Aesthetics vs growth

[gus6464]

I have broadcast fed but I prefer to spot feed. Turn off pumps and I use a homemade pipette, but it's similar to Two Little Fishies the "thing", a baster would work too. I have hatched brine shrimp, but I have also fed many commercial foods and I think they work well too. Oysterfeast, coral frenzy... I can't remember all that I have used. Baby brine shrimp are a great option though. I put in a small net out of the hatchery, then mix in a glass with some tank water, not much, enough so I can squirt the babies on the coral. But really all that matters is you see the coral polyps eat the food - and commercial mixes seem to work fine.

After watching the king of diy video on baby brine hatchery I am super intrigued in making one. He just made it so simple.

 

[ReefLEDLights]

After watching the king of diy video on baby brine hatchery I am super intrigued in making one. He just made it so simple.

DIY Is Simple
LEDs and their power/drivers are simple
LED Binning, Spectrum and Efficiency is not so simple...

As far as coral growth goes you have a few things to consider but mostly it comes down to shallow, deep or deeper.

Here is a spectrum chart of light penetration in the ocean

Generally speaking corals will grow well with only 400-500nm Ultra Violet, Royal Blue and Blue LEDs in reference here is a Photosynthetic chart.

For a small tank the AI or Ecotech provide a fair amount of light. But for deeper tanks 24-36" deep you need more penetration along more 410-430nm...The 410-430nm LEDs are rather expensive and most companies only have a couple to say they have this spectrum covered.

Also for SPS Pigments to develop you want a PAR equivalent to a 400 watt MH...

Some have their recipe but realistically, to have the best lighting you should be able to simulate the natural environment and be able to tweak the looks for improvement by adding to the Primary Grow LEDs a proper mix of Cool White Warm White and RGB. I know the Cree Cool XT-E White Grows as does only the XT-E 5 Watt Royal Blue...Personally for my system I used Cree LEDs and Sanjays MH charts to duplicate the MH Spectrum of the bulbs I was using back in the day and could not be more pleased with the results.

Quality LED is the way to go Generic LED "is like a box of chocolates"...You dont know what you are going to get.

Bill

 

[bif24701]

I have the Kessil AP700 and with Kessil logic I can have my perfect 14k look while knowing my corals are getting the right kind of light no matter what. Kessil Logic rocks! Though I'm sure all blues might have some effect on color I rest easy knowing the Kessil logic has my back and ensures that the corals getting the best possible mix at 14k

 

[ReefLEDLights]

Without a doubt Kessil is a quality light with a proven grow spectrum but it does not provide a tertiary spectrum to optimize looks.

Bill

 

[Paul87]

I know the Cree Cool XT-E White Grows as does only the XT-E 5 Watt Royal Blue...

My Reef Breeder's photon V2 use the cree XT-E's (5w). They are a lot more powerful than my previous LED's. I have to say that for the price point of a non DIY fixture, that I am impressed. BTW, thanks for the post and those charts. They could prove useful to some. Those XTC fixtures that you guys have look pretty legit as well!

 

[gus6464]

DIY Is Simple
LEDs and their power/drivers are simple
LED Binning, Spectrum and Efficiency is not so simple...

As far as coral growth goes you have a few things to consider but mostly it comes down to shallow, deep or deeper.

Here is a spectrum chart of light penetration in the ocean

Generally speaking corals will grow well with only 400-500nm Ultra Violet, Royal Blue and Blue LEDs in reference here is a Photosynthetic chart.

For a small tank the AI or Ecotech provide a fair amount of light. But for deeper tanks 24-36" deep you need more penetration along more 410-430nm...The 410-430nm LEDs are rather expensive and most companies only have a couple to say they have this spectrum covered.

Also for SPS Pigments to develop you want a PAR equivalent to a 400 watt MH...

Some have their recipe but realistically, to have the best lighting you should be able to simulate the natural environment and be able to tweak the looks for improvement by adding to the Primary Grow LEDs a proper mix of Cool White Warm White and RGB. I know the Cree Cool XT-E White Grows as does only the XT-E 5 Watt Royal Blue...Personally for my system I used Cree LEDs and Sanjays MH charts to duplicate the MH Spectrum of the bulbs I was using back in the day and could not be more pleased with the results.

Quality LED is the way to go Generic LED "is like a box of chocolates"...You dont know what you are going to get.

Bill

No clue what all that has to do with hatching baby brine but ok...

 

[Paul87]

No clue what all that has to do with hatching baby brine but ok...

I believe he though you where talking about DIY LED's, not brine shrimp. The thread tittle and OP is about lighting, not brine. Just a mix up probably.

 

[Orcus Varuna]

I believe he though you where talking about DIY LED's, not brine shrimp. The thread tittle and OP is about lighting, not brine. Just a mix up probably.

