colourful lights

[CalebNg]

Big bros , seniors, pros , do advise please !

Read somewhere that , just blue & white leds are not not enough for corals , especially sps corals , no matter how strong the led lights . Most people say its because corals also require red , green , magenta and other wavelengths of lights . Is that true in your opinions ? If so , where can i find a light with all these colours except for those super expensive lightsets . The cheaper ones like all only blue and white ! Why blue white so cheap but colourful lights so ex .

Thanks in advance .

Newbie .

[brojj]

U can consider adding T5 to supplement LED with only blue & white to bring out the colors. Maxspect Razor 16K can be consider too. IMO, for corals, 420nm wavelenght is to 'POP' out the colors of the corals. Quite near to UV wavelenghts but harmless. Any wavelengths below 400nm & moving towards 380nm will become harmful, to living tissues. The corals absorb this light & give out lights in the wavelengths of 500 - 600nm, that is why the colors 'pop'. 460nm, provides enough PAR, blue lights will penetrate water to the deepest, red will be lost first follow by yellow & green wavelenghts. 500 to 600nm consists of green & yellow colors. 660nm consists of red, also algaes fav wavelenghts. Expensive LEDs make use of this combination of wavelenghts to bring out the colors of dfferent SPS. There are also debates on PUR versus PAR. Some argued that PUR (photosythesis useful radiation) will be better & having lots of PAR (photosythesis available radiation) consist of a lot of useless spectrum which corals will not need. Those supporting having enough PAR, is important for lights to reach corals & PAR measurement is more accurate compare to PUR & a lot of lightsets manufacturers still use PAR to measure their products efficiency. A lot of info can be found on the internet using google & u can find out much more interesting debates. It will answer your questions much more & find the correct lightset for your needs. Why blue & white so cheap is because they will not be able to bring out SPS colors without T5 support & those with colors are using the latest technology to bring out SPS colors based on R&D. U get what u pay for.

[Evolutionz]

maxspect razor is the best bang for the buck full spectrum lighting you can get. Others like AI Hydra or Radion Pro mixes cool white with other colorful LEDs to achieve the same result (Razor uses warm white & cool white mix). While more premium fixture like GHL Mitras uses both warm white/neutral white and colorful LEDs.. There are also Strong single point-source LED like Kesill that provides HM-alike effect but causes serious shadowing effect if not enough fixture is used.

The latest current debate is that White LEDs (espcially cool white) might be totally useless to corals and they are used just purely to balance out the blue (which are useful) to our viewing pleasure. The warm/neutral white are better because theres red/green/yellow and other colors inside them.

[CalebNg]

All those information , reefing should be a science ! Thank you ReefFish , for sharing your super knowledge with me .

Im just abit confused on one thing , so , i should supplement my current 50/50 blue/white leds with t5s so to bring out best colour and health . But what colour of t5 bulbs is best for this purpose , so as to deliver the full spectrum found in nature ?

Thanks again for your time.

[Guest]

Try Making a trip down to fish channel and see the led light display there to get a better picture of what's the different color of led does to corals.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

[CalebNg]

Evolutionz , my current bluewhite 50/50 ratio leds is from aqualumen . Aqualumen mini 60 . I cant tell if the white leds are warm or cool whites . Any experience with this led lightset ? But , from you say , that warm whites are expensive in leds , i guess that mine are not warm whites . Thank you evolutionz for sharing your super recommendations ! I would love to have one of those high end leds you recommend , maxspect razor , but pocket not deep enough atm . Chor leh ! I went to research on prices after hearing from you , 600 plus for one lightset . So sad . dreams fly away .

[CalebNg]

Wow , so stylo , like science centre . I must go down see see ! Thanks !

