A look into Anemones and white lighting

[Dolphins18]

Hello - I understand that general consensus is that corals only use blue/red/uv and white light is used for our viewing pleasure. Anemones are not corals and lately I’ve been doing a little experiment on this. My early findings are that anemones (bubble tips in particular) absolutely benefit from white lighting unlike corals. I’ve been running blues/reds on one side of a tank with a few nems, with the same lightning on the other side of a tank with a high white intensity added. Under no whites, I see stressed nems, stressed splits, and general unhappiness. I study these animals often and find this very interesting, and maybe others will as well. I don’t have many anemones in this tank (40 or so) but they absolutely benefit from white light.

 

[tehmadreefer]

While bta’s may benefit more from whiter light, the lights most every reefer users are typically most than suitable for bta’s. Typically when one sees an unhealthy bta it’s a water param issue or overall maturity issue of said tank, not lights.

 

[Dolphins18]

While bta’s may benefit more from whiter light, the lights most every reefer users are typically most than suitable for bta’s. Typically when one sees an unhealthy bta it’s a water param issue or overall maturity issue of said tank, not lights.

I agree, but an observation none the less. They are doing significantly worse in only blues/reds.
I’m gonna give them another 24-48 hours in this and see how they are, but will switch back to a white channel soon for their well being. Here’s the sump on the same system, even (60-60) channels white/blue.

 

[Steve and his Animals]

This makes sense if you've seen wild anemones, they often live in much shallower water than most fleshy corals kept. Not that they can't live deeper, they're just found in lesser numbers that way. I have two Ritteris, and they open up very nicely in my 50/50 white/blue set up. Although I will say, them being at the top of the tank makes me think they'd want even more light, despite being under an AP700 at full blast...

 

[Dolphins18]

This makes sense if you've seen wild anemones, they often live in much shallower water than most fleshy corals kept. Not that they can't live deeper, they're just found in lesser numbers that way. I have two Ritteris, and they open up very nicely in my 50/50 white/blue set up. Although I will say, them being at the top of the tank makes me think they'd want even more light, despite being under an AP700 at full blast...

Nems can never get enough unless they are blasted without acclimation ime.
better up top than on top of your corals lol!

 

[Jaden9933]

Hello - I understand that generally consensus is that corals only use blue/red/uv and white light is used for our viewing pleasure. Anemones are not corals and lately I’ve been doing a little experiment on this. My early findings are that anemones (bubble tips in particular) absolutely benefit from white lighting unlike corals. I’ve been running blues/reds on one side of a tank with a few nems, with the same lightning on the other side of a tank with a high white intensity added. Under no whites, I see stressed nems, stressed splits, and general unhappiness. I study these animals often and find this very interesting, and maybe others will as well. I don’t have many anemones in this tank (40 or so) but they absolutely benefit from white light.

Thank you for this post! I just got a BTA maybe two or three weeks ago and have been wondering how light may affect them differently from coral. I just moved it to my 10 gallon yesterday where I run much higher whites and was wondering if this would be good or not. My goal is to have anemones split like crazy in that tank!

 

[Dolphins18]

Thank you for this post! I just got a BTA maybe two or three weeks ago and have been wondering how light may affect them differently from coral. I just moved it to my 10 gallon yesterday where I run much higher whites and was wondering if this would be good or not. My goal is to have anemones split like crazy in that tank!

Oh they will - they do take time, but believe it or not a anemone splitting when added soon is usually a sign of unhappiness, when you see them doing good early and not splitting immediately, they are typically very happy!

 

[Steve and his Animals]

Nems can never get enough unless they are blasted without acclimation ime.
better up top than on top of your corals lol!

It's funny, I liked how it looked when I first put it in the tank and it sat amongst the coral for a couple weeks, then one day I come down and it's in it's current spot, quite disappointing. It didn't seem to bother the corals much; supposedly ritteris dont have much of a sting compared to the more common anemones.

 

[ClownWrangler]

Its possible that they utilize white light more efficiently. When I put a planted tank light over a BTA that came from a high light tank, its tried to hide from a PAR of only 100 or so and is still off to the side of the rock bubbled up and healthy looking a few months later not reaching for the light at all. Some nems and corals as well actually look better in natural light IMO.

The reason I am using a white planted tank light is that my LFS confirmed for certain from their own experience that some types of macro algae will struggle under blue and red light if not waste away completely. I have also had bad results with macro algae under blue light (other than chaeto)

 

[djf91]

I feel that corals and anemones prefer more of a full spectrum light and in my opinion always look much healthier under white compared to corals in blued out tanks. In the ocean they are absolutely blasted with full spectrum light. My corals and anemones have always looked healthiest under 10k-14k metal halide.

 

[Dolphins18]

Its possible that they utilize white light more efficiently. When I put a planted tank light over a BTA that came from a high light tank, its tried to hide from a PAR of only 100 or so and is still off to the side of the rock bubbled up and healthy looking a few months later not reaching for the light at all. Some nems and corals as well actually look better in natural light IMO.

The reason I am using a white planted tank light is that my LFS confirmed for certain from their own experience that some types of macro algae will struggle under blue and red light if not waste away completely. I have also had bad results with macro algae under blue light (other than chaeto)

I struggle with ulva under only red spectrum, always have. Had it growing like weeds under a AI hydra in a 20g fuge (crazy, I know) when I switched to a full red spectrum It all went bye bye.

 

[Radu]

I like your experiment. Recently I bought a clam and decided to turn my Kessil a360w to all white from all blue so that I could enjoy the clams colors more and I have noticed my BTA's are happier now as well.

