Serious question about light

[Gabbone]

Hi guys,

I own a red sea reef led 50 in my 30g tank and I have a question about the light.

Red Sea claims that the white spectrum it’s just to make the look of the tank more pleasure to human eyes.

Therefore, I am running my light on Blue Channel only at 40% intensity and no white. I don’t care what’s best for my eyes since I like just blue and the corals look more stunning under blue only.

My question is, do the corals/fish needs that white spectrum to growth faster, healthier, better or just blue it’s fine? If so, in which ratio blue/white?

I also noticed that if I use the white, the glass is getting more brown stains than usual and I assume more algae growth.

Thank you!

 

[scotty333]

I don’t think corals will survive with just blue light cos if I remember right it’s like 20k kelvin and for corals you want 8-10k which will come from your white
What are your nutrient levels?

 

[Gabbone]

I am running blue light only for about 3 months and coral are thriving.

I have no3 10ppm, po4 0.08, so all good

 

[twentyleagues]

You have to be careful with blue its not as "bright" as white so without a par meter you could be giving the corals more par than you think. There is anecdotal evidence about white light and algae, Like cutting white light will lessen the amount of algae. Like the dust on your glass. While that may be true for some algaes others will grow just fine in blue light also. Fish dont need any light really. Certain corals do better and look better in white light but most will do just fine in blue only. A lot of the corals we keep dont really get much of the spectrum that make white light in nature anyway. Exceptions would be sps at the top of a reef along with certain softies.

 

[scotty333]

I am running blue light only for about 3 months and coral are thriving.

I have no3 10ppm, po4 0.08, so all good

As said, a par meter would help or for a rough guide use photon app and compare blue vs white

 

[Gabbone]

Thanks for the answers. I don't have SPS. Just lots of LPS and softies. I still feel I don't have an answer. Is the white spectrum necessary for the overall well-being of corals and maximise growth?

 

[twentyleagues]

Thanks for the answers. I don't have SPS. Just lots of LPS and softies. I still feel I don't have an answer. Is the white spectrum necessary for the overall well-being of corals and maximise growth?

I have not tried only blue light except in a nps tank so I can not tell you for sure. I typically like my tanks to be on the whiter side like 12k or 14k.

 

[Gabbone]

Stupid question:

If in reefled light case 20.000K is obtained at 100% blue and 50% white;

then, 10.000k is 50% blue and 25% white?

 

[twentyleagues]

Stupid question:

If in reefled light case 20.000K is obtained at 100% blue and 50% white;

then, 10.000k is 50% blue and 25% white?

I would think that would still be 20k, just at less output. My guess 10k would be higher white than blue like 25b 75w or whatever.

 

[oreo54]

Stupid question:

If in reefled light case 20.000K is obtained at 100% blue and 50% white;

then, 10.000k is 50% blue and 25% white?

No more like 50% blue 50% white " could be" 10000k.
The "warmer" the light the lower the k.
Add green,yellow, red.
At its simplistic white is red green,blue.
Or ROYGBIV...

Don't think many would agree that all blue is best for maximum growth.
Now the cheap ( spectrum wise) white LEDs they usually put in fixtures is another story .

Let's look at nature ..

Pure blue is at around 200 meters in depth.
On a side note just last night Sanjay on Reefbum stated.." full spectrum"
Afaict he runs his radions 100% all channels.

 

[ShanePike]

I found this conversation fascinating:


This link starts at the point where they start talking about how the spectrum of our reef lights compares to the spectrum of real life coral reefs.

 

[Gabbone]

Thanks again!

I am still a bit confused tho! Is white/blue improving the overall corals health and growth compared to blue only?

Also I read that many of you say that with white coral colours look better. I don’t get it. When I put the white, the colours look much more pale, shine less. If I put blue at the maximum everything seem shine and colour of the corals look super bright/intense!

 

[VintageReefer]

Thanks again!

