Photosynthetic saturation and Photoinhibition of zoanthids?

ReefBeta

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
May 26, 2016
Messages
1,318
Reaction score
1,427
Location
Seattle, US
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So I was reading this article about photosynthetic saturation and photoinhibition of various corals. Is there any similar study on zoanthids?

It does have study on soft coral sinularia, which both saturation and photoinhibition are pretty high (207 and 400 PAR). Would zoanthids be more like sinularia? I have an zoanthids only frag tank. Should I eventually shoot for high PAR like 300+ for max growth?
 

saltyfilmfolks

Lights! Camera! Reef!
View Badges
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
Messages
28,739
Reaction score
40,932
Location
California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I belive what the article is saying is that lighting is specific to the clade involved rather than the coral. So it does relate to all corals. Corals of different colored therefore clades have different saturation points. In the clades studied that falls in the 300 to 400 par range.
Also worthy to note as supported by the article 400 par is actually low on the scale as direct sun is 2000 par or 100,000 lux. And many running highlight tanks are shooting for 150 to 300 on the sand bed.

I've read this article a couple dozen times and every time I get a bit more out of it. Interestingly rom personal observation of using high lighting, and many reefers do report the same. Par or lux of over 400 par or 50,000 lux report better growth and colors despite the articles finding leading me to believe that in some cases that reaching and exceeding the photo inhibition point actually is a requirement to achieve color and growth as in many of the natural enviornments this is actually the case.

As far as your frag tank I'd get a lux meter and try it out. Go slow you may find the sweet spot. In my observations some corals respond some don't. I have some of the same Zoas at different levels of the tank. They seem more affected by the flow there than the light as they are the same colors as the rest.
I run 40,000 or so lux evenly at the waters surface. With a couple acro sinulara gsp Tyree birds nest ZOA and Xenia three to five inches from the top

I'd love to hear from the true ZOA hardcore on what seems the best par for them. I'd guess it falls in the 100 to 200 par range.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 73 37.8%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 66 34.2%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 13.0%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 14.5%
  • Other.

    Votes: 1 0.5%
Back
Top