Why so much blue (lights)
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Crustaceon
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I run my tank around 14K, its blue but not so bad I think. What's you opinion?
Our opinion shouldn’t matter so long as it keeps you coral happy and looks good to you. On a side note, I like it.
RandyC
Well-Known Member
That makes sense, but i would put a big asterisk next to that statement. A lot of the SPS corals for example, that are kept by reefers, can be collected snorkeling or just walking in the shallow water. When low tide comes, those colonies are literally out of the water, so to say that they absolutely need that blue light or they will suffer is not entirely true
GBR
The blue light spectrum is always there. Shallow water, deep water, out of water. Coral (more specifically, the zooxanthellae) absolutely need that blue light as that is the wavelength where chlorophyll a & b has the highest absorption of the light spectrum. It's just that in shallow waters (or out of the water as in the picture), the full spectrum of light is seen and thus you see a "whiter" balance of color. Red wavelengths have less energy and are a longer wavelength and thus do not penetrate deeper waters. That's why things look bluer as you go deeper because the red/orange spectrums are weaker and cannot penetrate the water as well as the blue and shorter wavelengths.
I have always run a fairly blue tank, but definitely not ”windex” blue (I ran kessils at 35% color).
I happened to turn my kessils off during the day to clean them, and also just happened to have the window open next to the tank (there are blackout curtains that are shut 99% of the time) and I noticed how good a lot of the fish and non fluorescent corals looked.
My blue green chromis popped like I had never seen, the colors on most of my other fish were much more vibrant and I noticed colors on one of my wrasses that I had never seen before. My purple gorgonian had always been pretty bland but I noticed how deep the purple was and it has nice cream colored polyps that got washed out in the blue. My yellow leather also looked pretty brown under blues but become a vibrant yellow under natural light. I ended up adjusting my lights up to 70% color. I found that was the most ”white” before starting to look yellow. I still have blues in the morning and evening so I can appreciate the fluorescent corals as well.
I say all that just to say that if you only focus on the fluorescent corals you may be unknowingly missing out on the beauty of other coral and fish.
I happened to turn my kessils off during the day to clean them, and also just happened to have the window open next to the tank (there are blackout curtains that are shut 99% of the time) and I noticed how good a lot of the fish and non fluorescent corals looked.
My blue green chromis popped like I had never seen, the colors on most of my other fish were much more vibrant and I noticed colors on one of my wrasses that I had never seen before. My purple gorgonian had always been pretty bland but I noticed how deep the purple was and it has nice cream colored polyps that got washed out in the blue. My yellow leather also looked pretty brown under blues but become a vibrant yellow under natural light. I ended up adjusting my lights up to 70% color. I found that was the most ”white” before starting to look yellow. I still have blues in the morning and evening so I can appreciate the fluorescent corals as well.
I say all that just to say that if you only focus on the fluorescent corals you may be unknowingly missing out on the beauty of other coral and fish.
Rick.45cal
2500 Club Member
I was running a whiter spread on my ATI 8 bulb powermodule for the last couple years, as an experiment I switched all my T5’s to Giesmann Actinic+ and Pure Actinic bulbs (50/50mix). So I’ll let you know in a year or so what differences I notice in the corals. I was always a “white light” guy, I’m old school and loved MH back in the day. I thought I would hate this 50/50 actinic spread, but the changes in the apparent florescence of my corals is nearly night and day. Their colors have become more vibrant and there are secondary and tertiary pigments starting to show up. My LED’s emulate an ATI bulb at 15-17K (if my memory serves me, they are running the same program as the previous bulbs). I’ve been very happy with the changes that have happened recently because of the increased blue spectrum. 
I think you nailed it right in your post. They simply like how it looks with the florescent colors. Nothing more to it than that. Nothing wrong with it just like nothing wrong with liking white light tanks. I like brunettes more than blonds but still like blonds just fine.
With most lighting you are going to grow corals just fine. No need to justify more than you like the looks. Want to replicate 6" in the ocean? Great! 20 feet? Great! Even heavier blue? Rock on!
