Are these zoas light starved?

[Reefermadness89]

Why were you surprised at his success?

Any leads on mh setups for smaller tanks, like a 20 long or 40 breeder?

 

[A. grandis]

Any leads on mh setups for smaller tanks, like a 20 long or 40 breeder?

150W DE HQI system will do it.

 

[Reefermadness89]

I was under the impression a 150w mh
On a 20L would be major overkill. What’s the smallest wattage mh that is worth it’s weight for an Nano reef.?
With 150w I feel like I’d go a Min of 40g

 

[A. grandis]

I meant 150W for the 40 breeder.

 

[A. grandis]

T5 for the 20 long.

 

[ppatches24]

Here is one of the nicest videos to show colors using halides.
This video proves my points. 600W halides over the system. ;Wideyed
Can you do that with any LEDs???

Yes, Yes you can?

 

[A. grandis]

Yes, Yes you can?

?

 

[warlocktitan]

I offer this photo for a subject of debate. I was invited into a fellow hobbyist's house in Atlanta to look at his systems. He was specifically interested in PPFD, so I took an Apogee MQ520 meter. PPFD (or PAR if you will) is 7 to 15 microMol/m2/sec and the photo should speak for itself. Lighting is an LED fixture (from a 15-gallon BioCube if my memory is correct), running mostly blue for 24 hours a day. I was surprised at his success!

is it healthy for coral to keep light on for 24/7?
Very interesting finding, thank you for sharing.

 

[warlocktitan]

I offer this photo for a subject of debate. I was invited into a fellow hobbyist's house in Atlanta to look at his systems. He was specifically interested in PPFD, so I took an Apogee MQ520 meter. PPFD (or PAR if you will) is 7 to 15 microMol/m2/sec and the photo should speak for itself. Lighting is an LED fixture (from a 15-gallon BioCube if my memory is correct), running mostly blue for 24 hours a day. I was surprised at his success!

what kind of scheduling for this tank, I am interesting to know so I can setup one of my nano tank to simulate the result.

 

[Dana Riddle]

what kind of scheduling for this tank, I am interesting to know so I can setup one of my nano tank to simulate the result.

Matthew told me the lighting is run at the bluest setting for 24 hours a day.

 

[Dana Riddle]

is it healthy for coral to keep light on for 24/7?
Very interesting finding, thank you for sharing.

Research by others suggests prolonged photoperiods (at least in some zooxanthella species) interrupts their natural reproduction cycle. Matthew's observations suggest an eternal photoperiod is not disruptive. Would the same be true after 2 years, or with another zoox clade. Who knows? You're plowing new ground here.

 

[blasterman]

If LEDs and MH both produce the same wavelength of light, how would that differ?
A photon is an elementary particle. Whether its produced by an LED or an MH bulb, if it has the same wavelength it will be literally the exact same. Being produced by a different source wont change the physical makeup of a packet of energy.
230nm is the exact same as 230nm, regardless of the source.
If an LED strip produces the same wavelengths and intensities as an MH bulb, there should really be no difference between them.
The only difference I can think of is that an MH bulb is a continuous source of light while LEDs are individual points, which is likely why MH have that better shimmer and color blending.

They dont differ. MH, T5 and LED reef lights all emit the same functional 450nm dominant light. The corals dont care. As you said a photon is a photon. Also, MH and T5 dont have as broad spectrum as LEDs do because with LEDs those additional colors can easily be added. Nobody runs a high CRI MH on their reef tank. Reef based halides are some of the most spikey and non distributed light sources there are. Halides and T5s emit very narrow bands of specific radiation, not white LEDs. Google the spectrum of a reef based halide compared to a white LED and then you'll see why you need to laugh at Grandis and see for yourself why halides and tubes are being discarded as conventional light sources.


I grow more high end Palys and Zoas than I know what to do with, all under a variety of LED sources. Growth is chemistry based and 99% of problems with Zoanthid/Paly growth is chemistry related, not lighting.

I stopped using halides over 20 years and have been building my own LED fixtures for over 10 years. All of the high end coral dealers I work with are 100% LED

 

[warlocktitan]

Matthew told me the lighting is run at the bluest setting for 24 hours a day.

Thank you for replying.
I assume the bluest setting would be all blue spectrum turn on 100% including UV spectrum?
What lighting system is he using BTW?

 

[BamboozleBean]

When I put my opinion about light here you came trying to prove me wrong.
What I say I know for a fact.
Many of the members here were treating me like you are, asking for "proof". After they tried halides they apologize to me and we are very good friends. I hope that happens to you too...
I don't want to diminish LEDs. They already do that by themselves!
Do me a favor... go to a store or find someone in your town that has halides and see for yourself.
You will love the results.
There is absolutely no one in the world that can say ANY LED will win for colors and growth!
They can find other excuses, but not color and growth.
And that is for SPS, LPS, Clams, anemones and zoas.
I already forgive you because I'm sure you've never tried not saw a well maintained system with halides in front of your eyes.

