T8s as visual only lighting

[Tlledsmar]

Hi. I have LED lights that are doing real nice over my corals and I'm not looking for additional coral lighting.

What I'm looking into is hanging a 1 or 2 bulb t8 fixture over my tank for viewing the tank (mostly during lights off time) I like the way a t8 lights up water and It's very cheap and easy to get the bulbs and fixtures.


My question is, will the T8 affect my corals? I'm assuming algae may bloom off a t8 and I'm OK with that I have lots of algae eating critters. But let's say I have my led tuned perfectly and I flick the t8 on in the morning, forget it on, and it has that additional lighting for 16 hours. Are my corals going to even care?

 

[Timfish]

Sorry to be blunt but any lighting is coral lighting so yes they will affect your corals. Depending on species/genotype/variety of your corals' leaving T8s on for 16 hours has the potential to bleach or kill individuals.

 

[Koh23]

T5 are better choice, yes u can use t8 if they are suitable for reef.

Sadly, only thing regarding t8 bulbs that i can think of is sylvania marine and coral star (like ati aquablue and blue plus). But i think these lamps are discontinued, i newer saw them anywhere for years, at least here.

Or maybe something of jbl, arcadia, if they still make t8....

 

[Tlledsmar]

Sorry to be blunt but any lighting is coral lighting so yes they will affect your corals. Depending on species/genotype/variety of your corals' leaving T8s on for 16 hours has the potential to bleach or kill individuals.

Thank you for reading the question. So, I can put them on a timer (as a failsafe) let's say I have them on for a couple hours at night in addition to my cycle that ends hours before I get home. Same thing? Too much light?

 

[Tlledsmar]

T5 are better choice, yes u can use t8 if they are suitable for reef.

Sadly, only thing regarding t8 bulbs that i can think of is sylvania marine and coral star (like ati aquablue and blue plus). But i think these lamps are discontinued, i newer saw them anywhere for years, at least here.

Or maybe something of jbl, arcadia, if they still make t8....

You didn't read it.

 

[Koh23]

Well, then, figure it out on your own....

Really dont care.....

 

[Tlledsmar]

Well, then, figure it out on your own....

Really dont care.....

Why would you even reply at all? Serious question. Why would you click on a topic, not even read the title, definitely not read the body, and then type a half page of off the wall recommendation? I'm genuinely curious as to what kind of individual acts this way. Please, enlighten us, oh great and wondrous reef master...

 

[Koh23]

I simply said, yes, u can.

And also i even simplier said, if you gonna go that route, use t5.

Maybe i wrong assume that u want some "reef" lights, and not generic "daylight" bulbs, and in that manner i said that quality t8 REEF bulbs, at least here, is almost impossible to find. Hence, use t5, newer, proven technology, widely available.

But, if nothing of that interests you, then, just ignore my comment.....

And what i am, or not, what i know and dont.... Remember, YOU are the one seeking advice, so i guess that says enough.

Advice can be helpfull, can be bad, can be totaly unrelated, i agree. But that is not reason to be rude to someone who TRIES to help. Even if he totaly fail.

Eod for me......

 

[Tlledsmar]

I simply said, yes, u can.

And also i even simplier said, if you gonna go that route, use t5.

Maybe i wrong assume that u want some "reef" lights, and not generic "daylight" bulbs, and in that manner i said that quality t8 REEF bulbs, at least here, is almost impossible to find. Hence, use t5, newer, proven technology, widely available.

But, if nothing of that interests you, then, just ignore my comment.....

And what i am, or not, what i know and dont.... Remember, YOU are the one seeking advice, so i guess that says enough.

Advice can be helpfull, can be bad, can be totaly unrelated, i agree. But that is not reason to be rude to someone who TRIES to help. Even if he totaly fail.

Eod for me......

And you still did not read the question. At all. It surely would be a lot easier on yourself to simply read the question op posted

 

[Tlledsmar]

Related... are there any low output led lights that wouldn't affect corals very much, that replicate the glow of fluorescent lighting?

 

[Timfish]

Thank you for reading the question. So, I can put them on a timer (as a failsafe) let's say I have them on for a couple hours at night in addition to my cycle that ends hours before I get home. Same thing? Too much light?

You really want to have everything on timers or controllers (timers are cheaper and from what Iv;e seen over the years more reliable). I've been experimenting with lights running directly off solar panels as well as a system getting direct sunlight and corals do not do well long term with a lot of variation (my suspicion is latitude is too high and seasonal variation is more than corals like). Many corals can adjust thier photobiology with the proper acclimation to a wide range of lighting conditions. It would be best though to have 8 to 12 hours of complete dark.

I'm guessing here, but based on your posts it sounds like you have the lights coming on in the morning and shutting off then you turn on your T8s. I'd advise you to get a PAR meter and try to figure out a light cycle with 12 - 14 hours from when some lights turn on and the last lights turn off with some kind of ramp up and ramp down with max lighting only about 6 hours. The specific sequence you'll need ot figure out. Maybe the T8s are on when your other lights ar at max or maybe your other lights ramp down then your T8s are on for a couple hours. It sounds like you might be thinking of main aquaium lights turining off then awhile later the T8s turn on. That kind of light schedule may or may not cause issues with corals either short term or long term but certainly isn't anything like they would normally experience.

 

[Timfish]

Related... are there any low output led lights that wouldn't affect corals very much, that replicate the glow of fluorescent lighting?

No, because of the technology matching spectral output between LEDs and fluorescent there will be differences. There are leds with warmer color temperatures and you probably could find something that you find looks similar to you. Keep in mind what ever you do you are messing with coral photobiology and without doing something to keep track of spectrum (color temperature is a rough average) and intensity (PAR) your just guessing and you may have issues with your corals.