[Evolutionz]

Evolutionz , my current bluewhite 50/50 ratio leds is from aqualumen . Aqualumen mini 60 . I cant tell if the white leds are warm or cool whites . Any experience with this led lightset ? But , from you say , that warm whites are expensive in leds , i guess that mine are not warm whites . Thank you evolutionz for sharing your super recommendations ! I would love to have one of those high end leds you recommend , maxspect razor , but pocket not deep enough atm . Chor leh ! I went to research on prices after hearing from you , 600 plus for one lightset . So sad . dreams fly away .

im afraid the aqualumen mini will not be able to support much growth even for zoas. some people uses Par38 with custom LEDs. Whats you'r tank size?

[solasido]

Yes, white and blue can only grow coral including sps but it does not develop the coral pigments and bring up the color.

You can try to google for light spectrum of MH light and T5. Nowadays many Marine tank LED light manufacturer tries to mimic the full spectrum, not perfect but it is getting close. This is because LED has narrower peak spectru..

UV is also an important spectrum component to encourage pigment development.

I conducted an experiment using par38 full spectrum LED that includes 1 UV (it seems to be a hyper violed).

From my observation on these 2 sps that is placed on the spot covered by the UV led:

Initial stage:

* Yellow/orange pocci initial color is yellowish

* Purple valida with pale purple tip, but has good growth (keep encrusting)

After about 1+ month exposed to the full spectrum LED and that UV led:

* Yellow/orange pocci color becomes purplish color (including when viewed at night when light is off). I guess that it now develops this pigment to filter out intense UV rays as reflected color are photons that arenot absorbed.

* Puple valida tips now has developed into intense purple color.

I bought a setosa frag sometimes ago with so nice redish fluorescent that becomes light orange under white/blue led. I plan to do experiment by putting it under more intense UV coverage to observe the reaction. The problem is that from the 2 units of full spectrum LED that I bought, 1 has the UV spoiled and I had to replaced myself with a blue one so I am only left with 1 UV that is being used to observe the pocci and valida.

[brojj]

Try to get one ATI blue + (460nm spectrum, for PAR) & one ATI actinic (420nm spectrum, to 'POP' out the corals color), total of 2 T5 first to see how it goes. Give it a few months time for the SPS colors to come back. Remember, u will need to change out the T5 tubes every 8 to 10 months. I think in the long run, investing in maxspect razor 16K will be more worth. (although I switch back to T5 after using this. Should have get the 16K in the 1st place).

[Evolutionz]

Yes, white and blue can only grow coral including sps but it does not develop the coral pigments and bring up the color.

You can try to google for light spectrum of MH light and T5. Nowadays many Marine tank LED light manufacturer tries to mimic the full spectrum, not perfect but it is getting close. This is because LED has narrower peak spectru..

UV is also an important spectrum component to encourage pigment development.

I conducted an experiment using par38 full spectrum LED that includes 1 UV (it seems to be a hyper violed).

From my observation on these 2 sps that is placed on the spot covered by the UV led:

Initial stage:

* Yellow/orange pocci initial color is yellowish

* Purple valida with pale purple tip, but has good growth (keep encrusting)

After about 1+ month exposed to the full spectrum LED and that UV led:

* Yellow/orange pocci color becomes purplish color (including when viewed at night when light is off). I guess that it now develops this pigment to filter out intense UV rays as reflected color are photons that arenot absorbed.

* Puple valida tips now has developed into intense purple color.

I bought a setosa frag sometimes ago with so nice redish fluorescent that becomes light orange under white/blue led. I plan to do experiment by putting it under more intense UV coverage to observe the reaction. The problem is that from the 2 units of full spectrum LED that I bought, 1 has the UV spoiled and I had to replaced myself with a blue one so I am only left with 1 UV that is being used to observe the pocci and valida.

There's no UV LED in the market. UV are only used for reptiles. UV are actually harmful to the corals if im not wrong. Usually its True Violet or hyper violet in the range of 400 - 420nm.

[brojj]

Yes, Bro solasido, you are right regarding the UV, 420nm spectrum or what Bro Evolutionz mentioned, True violet or hyper violet. I have similar effects too but only 3 weeks, still too early to tell. I am worried about saturation of the pigments on the corals after some time & 'back fired'. Experimenting on my corals now.