I would rather get T5 or halides but LEDs are more cost efficient for me.

 

[warlocktitan]

Research by others suggests prolonged photoperiods (at least in some zooxanthella species) interrupts their natural reproduction cycle. Matthew's observations suggest an eternal photoperiod is not disruptive. Would the same be true after 2 years, or with another zoox clade. Who knows? You're plowing new ground here.

Yep that why I want to replicate the similar setting just for researched.
Love the new finding, I am not the type of guy are afraid the unknown and stuck to one way of doing thing as long as it make sense.
Keep sharing the new finding Mr. Dana, I am greatly appreciated.

 

[HotManwich]

They dont differ. MH, T5 and LED reef lights all emit the same functional 450nm dominant light. The corals dont care. As you said a photon is a photon. Also, MH and T5 dont have as broad spectrum as LEDs do because with LEDs those additional colors can easily be added. Nobody runs a high CRI MH on their reef tank. Reef based halides are some of the most spikey and non distributed light sources there are. Halides and T5s emit very narrow bands of specific radiation, not white LEDs. Google the spectrum of a reef based halide compared to a white LED and then you'll see why you need to laugh at Grandis and see for yourself why halides and tubes are being discarded as conventional light sources.


I grow more high end Palys and Zoas than I know what to do with, all under a variety of LED sources. Growth is chemistry based and 99% of problems with Zoanthid/Paly growth is chemistry related, not lighting.

I stopped using halides over 20 years and have been building my own LED fixtures for over 10 years. All of the high end coral dealers I work with are 100% LED

Oh I totally use Led, and I get the whole thing. I was just trying to find any way that they could possibly differ, no matter the stretch. And I definitely had to stretch for my example! I'm in the "LEDs rock" boat

 

[Dana Riddle]

Yep that why I want to replicate the similar setting just for researched.
Love the new finding, I am not the type of guy are afraid the unknown and stuck to one way of doing thing as long as it make sense.
Keep sharing the new finding Mr. Dana, I am greatly appreciated.

It is a LED light for a BioCube 16 set at 'bluest' setting for a 24-hour photoperiod.

 

[warlocktitan]

It is a LED light for a BioCube 16 set at 'bluest' setting for a 24-hour photoperiod.

How often does this tank do WC and any dosing?
Cause under 24 photo periods it will use up lot minerals and nutrients.

 

[kapnkush608]

The zoas are all really nicely colored, the gobstopper are redder than when I got them and my pink constellations were almost white but now a vibrant pink. So they are coloring nicely. I was just somewhat concerned because the polyp extension is almost 4 times as much as they use to be when I first got them. I started with 1 polyp of gobstopper 3 months ago. Now I'm looking at 10. The pink constellations are only 4 heads.
In regards to the blasting them with blues, this is just a late night shot, the normal lighting is very white during the day I dont like just blue all day.
I attached my lighting schedule ai prime, 20g tank, light is 9 inches from surface
Zoas are 3 inches from the bottom of the tank on the left third.
I've been thinking t5 supplementation at some point!

Why supplement t5 when you're only running you light at half power lol.

 

[RX FILLER]

Most people think intensity and/or spectrum alone are the culprit for light deficiency.
I'm tired of holding my thoughts in regards to light in the zoa forum...

If a light source offers "good intensity" (which is largely relative among all hobbyists today!) but the rest of the qualities, including spectrum, UV or IR, are weak, too strong, or inappropriate, the animals dependent of light will suffer and therefore show slow growth rate, weird colony structure and different color than it should be. Problem today is that there isn't any basis to judge all those qualities. The comparison should be done accordingly to what they look and how they behave in the ocean. The hobby has been diluted in respect to that reference. People keep their animals under blue lights and careless or disregard the facts in the natural environment. Great part of it comes from those who sell corals and LEDs today. Some say the corals will be found under "blue light" in the ocean. Not true! Bluer is ok, not totally blue!
All aspects of light are important to be reproduced in our artificial systems and distribution, reflection, and the balance of UV rays, IR, spectrum and intensity are super important to be considered. LEDs are very poor in offering all those qualities in a nut shell to resemble the light in the ocean.
I'm writing this here so people can understand why there are so many tanks showing such poor looking zoas and corals.
I'm sorry for venting!
My intention is to help you guys to understand that light is more than 60% of the success maintaining your reef systems and with LEDs as a primary source of light it will be basically impossible to bit any T5 and/or halide system. Those who changed are so happy and will never come back to LEDs. There is a huge advantage!!!
LEDs are like flash lights or Christmas lights compared to a HOT5s or specially a halide system.
Just my US$0.2.

I don't think this is a rant at all! To me it's very valuable info, thanks very much appreciated!