Best lighting for macro tank?

Thespammailaccount

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 3, 2020
Messages
4,274
Reaction score
15,567
Location
Houston
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
What kind of light is needed for a display refugium? Looking for a white light without blue or red if this is possible? Looking to house purple red and green macros
 

Goodair

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
1,049
Reaction score
1,188
Location
South River, NJ
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
White light is red, blue along with other colors, which appears as white for us. Reason you see red and blue commonly used is because those are the spectrums plants and algae use, so its more efficient to produce those colors and not waste energy on green and other colors that are used/ barely used.
 

najer

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 9, 2016
Messages
20,453
Reaction score
144,448
Location
Humble, England
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I like the 14 K look and any macros I have tried under it do well as well as corals.

DSC_0008 (1024x777).jpg
 
OP
OP
Thespammailaccount

Thespammailaccount

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 3, 2020
Messages
4,274
Reaction score
15,567
Location
Houston
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
@najer When you say 14 K not sure what that means. What kind of light is that? Will this light work? I have been seeing that it is for freshwater planted tanks but will it work for a 10 gallon macro tank? Plants are plants right or am I missing something? Been using a white grow bulb on the macro tank but want something that looks better than the hardware store shop clip light. What light or brand do you use with your macros?
 
Last edited:

Eagle_Steve

Grandpa of Cronies
View Badges
Joined
Jan 30, 2018
Messages
11,564
Reaction score
60,954
Location
Tennessee
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I know this isn’t a macro, but here is what a tuna sun does for looks on non-photosynthetic nems. Yes some are aiptasia lol. It’s a hated species tank.

The point being, the light is crisp and clear. I can snag some pics tomorrow of my calurpa in the frag tank for you also. It is grown under 2 tuna suns now.

FF5E9DC6-B729-4435-B975-28E248583417.jpeg
3EBC4E3A-DC39-48E4-B999-50B1DA595D74.jpeg
 

Tamberav

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 4, 2014
Messages
9,550
Reaction score
14,629
Location
Wauwatosa, WI
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I use a full spectrum led on my fuge... it grows corals and plants. Whatever you get for corals will grow macro just as well... just run higher white so it looks nicer. I used a saltwater kessil and that also worked fabulous for macro. I wouldn’t bother getting the freshwater one.. just get the salt one. Corals house algae on their tissues... that they use for photosynthesis. Something that works well for corals will work well for macro. Just turn the dial until you like how it looks.

As you can see... the macro and coral are both thriving and colorful. I did not use any sort of filter to get this photo.
C029F518-E540-4957-9A57-59F6390BE02E.jpeg
 

najer

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 9, 2016
Messages
20,453
Reaction score
144,448
Location
Humble, England
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
@najer When you say 14 K not sure what that means. What kind of light is that? Will this light work? I have been seeing that it is for freshwater planted tanks but will it work for a 10 gallon macro tank? Plants are plants right or am I missing something? Been using a white grow bulb on the macro tank but want something that looks better than the hardware store shop clip light. What light or brand do you use with your macros?

That is a great light, 14 K to me is a warmer less blue light but there is blue in the mix.
 

Subsea

5000 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 21, 2018
Messages
5,332
Reaction score
7,664
Location
Austin, Tx
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
@najer When you say 14 K not sure what that means. What kind of light is that? Will this light work? I have been seeing that it is for freshwater planted tanks but will it work for a 10 gallon macro tank? Plants are plants right or am I missing something? Been using a white grow bulb on the macro tank but want something that looks better than the hardware store shop clip light. What light or brand do you use with your macros?


Caribbean reef at noon has a color temperature of 5K. I like 10K color temperature. As color temperature number gets higher, expect more blue.
 
Back
Top