[solasido]

I guess it is a hyper violet.

However there are UV led with spectrum <400nm if we Google.

Just that the one used in my full spectrum par38 is still visible, hence I guess it is a hyoer violet.

[solasido]

As for UV, when we go for snorkling we feel the intense UV effect especially if not using sun screen.

I believe coral reef especially those on shallower area are exposed to intense UV from the sun too. Therefore they develop the pigment to counter the UV rays.

[CalebNg]

Evolutionz , my tank is 60 cm long , 25.4cm high and 17cm wide , 21litres capacity . Yes yes i agree with you . I initially wanted to go full leds , but , after hearing reeffishes's kind advice , i think i'll just use a t5 to supplement my current aqualumen leds . But im worried that i will not have enough space above my tank for the t5s . My aqualumen led is 6cm , im left with just 11cm of space for t5s . Are there t5s thinner than 11cm , 2 feet long in the market ?

[CalebNg]

The UV leds interesting . I saw a tank on youtube being illuminated with ecoxotic's uv led stunner strips . Wow , the colours were amazing . So much pop and bang . Many conflicting discussions on the effects of uv leds on coral health . Fortunately , everyone can agree on this . Colours are like paradise !

[CalebNg]

Evolutionz , where can i find custom leds ? Diy ? Where can i find diy leds and par 38 holder ? Thanks again .

[sherman]

Evolutionz , my current bluewhite 50/50 ratio leds is from aqualumen . Aqualumen mini 60 . I cant tell if the white leds are warm or cool whites . Any experience with this led lightset ? But , from you say , that warm whites are expensive in leds , i guess that mine are not warm whites . Thank you evolutionz for sharing your super recommendations ! I would love to have one of those high end leds you recommend , maxspect razor , but pocket not deep enough atm . Chor leh ! I went to research on prices after hearing from you , 600 plus for one lightset . So sad . dreams fly away .

All whites are the same price.

[youdontnowm]

green led to improve the fluorescent of coral

[spgohjc]

UV or true ultra violet is bad for your tank. It's probably ultra true violet you are talking about. Good to have both blues for A+B production. The Sun is the best lighting no system comes close. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - http://tapatalk.com/m?id=1'>now Free

[VelvetAirwaves]

Hi guys, since the topic has been brought up, I'd like to share a source of information I chanced upon while wondering the exact same thing.

http://www.3reef.com/forums/coral/how-color-up-your-corals-71882.html#.UkLCR2EZ5PH

This is the link, its a great compilation of multiple articles pertaining to the topic. Its about 200+ pages, for those who want to clear doubt you'd probably find your answer somewhere in there.

[spgohjc]

On a more bizarre note, yet to see one lighting system that would automatically move the lights from the front to the back of the tank to simulate sun rise/fall.

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[Evolutionz]

On a more bizarre note, yet to see one lighting system that would automatically move the lights from the front to the back of the tank to simulate sun rise/fall.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

i think the new Zetlight is the first fixture that can dim from left to right to simulate sunrise and sunset. and also to simulate clouds passing by. Cool features but don't think it is in anyway beneficial to the corals.

[nicreef]

i think the new Zetlight is the first fixture that can dim from left to right to simulate sunrise and sunset. and also to simulate clouds passing by. Cool features but don't think it is in anyway beneficial to the corals.

AI has it all along (left to right or right to left your choice) for the auto matic mode. for the hardcores, can do manual setting. latest update allows you to choose which colour to give priority too (white or blue) when ramping up or down the lights. and ya dont see how it helps my corals lol

[Evolutionz]

AI has it all along (left to right or right to left your choice) for the auto matic mode. for the hardcores, can do manual setting. latest update allows you to choose which colour to give priority too (white or blue) when ramping up or down the lights. and ya dont see how it helps my corals lol

wow, Zetlight advertised as the first in the world to have it.. Didn't know AI has it.. Infact those tunderstorm mode etc etc has been proven fatal for fishes, many reefers have their skittish fish jumps out when the tunderstorm mode comes online.