...so I added an Ecoxotic all Actinic 48" Panorama Pro light strip to my existing 48" Marine (50/50)...whoa it's alot of blue!! I have been playing with the dimmers trying to get the combination of color I like. Does anyone have any suggestions? Should I get another (50/50) to balance the blue out? Maybe have a (50/50) (actinic) (50/50)...in that order?...I have a 105 gallon reef with a few soft corals, clowns and chromies....any advice would be great :tongue:
Too much blue led...any suggestions ???
- Thread starter fishjunky
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Okay...I am getting used to the blue...adjusted it to an acceptable level and I have decided to add another strip light. Should I add another Ecoxotic Panorama Pro LED Marine (50/50) 12k/Actinic....or should I add another ALL blue???...which is best for the soft coral and to the overall look of the tank..???...opinions PLEASE before a drop another $300 :squigglemouth:
I'm not sure that's completely correct, photosynthesis takes place at different parts of the spectrum. That why many many companies add different hint of blue and sometimes reds. Also, blue penetrates deepest into the water. I have the the panorama marine fixture. But because these fixtures aren't the most powerful, adding another 50/50 couldn't hurt. But since they're each $300 a piece... consider the Max aspect razor. Better bang for the buck
Sent Via the R2R Forum APP
Sent Via the R2R Forum APP
Liquid360
2500 Club Member
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2012
- Messages
- 2,966
- Reaction score
- 1,218
This is opinion. Everything I've read says when it comes to nighttime all blue light it's purely aesthetics. They actually prefer darkness but blue doesn't hurt.
So far as the Razor that's what I've got in the photo. Awesome fixture!! I thought we were talking more about nighttime lighting.
So far as the Razor that's what I've got in the photo. Awesome fixture!! I thought we were talking more about nighttime lighting.
Last edited:
I've heard nothing but good things with the razor. you are correct, night time lighting is preference. But from research I've done, I was told that for growth and color, blues and reds really do make a difference and increase par ratings. Is this information incorrect?
Sent Via the R2R Forum APP
Sent Via the R2R Forum APP
Liquid360
2500 Club Member
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2012
- Messages
- 2,966
- Reaction score
- 1,218
depends who you talk to. I've tried them all and personally I didn't witness anything exciting with the reds. Some people swear by them but I LOVE my Razor and its got no red. If reds truly are beneficial I believe it's just ever so slightly so. There are just sooooo many factors in a reef microenvironment that I don't believe you'll ever be able to say its red light that made the difference. White light contains all the red you really need. Blue is obviously an important wavelength. Personally I believe a few hours of complete darkness to be more beneficial than additional red light. This is based on my experience of course.
jservedio
Active Member
Blue (Specifically Royal Blue) is THE single most important color for your coral's photosynthesis. At night time, super low intensity blue isn't going to hurt and is purely for aesthetic. However, during the day time, blue is SUPER important. That is the reason why most LED lights have 2:1 ratio of Blue to White - it is that important. Royal Blue has a wavelength of 460nm - look at where the biggest peaks for Chlorophyll B are (Hint: it's exactly the wavelength of the Royal Blue LEDs)
It isn't just a coincidence that manufacturers put the most power into the lower end of the spectrum (UV, Violets, Royal Blue, Blue) or for the looks - it's because thats what the chlorophyll inside the zooxanthella need to produce energy and grow...
Liquid: Reds are also super beneficial - look at the 2nd highest peak for photosynthesis - that spike corresponds to RED lighting. Red is super useful - the only reason we don't put a lot of it in our tanks is because that is the wavelength range that algae LOVE to live in. "Full Spectrum" lights are better for corals not only because of the reds, yellows, and greens - but because they also have wavelengths below 460nm - mainly the UV and Violet (405nm and 420nm) which correspond to the lower half of the main photosynthesis peak...
It isn't just a coincidence that manufacturers put the most power into the lower end of the spectrum (UV, Violets, Royal Blue, Blue) or for the looks - it's because thats what the chlorophyll inside the zooxanthella need to produce energy and grow...
Liquid: Reds are also super beneficial - look at the 2nd highest peak for photosynthesis - that spike corresponds to RED lighting. Red is super useful - the only reason we don't put a lot of it in our tanks is because that is the wavelength range that algae LOVE to live in. "Full Spectrum" lights are better for corals not only because of the reds, yellows, and greens - but because they also have wavelengths below 460nm - mainly the UV and Violet (405nm and 420nm) which correspond to the lower half of the main photosynthesis peak...