I am still a bit confused tho! Is white/blue improving the overall corals health and growth compared to blue only?

Also I read that many of you say that with white coral colours look better. I don’t get it. When I put the white, the colours look much more pale, shine less. If I put blue at the maximum everything seem shine and colour of the corals look super bright/intense!

I ran blue only for almost a year. Occasionally manually turning on white a few times a week but overall 95% of the year was blues and violet only

To this day my schedule is blue/royal blue/violet only. I use whites for photos but predominantly blue.

Corals get what they need, I’ve heard also when setting lights up to increase blues to desired par, then add white for viewing preference.

Blue only also reduces algae growth (as algae prefers red spectrum and white is made up of all colors including red)

while “unnatural” it makes those colors pop! I’ve done natural color with halides and t5 for years but have grown to like the crazy neon look

Sometimes I add a tiny bit of white to brighten things up and make a violet

 

[oreo54]

Thanks again!

I am still a bit confused tho! Is white/blue improving the overall corals health and growth compared to blue only?

Also I read that many of you say that with white coral colours look better. I don’t get it. When I put the white, the colours look much more pale, shine less. If I put blue at the maximum everything seem shine and colour of the corals look super bright/intense!

1) Nobody really knows. Afaict there is no quantitative analysis done on the subject. I could be wrong.
If it does it might even have species specific effects.

Some will swear by the full-Er spectrum of say mh will improve health.
Keep in mind many pigments and substances like MAA's are a reaction to an " irritant" like
UV or high par levels.
2) " White" in led a) has a lot of blue in cct > say 4500K
b) either due to increased par or possible nm specific stimulation may increase the amount/ color of pigments.
So the added pigments add more " glow" when the correct stimulus is presented and other nm are off or low

Non- fluorescent pigments may be washed out if the nm that they reflect back is in short supply compared to other color.

Btw corals adapt to the spectrum.

 

[VintageReefer]

I’ll add. My main reason for this was experience and expectations.

I got tired of ordering coral online or buying from a store and bringing to my home and being greatly disappointed and the colors are not what I was expecting.

Now this was years ago when I ran halide and many ran led, as then I switched to full spectrum led and found the same thing. And then I realized when I’m at the LFS, when I’m looking at vendor pics, it’s all blue lighting.

I talked to my LFS and they run blue only almost all the time and will turn up whites if customers ask and want to see, but then it’s back to blues. I figured if the store and vendors who care for coral as a business and rely on this for a living are doing it, why can’t I?

Found out all the led companies in ther new fixture push for more blue spectrum and more usable blue. When brs compares fixture then focus on the blue section of the graphs.

I run what the suppliers run, I prefer the look and appearance, and my corals have been growing fine over the last 2 years with this method. Corals go in my tank and look like I expect them to look. Sometimes better

2 head hammer became 25 heads. Single head holy grail torch is 5-6 heads. Zoas exploding and multiplying. Chalice, scroll, and everything else is growing and happy. And so am I

 

[PharmrJohn]

I ran my T5s at about 14K on the average. Corals did fine. I had three or four different bulbs in an 8 bulb set up. Were they at maximum effectiveness? Don't really know. I just aimed for a number and went with it. With my next tank, I'm running the same lighting to start, then will buy a PAR meter and LEDs later. I ain't gonna be so laissez-faire this time around.

 

[Gabbone]

Thank you both guys.

@VintageReefer I agree with you and that's why I am running blue only.

Much less algae, corals colour pop and look amazing. It just seems right to me. I want that "lfs effecr". I'll stick to my routine.

 

[Gabbone]

Answer from redsea support:

 

[VintageReefer]

I would agree with that based on my own experience

 

[oreo54]

Answer from redsea support:

Sure but doesn't exactly answer the question.
But like I said I don't think anyone really knows.
.

My question is, do the corals/fish needs that white spectrum to growth faster, healthier, better or just blue it’s fine?