 

[Tlledsmar]

You really want to have everything on timers or controllers (timers are cheaper and from what Iv;e seen over the years more reliable). I've been experimenting with lights running directly off solar panels as well as a system getting direct sunlight and corals do not do well long term with a lot of variation (my suspicion is latitude is too high and seasonal variation is more than corals like). Many corals can adjust thier photobiology with the proper acclimation to a wide range of lighting conditions. It would be best though to have 8 to 12 hours of complete dark.

I'm guessing here, but based on your posts it sounds like you have the lights coming on in the morning and shutting off then you turn on your T8s. I'd advise you to get a PAR meter and try to figure out a light cycle with 12 - 14 hours from when some lights turn on and the last lights turn off with some kind of ramp up and ramp down with max lighting only about 6 hours. The specific sequence you'll need ot figure out. Maybe the T8s are on when your other lights ar at max or maybe your other lights ramp down then your T8s are on for a couple hours. It sounds like you might be thinking of main aquaium lights turining off then awhile later the T8s turn on. That kind of light schedule may or may not cause issues with corals either short term or long term but certainly isn't anything like they would normally experience.

Oh no worries I'm not experimenting yet. Just pondering but what you outline is what I was thinking of. I might not even screw around d with it and just set my timer to overlap time that I'm home without being annoying while I'm trying to sleep . Maybe easier Saif than done

 

[Uncle99]

Go ahead with that, just keep in mind the increase in PAR even though florescents do not have super intensity, but spread and mix, wow!
Maybe turn on one to start for a few weeks, then the second, but I would not adjust the photoperiod once set.

 

[DSEKULA]

Ime any light will effect the coral but it depends on the coral. Some coral feed at night and need darkness for example others are less effected and would take a while to bleach etc. Have you looked into moon lights? Those are cool to auctualy watch nocturnal behavior and are made to be on at night to trigger feedi g and spawing responses. If you really want to view evenings because that's when your home you could always just put your normal lights on later so instead of 06:00-14:00 put a timer on 12:00-20:00 for example and just make tank night during the day etc you could then even stretch that a bit leaving one light (like your t5) on from 20:00 to 22:00 to simulate a sunset type scenario just keep in mind that the t5 does count as light, just bc the coral dosent use as much of the spectrum it will use some keeping the coral photosynthetic active. I actually have a t8 fixture over my frag tank I just use for cleaning/maintenance stuff (regular yellow home bulbs) I've left it on an extra day 24hrs + and definitely noticed a difference in health with coral bleaching a bit and one of my torches started releasing eggs. There was no long term negative doing it once by accident but I added a timer so I dont slip up again after that. That being said Ive seen tanks run with lights partially on 12hr a day due to ramping up and down so it is possible to extend your daylight hours using some soft lighting at the beginning or end of 'day time'.

 

[Tlledsmar]

Ime any light will effect the coral but it depends on the coral. Some coral feed at night and need darkness for example others are less effected and would take a while to bleach etc. Have you looked into moon lights? Those are cool to auctualy watch nocturnal behavior and are made to be on at night to trigger feedi g and spawing responses. If you really want to view evenings because that's when your home you could always just put your normal lights on later so instead of 06:00-14:00 put a timer on 12:00-20:00 for example and just make tank night during the day etc you could then even stretch that a bit leaving one light (like your t5) on from 20:00 to 22:00 to simulate a sunset type scenario just keep in mind that the t5 does count as light, just bc the coral dosent use as much of the spectrum it will use some keeping the coral photosynthetic active. I actually have a t8 fixture over my frag tank I just use for cleaning/maintenance stuff (regular yellow home bulbs) I've left it on an extra day 24hrs + and definitely noticed a difference in health with coral bleaching a bit and one of my torches started releasing eggs. There was no long term negative doing it once by accident but I added a timer so I dont slip up again after that. That being said Ive seen tanks run with lights partially on 12hr a day due to ramping up and down so it is possible to extend your daylight hours using some soft lighting at the beginning or end of 'day time'.

For now I've taken your suggestion. I JUST barely got this tank "permanentized". This is all cycled rock and media, with obvious pieces of new rock I added with this setup. The corals are fresh out of the frag tank and fine tuning ongoing... Anyway this is as good a time as any to shift the photo period. Went with "sun up" at 11 and it goes until 1930. So I get a few hours to see things in the evening !! We'll see how it goes!

 

[Tlledsmar]

T5 ...

Hey,sincerely. Thanks again for absolutely nothing.

 

[Tlledsmar]

 

[USCfan]

I have the Phillips Coral care on my reef tank and use their hue light strips for supplemental lighting like you're talking about. LED are better than tube lights for even this. They're outdoor hue lights are really perfect for it as they work great as moon lights too.

Running tube lights before/after the main lights was super common back in the day when people ran metal halide. Most people did that to simulate sunset/sunrise and also to not run their main bulbs too much for algae or if was too hot.

I've never heard of any negative effects from this to the coral.

 

[Tlledsmar]

I have the Phillips Coral care on my reef tank and use their hue light strips for supplemental lighting like you're talking about. LED are better than tube lights for even this. They're outdoor hue lights are really perfect for it as they work great as moon lights too.

Running tube lights before/after the main lights was super common back in the day when people ran metal halide. Most people did that to simulate sunset/sunrise and also to not run their main bulbs too much for algae or if was too hot.

I've never heard of any negative effects from this to the coral.

I have some led single strips I could make some kinda box for ... hmmm...