grow algae (inside corals). The most universal photopigment (chlorophyll A) has a stronger reaction to blue light. What color on its own is best at growing a specific algae depends on the individual species.

many corals and some other animals are not happy with too much red light as there is not much when underwater.

 

[damsels are not mean]

Been playing with my A360x and saw where BRS suggests a 20% red. Debate on red increasing algea etc. I do like the touch of red for more visually appealing coloration BUT is it worth the 'possibility' of algea? Can 20% really CAUSE algea? Thanks!

No, not at all. Agree with above. Unlike in a planted freshwater tank where you can run CO2 and have the plants totally starve out algae, you really can't avoid it in a reef. It will grow. How fast really depends on ammonia input first and foremost.

 

[Spare time]

How fast really depends on ammonia input first and foremost.

+predation

 

[rtparty]

Look up the Emerson Effect and you'll see that red light isn't as bad as people claim

 

[SlugSnorter]

No, not at all. Agree with above. Unlike in a planted freshwater tank where you can run CO2 and have the plants totally starve out algae, you really can't avoid it in a reef. It will grow. How fast really depends on ammonia input first and foremost.

you cannot avoid algae, but you can make attempts to prevent "bad" algae from overgrowing. Some nuisance algae can take advantage of the red light to get a leg up on the "good" stuff. The bigger issue is annoying your stockings though.

 

[Bpb]

I have long believed it is a fools errand to run a tank with the goal (in any capacity) of suppressing algae growth. What makes corals happy will also make algae happy. They can and will thrive under identical conditions. Presence of coraline algae, sponge life, and other sessile/encrusting forms of life coating live rock, as well as the presence of effective herbivores will do more for eliminating algae blooms than reducing red light or nutrients will. It just takes time.

Not a dig at OP. Just speaking generally. 20% reds are perfectly appropriate. If you see algae growth it’s going to be just from the increased par. Bumping your blues 20% would do the same thing. You just might not see it as dramatically because green and red algae just doesn’t stand out visually under blue lighting.

My motto is to set lights to be both visually appealing and good for coral growth, and address algae issues through other means.

 

[SlugSnorter]

I have long believed it is a fools errand to run a tank with the goal (in any capacity) of suppressing algae growth. What makes corals happy will also make algae happy. They can and will thrive under identical conditions. Presence of coraline algae, sponge life, and other sessile/encrusting forms of life coating live rock, as well as the presence of effective herbivores will do more for eliminating algae blooms than reducing red light or nutrients will. It just takes time.

Not a dig at OP. Just speaking generally. 20% reds are perfectly appropriate. If you see algae growth it’s going to be just from the increased par. Bumping your blues 20% would do the same thing. You just might not see it as dramatically because green and red algae just doesn’t stand out visually under blue lighting.

My motto is to set lights to be both visually appealing and good for coral growth, and address algae issues through other means.

Very few want to stop algae growth, its more about keeping more invasive "algae" (including things like dinos, cyano, etc) in check. I agree with your take on lighting though.

 

[RBarth]

I have long believed it is a fools errand to run a tank with the goal (in any capacity) of suppressing algae growth. What makes corals happy will also make algae happy. They can and will thrive under identical conditions. Presence of coraline algae, sponge life, and other sessile/encrusting forms of life coating live rock, as well as the presence of effective herbivores will do more for eliminating algae blooms than reducing red light or nutrients will. It just takes time.

Not a dig at OP. Just speaking generally. 20% reds are perfectly appropriate. If you see algae growth it’s going to be just from the increased par. Bumping your blues 20% would do the same thing. You just might not see it as dramatically because green and red algae just doesn’t stand out visually under blue lighting.

My motto is to set lights to be both visually appealing and good for coral growth, and address algae issues through other means.

No dig taken. It was just a simple question of wanting to add some red spectrum and reading how reds create algae blooms. Not afraid of algae relatively speaking but just wasn't buying the idea that with a red spectrum it was gonna go crazy and wanted some 'verification'.

 

[RBarth]

*a 20% increase in red spectrum

 

[jda]

It amazes me that people want to mistakenly believe that excess residual nitrate and phophate are good for corals (they are not, for the most part), but want to try and limit light to limit algae.

First, light is the only for-sure thing that provides energy to the non-NPS corals, through the zoox. Second, while excess residual N and P do not do much of anything for corals, they can be directly used by most macro algae.

Red is good. How much can be debated, but there is no downside to the amount of red and IR in most well-loved MH bulbs like 20k Radium and 14k Phoenix. Red helps more colors become deeper, emerson effect helps corals process energy between photosystems and the actual straight reflection of the red looks good. No downside here.

Lastly, most coral in this hobby are collected on one breath - less than 3 meters. Red and even IR are not even close to filtered out at these depths.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Been playing with my A360x and saw where BRS suggests a 20% red. Debate on red increasing algea etc. I do like the touch of red for more visually appealing coloration BUT is it worth the 'possibility' of algea? Can 20% really CAUSE algea? Thanks!

From what I have seen, BRS tends to try to match the ATI T5 Blue Plus bulb spectrum with all the lights they test. Then add whites, reds, and greens for visual appeal of the tank to offset that windex blue appearance tanks often have when not running these color channels. Plus certain corals and fish like Anthias for example have increased color pop when there are red and or green lights on vs not. When I had Anthias and had the red lights off the color of these fish looked muted and nothing like what they do in the wild or even in the LFS.

 

[rtparty]

Very few want to stop algae growth, its more about keeping more invasive "algae" (including things like dinos, cyano, etc) in check. I agree with your take on lighting though.

One interesting thing to note is that an increase in dinos has been documented when only blue light was applied. I think Dana Riddle talked about this in one of his posts