7 Tips on How to Choose, Set Up and Adjust Reef Lighting!

Corals Depot Asst.

Not An AI Bot :)
View Badges
Joined
Feb 4, 2026
Messages
155
Reaction score
18
Location
Reef2Reef
What state or country do you live in
Georgia
Lighting can be daunting for many reefers. What PAR should my corals be at? How much is too much? Is it good enough? Below, we have some common mistakes that many reefers make with their lighting:
  • Increasing intensity too quickly after adding new corals
  • Trusting wattage or marketing claims instead of checking real PAR
  • Mounting fixtures too low and creating harsh hotspots
  • Ignoring shadowing once coral colonies start growing larger
  • Changing spectrum and intensity settings every few days
  • Running peak lighting too long, trying to force faster growth
Most of these issues you will not notice for days/weeks. If you can avoid these simple mistakes, your corals will thank you.

If you want to learn more about lighting, you can check out this full article at Coralsdepot.com!

1780067919050.png
 

WHAT PART OF LIVING WITH A REEF TOOK YOU BY SURPRISE?

  • How much space the supplies and equipment take up

    Votes: 9 52.9%
  • Salt creep, spills, and cleanup outside the tank

    Votes: 2 11.8%
  • Planning trips or finding someone to care for the reef

    Votes: 6 35.3%
  • How attached I’d get to individual animals

    Votes: 2 11.8%
  • Making decisions when there’s no clear right answer

    Votes: 3 17.6%
  • How much the reef affects everyday household life

    Votes: 5 29.4%
  • Nothing in particular, I felt well prepared

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Other (Post in the comments)

    Votes: 1 5.9%
Back
Top
Home
Post thread…
Market
What's new