Not about brine but his diy set up is at least super cool haha! Only thing I didn't understand is why the par wouldn't be enough on a 24-36" deep tank with a radion or hydra. my lfs has a deep blue 60-70 gallon cube demo setup with a maxima on and sps near the sand bed thriving. And that tank has got to be around 30" deep. Lbnl with owning a hydra 52hd myself the thing is a light cannon lol

 

[Ben007]

What's the best LED in the market for anemone coloring

 

[Orcus Varuna]

What's the best LED in the market for anemone coloring

Very subject ? Ask 10 different reefers and you will get 10 different answers. All I can say is I really like my AI Hydra and Prime HD's Here's a pic of my rbta under them!!!

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Great discussion. I'm a fan of the 18-20k look. I do agree that things may grow better at a lower spectrum, but ime color is lost there. I also tend to agree with those who make the point that most corals aren't getting anything near 10k in the ocean.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I am at 0.00 phosphates and 0.00 nitrates.

with these numbers you have to consider it a ULNS system and it has its pros and cons. Its been my observation the casual reefer has more success with detectable nutrients and slightly lower lighting levels.
personally I would think this is a bit too unstable for my tastes and skill level.

high light=more food consumed=more alk/cal consumed=more flow. thats a tricky balance.

the MH and t5 SPS dominant tanks Ive had the pleasure to see in person and the best ive read have par at the top of the tank at well over 1000 par.

What's the best LED in the market for anemone coloring

you can grow a nem under a full spectrum Phillips led from home depot. its also about food and flow and alk, also if you go back up and re read Bill the led guy, there is alot of aesthetics in color choices of led designers in addition to considerations of attaining good par.

the best led for a nem is the one you can afford, assuming good food flow minerals and water. the color astetics are a pers pref.
Maxspect color I didnt prefer, darned good light,proven track record, I went with SBreeflight as I prefer the 420 450 aesthetically(royal blue).

I also tend to agree with those who make the point that most corals aren't getting anything near 10k in the ocean.

They do closer to the surface of the water.Some actually come out of the water for periods of time. But those same animals also grow in deeper waters.

most folks don't wander around with a color meter like I do. on a sunny day if you point the sensor flat to the sky its usually 5600k. if you shade the sensor from the sun, its about 8000k+. depending on the day and high clouds and water vapor and time of year it does vary. so i have to check a lot.
if you stand in a narrow valley on a bright summer day with no direct sun. you can get 20,000 kelvin.

To throw a total wrench into the works, D riddle Says that anything over 350 par is a waste for growth. At 350 with excellent flow and stable Alk, this is the sweet spot for growth in SPS.
Above that you get the propagation of color and fluorescence.
Hmmm. so hes saying color and growth are inverse to the amount of light.

 

[Husker]

I will say that my "ULN" system is not intentional. I am trying to add fish and feed like crazy. I recently got a tang, so hopefully he is a super pooper and stays healthy. The 18-20,000 K does look nice and fluorescent, but you can miss out on some of the cool reds/yellows/oranges. My problem is the brown algae I currently have. The warmer light doesn't let the corals pop out from the algae.

I am going to run no lights for a few days to knock down the algae enough that my tang can keep it down. If that works, I might have a few hours of warmer light in the middle of the day.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I will say that my "ULN" system is not intentional. I am trying to add fish and feed like crazy. I recently got a tang, so hopefully he is a super pooper and stays healthy. The 18-20,000 K does look nice and fluorescent, but you can miss out on some of the cool reds/yellows/oranges. My problem is the brown algae I currently have. The warmer light doesn't let the corals pop out from the algae.

I am going to run no lights for a few days to knock down the algae enough that my tang can keep it down. If that works, I might have a few hours of warmer light in the middle of the day.

stupid algae. good luck with it. a lights out and then a big scrub(i like a canister filter w floss btw) and you should knock it out. A lot of the food is probably being eaten up by it. like a fuge or scrubber does.

 

[Orcus Varuna]

Great discussion. I'm a fan of the 18-20k look. I do agree that things may grow better at a lower spectrum, but ime color is lost there. I also tend to agree with those who make the point that most corals aren't getting anything near 10k in the ocean.

I have tried to look and see if there are any actual studies where they went diving with a light meter and measured actual mid day spectrum on a reef but couldn't find anything. I would love to read it if there are so please if anyone knows of ones that exist send my way!

Just judging from years of diving however, I would say the spectrum hitting shallow reefs (20-30ft) would be somewhere around 10k. But humans are atrocious at judging color temperature so I am probably way off haha. As always though my ultimate goal is always to try and replicate nature and I love scientific papers to guide my decisions regarding the habitats I create!!! If Randy or Sanjay are hovering around anywhere I would love to hear from them!!!