SPS colouration

[Achilles Tang]

I'm a little frazzled out today... but I'll try to add in something in my tired mindstate.

20k MH has a very strong peak in the blue part of the spectrum, which excites the growth pigmentation protecting against UV radiation. Hence it does seem that corals respond well by 'colouring up'.

6500k MH also has a strong peak in the blue spectrum but has also strong peaks in the red and yellow spectrum. Hence the name full spectrum bulb. Corals will utilize the entire bandwidth for growth and there is UV present too that causes pigmentation of the tips to also occur with the 6500k bulbs.

If not for the fact that 6500k is awful to the human eyes, there would have been no need for the 10k, 14k, 20k, 50k bulbs.

The bluer bulbs have higher peaks at the 420 - 450 nm... at the actinic ranges.... so why not combine the best of both bulbs... and use them together?

AT

[Maxima]

There has been a lot of good recommendation, but juz want add some blunt fact,

If you buy some colorful SPS from LFS at the first day of shipment.

1. The SPS you buy from LFS should not brown out

2. There might be a little base type STN if water circulation is not to it's existing growth structure liking.

3. Frag any RTN colony, it might be useless since you might have brought a colony that has already shut down

If your colorful Acros brown out. Your system not good enough! So the verdict here is majority of the reefers do not have a system that's good enough. This is truth even for mature SPS tank, a little shift in parameters due to whatever factors, you loose colors - but might not be totally brown out.

I think we need some Europeans here to share with us. There is this new thread with European Advance SPS Reefers that their system can maintain whatever colors that come along. There might be a color shift, but definitely not brown.

You also need to know the easier colors like green..........If a dark green Acro turn brown on you.........man you need some reading and re-examine of you have the right equipment investment$ before buying your next Acros.

If you brought any brown out old stocks

1. Color should come back with weeks

You might think It impossible, but put it in such a way the European can do it, some of us can and defintely new reefers can do it as well. Maybe you want to ask AT how much he has spend!

Max

[killfire]

20k MH has a very strong peak in the blue part of the spectrum, which excites the growth pigmentation protecting against UV radiation. Hence it does seem that corals respond well by 'colouring up'.

6500k MH also has a strong peak in the blue spectrum but has also strong peaks in the red and yellow spectrum. Hence the name full spectrum bulb. Corals will utilize the entire bandwidth for growth and there is UV present too that causes pigmentation of the tips to also occur with the 6500k bulbs.

Frankly speaking, these are the type of answers that I am looking for....some theory to back personal experiences.... not just from a person's own experience without any other reasoning..... remember all our setups are different even if we may be using the same equipment... knowing some theory will allow problems to be isolated and worked upon... i wouldn't want to change bulbs just because you told me they work well in your tank... nor do I have the finances to run experiments as freely as I would love to...with different bulb combinations...

Thanks AT...

As for myself, I run a combination of 250W 6500K and 250W 10000K. no doubt the yellowish appearance of the 6500K is awful.. but then those acros placed under the 6500K color up just the same as those placed directly under the 10K bulb.... I do see quite a bit of growth with the frags that I have bought from other reefers... but can't comment much about their growth rates as I am still new to sps keeping.

[Maxima]

The secret is beyond lighting If you still thinking about lighting...........................

[jd_n]

Frankly speaking, these are the type of answers that I am looking for....some theory to back personal experiences.... not just from a person's own experience without any other reasoning..... remember all our setups are different even if we may be using the same equipment... knowing some theory will allow problems to be isolated and worked upon... i wouldn't want to change bulbs just because you told me they work well in your tank... nor do I have the finances to run experiments as freely as I would love to...with different bulb combinations...

Thanks AT...

As for myself, I run a combination of 250W 6500K and 250W 10000K. no doubt the yellowish appearance of the 6500K is awful.. but then those acros placed under the 6500K color up just the same as those placed directly under the 10K bulb.... I do see quite a bit of growth with the frags that I have bought from other reefers... but can't comment much about their growth rates as I am still new to sps keeping.

If u have done readin up before u go into sps, i believed u would have come across abt lighting, their par value and wat it will have on ur sps. (Do note, its juz part of sps keeping not the ultimate impt factors to take into consideration regarding keeping sps). Lots of this information can be obtained in the net and since u have accessibility to src, i believe u will have not prob doing search thru the net. And its not base on juz my experience but lots of others....like wat i said if u have read up, u would have obtain the information u want rather than to ask me to support wat i mentioned (how am i to go dig out wat i have read so long ago). Its thru reading, came across abt the combi and tested it which is like many mths back with positive effects juz like the others and tats y i make claim with the 6500k and the 20k. Even books can mentioned how good a 20k alone....So r u gonna believe totally wat certain author have said and follow blindly rather then follow but find ur previous lighting is better. So its all abt up to oneself to try it inorder to tell. And since u r so satisfied with ur 6500k and 10k which is showing coloration on ur acros then y the consideration to change. Aren't u experimenting and wasting money. All i can say is do not follow blindly, read and test. Now, not taking equipments into consideration. how can our setup differs from one another.....r u saying i got good water parameters and u dun have or the arrangement of my rockworks differ from urs???????? and finally i did not tell u to change bulbs, i m juz giving my opnions. U can take it or leave it.

[killfire]

i m juz giving my opnions. U can take it or leave it.

Hey fren...... just asking and learning .... no need to get so worked up

[jd_n]

Hey fren...... just asking and learning .... no need to get so worked up

Neh...not gettin work up juz tryin to get u to understand tats not all stuff can be back by theory and one gd example would be Rowaphos and silicarbon.....we all knw they are used to control PO4 and Silicate and its had proven its value but too little info were found on them especially silicarbon so in the end we still use them base on good feedback from others, and it do works rite?

Anyway goodluck with ur new decision on which par value to go for but nt to worry too much, ultimately, lightin is juz part of sps keepin . Till then, u keep us update on the effects of the new lighting on ur tank.

[killfire]

Neh...not gettin work up juz tryin to get u to understand tats not all stuff can be back by theory and one gd example would be Rowaphos and silicarbon.....we all knw they are used to control PO4 and Silicate and its had proven its value but too little info were found on them especially silicarbon so in the end we still use them base on good feedback from others, and it do works rite?

Anyway goodluck with ur new decision on which par value to go for but nt to worry too much, ultimately, lightin is juz part of sps keepin . Till then, u keep us update on the effects of the new lighting on ur tank.

Hi,

Have not yet tried rowaphos although I have heard good things about that product..... still doing water changes, macroalgae refugium to control phosphate... i am one of those who are reluctant to try new stuff unless more info is available rgding their effectiveness and how they function.......

Not going to change lighting yet.... will probably only consider when one of them blows.... will be putting effort into improving other factors in sps keeping... as to what maxima suggested.

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to explain, etc.

[jd_n]

Seriously, u can consider Rowaphos if u r having PO4 problem ( hope u knw tat the day u gone into sps, there r lots of thing which u cannot comphromise with, be it water condition, feeding, equipments....) and try not to rely to much on labels tellin u how good a product will be, our RSAF won't juz buy F16 becoz the printed spec on F16 's caterlog said how good a jet it is, ultimately it is still based on its performance in action..... and our pilots review. So, feedbacks frm users are the best .

Water conditions aside, bulb nd to be replaced every 6-12mths so u can't wait till they blow (which may takes years) before changing them. Now, probably u will wan theory to back wat i have juz said....

"Replace metal halide bulbs every 6 months or so, and fluorescents every 12 months

Do not replace all lights of the same kind at once; replace one at a time in 1-2 week intervals" extracted frm http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=2622

Hope the above info helps

[killfire]

thanks for the advise