What's a good lighting spectrum?

[Aquat]

I currently have 1x T5HO actinic and 1x T5HO 6700k, though I do like the looks of it. Especially for the fish. It doesn't really make my corals pop.

I need some opinions on what make your corals pop! Lighting, bulbs, brand.
*Post a picture if you can! It'd will be VERY MUCH appreciated*

[Nitro069]

i am running a ati sunpower 6x54w. i use 3 coral plus and 3 blue plus. if i were to guess with all lights on at full power it is prob 11000-14000 colour spectrum. this is a picture of the lights on at full power and it is pretty much what it looks like in person. you would prob get more "pop" if one of the coral plus were switched with an actinic. but as it is the corals get great colouration and look amazing.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d32/nitro069/fulltankshot_zps24a7b8e1.jpg

[johntran216]

What size tank do u have, and what are the dimensions? Btw, how is the saltwater community in OKC? Gf might move there for school and was curious.

[Aquat]

What size tank do u have, and what are the dimensions? Btw, how is the saltwater community in OKC? Gf might move there for school and was curious.

36 bow front. The saltwater community to my knowledge isn't that big. Quality > quanity in this case. We have some great but small lfs around OKC. Few clubs though

[Aquat]

Hmm, light looks appealing but I was hoping for more blue.

[sponger0]

6700k will look more brown and yellow. You get better color in the 12-14k spectrum. But honestly, Id upgrade to a 4 bulb first.

[Ron Reefman]

Aquat, just remember that 'making corals pop' isn't the same thing as offering corals the light they need to stay healthy. I switched to an EverGrow led system with a built in controller and now I can have both. Good healthy light during the day when I'm not around and much different in the evening when I want more 'pop'. Also these lights are custom led placement and color, so you can get whatever you want. The UV, violet and 430nm blue real make corals 'glow in the dark'.

[Aquat]

6700k will look more brown and yellow. You get better color in the 12-14k spectrum. But honestly, Id upgrade to a 4 bulb first.

It's more white with the bulbs I'm using. I don't want it too blue either. Guess ill try a 8k and up

[Aquat]

Aquat, just remember that 'making corals pop' isn't the same thing as offering corals the light they need to stay healthy. I switched to an EverGrow led system with a built in controller and now I can have both. Good healthy light during the day when I'm not around and much different in the evening when I want more 'pop'. Also these lights are custom led placement and color, so you can get whatever you want. The UV, violet and 430nm blue real make corals 'glow in the dark'.

I am going to switch to 4x t5ho. I don't think I'll have the money to spend on a fancy LED fixture.

[stubby 58]

I run 4 T5 ATI bulbs from front to back Blue Plus, Coral Plus, Purple Plus and Blue Plus in that order really like the colors of my corals. Sorry dont have any pics.

stubby

[ReeferBatman]

Aquat, just remember that 'making corals pop' isn't the same thing as offering corals the light they need to stay healthy.

+1

You will find fluorescent pigments in corals that will use different parts of the spectrum from ~350nm right up to and just over 600nm.

If you have 'high reef' corals (like many favia, favites, etc) that use chlorophyll, you want to give them an extra spike upwards of 600.

Offering this spectrum you will do well (adjust for your particular corals needs).

Once you offer enough of this spectrum to fulfill photosynthetic needs, you can then add more blue lights to change the overall appearance (kelvin) of your tank to however blueish you want...

...Keeping in mind there is a point of light intensity that will overload the corals 'defense mechanisms' and start photo-inhibition, or worse killing zoanth. So it can be harmful to give them too much intensity (even blue) light as well...

Everyone's spectrum is different depending on what fixtures/tech they use... I superimposed all my lighting fixtures par graphs together to find out what it looked like the other day (10k T5s + BluePlus T5s + Blue LED fixtures [~450nm])... here is what mine looked like :)

http://imageshack.us/a/img13/6496/combinedlight1.jpg

And the par values needed in a favia (personal fav coral in my tank)...

http://imageshack.us/a/img163/3470/faviazoo.png


I tried to create a similar pattern with my light :)

And once I felt good with the par actually offered, I added more and more Blue LED's/bulbs until I got the desired overall [kelvin] appearance of my tank (2/3rds ratio for me, as in 2/3rds 'blue light' + 1/3 'white light')

[Saltydrip]

By the time you but a fixture and 4 bulbs your in the LED price range. Do a little shopping around and look at some of the custom builds. You might be able to gut your light fixture you have now and do a DIY led kit inside what you have. I did mine and wasn't very confident in my soldering skills but found it to be really easy. $150 will be good enough to get you going, at lest better than what you have. I built my light knowing I couldn't afford what I wanted right away so I did a "just enough light" build and then added all the fancy stuff in phase 2 a fe months later.