With most lighting you are going to grow corals just fine. No need to justify more than you like the looks. Want to replicate 6" in the ocean? Great! 20 feet? Great! Even heavier blue? Rock on!
Vahanyos
Valuable Member
Like others have mentioned it’s just a preference. Like when somebody purchases a car and modifies it. Essentially, it’s still the car and not “fake”.
The person spending 10x for a coral that looks insane under blues, will NOT see the same insane look if they spent money in a cheaper stuff. That is not being cheated or anything in my opinion.
I’m not going to buy a 4x4 car and get upset because I don’t prefer to use it. However, if I did decide to I have that option. Example, if I want to I can put all blues on and watch my expensive coral pop. Versus looking at my dull coral in blues lol
The person spending 10x for a coral that looks insane under blues, will NOT see the same insane look if they spent money in a cheaper stuff. That is not being cheated or anything in my opinion.
I’m not going to buy a 4x4 car and get upset because I don’t prefer to use it. However, if I did decide to I have that option. Example, if I want to I can put all blues on and watch my expensive coral pop. Versus looking at my dull coral in blues lol
monkeyCmonkeyDo
7500 Club Member
windex look! LOLs
That's it. I'm making a purple tank!
lol
-d
That's it. I'm making a purple tank!
lol
-d
greg 45
Active Member
Rick.45cal. Reading your article on running only actinic have you seen any difference in the corals . I was talking to a bulb company about this . They asked me to give them feedback , but I never made the switch .
I personally like whites during the day and blues in the early morning and evening. When I have guests over they love looking in the tank and looking at the coral. They are amazed by how the colors pop when I switch over to full blue.
Yes there are those in the hobby just trying to make a buck and blue lighting makes our corals look better. BUT, there is also an argument to be made that corals are actually naturally used to blue light. If you’ve ever been snorkeling or diving on a reef where these animals come from, the light there is all blue too. It’s not the same kind of blue light we use to bring out the fluorescent colors, but it is very very blue. That’s why I run a very heavy blue spectrum
The majority of the corals in our hobby do not come from these shallow reefs. Additionally, even the whitest, brightest lights we have dont even come close to the intensity seen in this pic. But you are correct that some corals are adapted to this.That makes sense, but i would put a big asterisk next to that statement. A lot of the SPS corals for example, that are kept by reefers, can be collected snorkeling or just walking in the shallow water. When low tide comes, those colonies are literally out of the water, so to say that they absolutely need that blue light or they will suffer is not entirely true
GBR
Rick.45cal
2500 Club Member
It’s only been a month and I can tell a difference in alot of acros. It will be interesting to see in 6 months and a year from now
jayala12
Well-Known Member
How’s it going ?It’s only been a month and I can tell a difference in alot of acros. It will be interesting to see in 6 months and a year from now
Rollman
Active Member
it hides my algae
Blues make algae disappear better than a Fuge
C-Reefer
Well-Known Member
I think you nailed this one. Occasionaly I will open the blinds in the morning and get some rays on the tank and the colors on the fish and some of the corals is breathtaking. Some corals even look better under the bright yellow white of the sun. Others look really bland. But the fish, WOW the fish.
Personally, I run about 3-4 hours of blues in the morning, and then in the night. I run whites during the day because I enjoy seeing my fish and the smaller details. I love both the white and blue spectrums.
Dennco2000
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I like my whites with actinic in the day then come evening I go blue baby bloooooooooo.
Flippers4pups
Fins up since 1993
This above explains a great deal about the need for "blue" light as a dominant spectrum.
ReefGeezer
Valuable Member
I'll agree that the blue look has evolved into a marketing aid for some. However, the OP should be advised that it is intended to provide the spectrum of light the corals' need. While it is true that the spectrum range needed is present in white light, much of its spectrum is not used by the corals. I like a lot of blue light with just enough white light so that green, yellow, and orange colors don't turn drab. A little red helps the corals and makes my Flame Hawk look pretty without too much to cause algae to grow.
Rick.45cal
2500 Club Member
It’s been great! I’ll be going with the same bulb spread when it’s time to change them again. The corals have responded with brighter colors and they are growing quite well.
all in all, it’s a win in my opinion!