 

[MartinM]

Chiming in here: I’ve had 3 carpets for six months, and noticed that while the red one is growing and happy, the blue and purples ones are slowly shrinking. I think they’re reflecting the blue light, so receiving less available PUR. Normally I run a very white look (10-14k) but on this particular tank I can’t use a halide because of the light spill, so I’m using LEDs. And of course, LEDs come in blue, bluer, and blue-to-the-max, and I can tell they’re just not has happy. Recently put a white spotlight on the purple anemone and it’s looking better after just a few hours. Soon I’ll likely be installing two compact halide pendants instead. I’m just not a fan of LEDs.

@OrionN I believe tends to use a lot of white and he has a lot of anemones that look great.

 

[MartinM]

update for my purple carpet: a big improvement after switching from a Red Sea 160 (which is all blue *eyeroll*) to a Volx Japan GrassyCore + white spotlight. Went from 220 par of blue to about the same par of less blue, then upped to 340ish with the spotlight. It’s looking better, so that’s good. I’m not sure if it’s an anemone thing or the fact that blue/purple animals obviously reflect a lot of ther spectrum, so the PUR is lower for them than organisms of a different color. Not very scientific of me to change two variables (color and par) but IME the popular PAR ranges nowadays are too low…

 

[Dolphins18]

update for my purple carpet: a big improvement after switching from a Red Sea 160 (which is all blue *eyeroll*) to a Volx Japan GrassyCore + white spotlight. Went from 220 par of blue to about the same par of less blue, then upped to 340ish with the spotlight. It’s looking better, so that’s good. I’m not sure if it’s an anemone thing or the fact that blue/purple animals obviously reflect a lot of ther spectrum, so the PUR is lower for them than organisms of a different color. Not very scientific of me to change two variables (color and par) but IME the popular PAR ranges nowadays are too low…

Thank you for the update.
You may well be right that it is more related to pur as different organisms do reflect different colors. I am setting up multiple frag tanks in the coming months and may have to do a similar test on light loving corals.
Glad your nems are looking better!
I've decided to keep the nems under blue on the one side of that tank for an extended period, curious the mid term affects on their coloration - or if they decide to move to the white light over time. Will update.

 

[chizerbunoi]

I used to run my lights purely 100% blue with 5% whites for 3-4 years? But since run 100% blues and whites for several years. I don’t see a difference to anemone health. But algae grows much faster in the white spectrum.

The blues are more pleasing to my eyes.

I found as long as your tank is stable, BTAs don’t split.

past

present

 

[ClownWrangler]

I used to run my lights purely 100% blue with 5% whites for 3-4 years? But since run 100% blues and whites for several years. I don’t see a difference to anemone health. But algae grows much faster in the white spectrum.

The blues are more pleasing to my eyes.

I found as long as your tank is stable, BTAs don’t split.

That's good to know. I have been playing with mixed macro algae tanks and BTAs for a few months now and found a good balance of blue to white for this purpose around 50/50, not for the BTAs but for the macro algae. I also noticed the nems don't seem to mind too much, but they do seem to prefer blues in the evenings in my tanks. It might just be due to lower PAR though. Like you said, the algae needs white light, which is why some people have trouble keeping macro algae in display tanks.

 

[Mteb]

Hello - I understand that general consensus is that corals only use blue/red/uv and white light is used for our viewing pleasure. Anemones are not corals and lately I’ve been doing a little experiment on this. My early findings are that anemones (bubble tips in particular) absolutely benefit from white lighting unlike corals. I’ve been running blues/reds on one side of a tank with a few nems, with the same lightning on the other side of a tank with a high white intensity added. Under no whites, I see stressed nems, stressed splits, and general unhappiness. I study these animals often and find this very interesting, and maybe others will as well. I don’t have many anemones in this tank (40 or so) but they absolutely benefit from white light.

Hello - I understand that general consensus is that corals only use blue/red/uv and white light is used for our viewing pleasure. Anemones are not corals and lately I’ve been doing a little experiment on this. My early findings are that anemones (bubble tips in particular) absolutely benefit from white lighting unlike corals. I’ve been running blues/reds on one side of a tank with a few nems, with the same lightning on the other side of a tank with a high white intensity added. Under no whites, I see stressed nems, stressed splits, and general unhappiness. I study these animals often and find this very interesting, and maybe others will as well. I don’t have many anemones in this tank (40 or so) but they absolutely benefit from white light.

Hello - I understand that general consensus is that corals only use blue/red/uv and white light is used for our viewing pleasure. Anemones are not corals and lately I’ve been doing a little experiment on this. My early findings are that anemones (bubble tips in particular) absolutely benefit from white lighting unlike corals. I’ve been running blues/reds on one side of a tank with a few nems, with the same lightning on the other side of a tank with a high white intensity added. Under no whites, I see stressed nems, stressed splits, and general unhappiness. I study these animals often and find this very interesting, and maybe others will as well. I don’t have many anemones in this tank (40 or so) but they absolutely benefit from white light.

IV noticed the same thing, my bubble tips things it's night time when the blues go on and completely close up. When the whites are on they open to the fullest.

 

[atoll]

Old thread revisiting.
I have a Magnifica anemone housing a oair of breeding common clowns which was doing well under my Orphek icons and light bars. However, I go under the if it ain't broken fix banner itch. I added a Kessil A160we Tuna sun light right over it which it likes even more. The Tuna sun has a spectrum more closely to daylight. Would be nice if it to split one day but am not really bothered if it doesn't. My nem is about 14 to16" across at the moment and still growing so who knows what might happen over the coming months.

 

[OrionN]

Very nice!!!