Last edited:
Thanks guys !!!...gorgeous tank Liquid360...man that Razor looks great...of course, I bought the wrong product, wish that I would have gone with the Razor instead of these strip lights...my tank is 51 inches in length, would the light from the 27 inch length of the Razor cover the whole tank??
jservedio
Active Member
I don't see the word "Night" anywhere in the OP's messages. It looks like he is talking about the overall blue color of his tank.
Yes...I was talking about the overall blue tint of the tank...I kind of prefer more subdued lighting in the tank, like the deep water look, and to counteract the blue I have to turn up the white which makes it really bright...I am getting used to the blue...might turn out liking it.
jservedio
Active Member
There are a bunch of LED lights you can get - I know the Razor is a really good unit. I run the Radion Pro's (Super expensive though). You have a 48" tank so I don't know if you will be able to get away with a single Razor. Don't worry about what LED strip you got - the Blue one you got is super useful to your coral, and even if you upgrade, you can keep it on the tank knowing it is helping.
If you are looking to do it on the cheap, you can always get 2 used AI Sols for around $250 each and they will nicely cover your tank. However - if you want something REALLY special, check out the new AI Hydras. They are BRAND new, only $399 each (compared to my 1 light for $899), and are FULL spectrum - including the UV and Violet! Not to mention they are fully controllable and you won't need to manually dim them - you can set the EXACT color you want. Definitely worth a look.
Edited: I love the way the Razor's look, I absolutely LOVE my Radion Pro's (and the G1s and G2s) - but I don't want to push either of them on you because they are very expensive and unless you want to, you probably don't need to spend a small fortune on your lights (I keep mainly SPS, so I wanted the Radions). After looking at the new AI Hydras, I really think they are something really special. For $399, you aren't going to beat them - especially in the full-spectrum department. None of the traditional LED fixtures (including the Razor) have ANY sub-460nm lighting. Take a look at the Photosynthesis chart I put in my above post and note where a good deal of that main peak is - it is below 460nm. The Hydras have both 420nm violet lights and 405nm UV lights to give you that boost. Plus, UV/Violet looks absolutely AMAZING for color pop - it is basically a black light for your tank. My Radion Pros have UV/Violet and every night I have a twilight effect with Royal Blue, Violet, and UV JUST for the way it looks. You will be happy with any of the fixtures though
If you are looking to do it on the cheap, you can always get 2 used AI Sols for around $250 each and they will nicely cover your tank. However - if you want something REALLY special, check out the new AI Hydras. They are BRAND new, only $399 each (compared to my 1 light for $899), and are FULL spectrum - including the UV and Violet! Not to mention they are fully controllable and you won't need to manually dim them - you can set the EXACT color you want. Definitely worth a look.
Edited: I love the way the Razor's look, I absolutely LOVE my Radion Pro's (and the G1s and G2s) - but I don't want to push either of them on you because they are very expensive and unless you want to, you probably don't need to spend a small fortune on your lights (I keep mainly SPS, so I wanted the Radions). After looking at the new AI Hydras, I really think they are something really special. For $399, you aren't going to beat them - especially in the full-spectrum department. None of the traditional LED fixtures (including the Razor) have ANY sub-460nm lighting. Take a look at the Photosynthesis chart I put in my above post and note where a good deal of that main peak is - it is below 460nm. The Hydras have both 420nm violet lights and 405nm UV lights to give you that boost. Plus, UV/Violet looks absolutely AMAZING for color pop - it is basically a black light for your tank. My Radion Pros have UV/Violet and every night I have a twilight effect with Royal Blue, Violet, and UV JUST for the way it looks. You will be happy with any of the fixtures though
Last edited:
I'm thinking of doing the same. As I keep looking into a ecoxotic, with the programmer and the lights you would need, it would be cheaper to go with the razor. Ecoxotic isn't giving much growth out of my sps and are in need of a stronger light source.
Sent Via the R2R Forum APP
Sent Via the R2R Forum APP
...okay...I think I am just going to go with another Ecoxotic, since I'm this deep anyway...back to the original question: Should I go with another all Actinic...or another Marine 50/50....with the strip lights in this order (50/50)(Actinic)(50/50) or the other option (Actinic)(50/50)(Actinic)....what do you guys think ???
