BLUE LIGHT REEFING: So you like to look at your reef under blues?

[that Reef Guy]

There great for viewing frowned upon because most sellers use them to enhance the colors of coral. When you get them to your tank you can’t duplicate the colors = angry customer that feels cheated.

That is why I buy Al My Corals at Coral Shows / Frag Swaps.

I get to see them in person and take them home day.

I never pay $50 Shipping.

And I never have to worry about Corals Dying in Transit.

 

[that Reef Guy]

What I don't like is when people post a picture with a question or try to sell corals with all blue. When selling it would be better if they posted a picture with more whites also. I won't even consider a blue photo or I have to ask them to post one with more white. As for the question thing, often I can't even figure out what they are talking about. I guess it's because i don't view my tank like that.

I don't care how people view their tanks. I also like more of a natural look. My tank ramps up and down with some blue, but that's about it.

Alot of people are just the opposite.

I see people using Blue Flashlights to look at Corals under Already Blue LED Lights.

Many of us Won't buy a Coral that is taken under White Light because we never use it so it doesn't matter.

 

[that Reef Guy]

Same for me. I've read more about this and corals will grow and color up from the inclusion of more whites and actinics (blue and actinic are different things OP). So while I like the pop with a strong blue look, I have increased the whites on my LEDs, and I have added two T5 bulbs as supplemental lighting. I didn't go with the Blue Plus that most people do. I went with what I feel is best for the coral coloration, health, and growth: one Geissmann T5 Tropic (6500K / daylight) and one ATI Actinic. The Tropic doesn't look great, so I run it earlier in the day when I'm not around as much. The blues are stronger in my tank later in the day, and blue only before they all go out. Seems like a win-win for my tank!
--Kyle

I stopped using White Lights Years Ago and Only use All Blue.

I have not noticed any change in Growth from White or Blue Light.

Blue Lights will give you better Color not White.

Put a Rainbow Acan under White Light see what Happens?

It will most likely turn Solid Red.

 

[that Reef Guy]

When you have so much blue the corals look fake, like the plastic corals that the TV show ATM in Vegas uses, they look florescent and stupid. More for children, not real. I've seen tanks so blue that the fish's color change and some that you can hardly see the fish !

Why would you want to change the real colors of fish & corals ?

I have a common Orange/White Clown but it actually looks Black and White under the Blue Light.

So I got a Free Upgrade by using All Blue Light

 

[that Reef Guy]

I have a Fluval Evo 13.5g with stock lighting, so that means that the lights are either on or off, white or blue---no ramping. When talking to someone at my LFS, they said they keep the same tank on blue all the time and that it's not necessary to ever turn on the whites. Is this true? Both my tank and the lfs evo tank have fish and corals, but I currently do an hour of blues before and after whites. What about the health/happiness of my corals and fish? I tried all blue for a few days but they seemed lethargic.

Yep.

I stopped using White Lights Years Ago.

Best thing I ever did.

 

[fcmatt]

Who says it is Frowned Upon?

It is Natural. Many people think white light is natural but its not.

I do not Dive but every diver I tells me it is Blue Down there and the Deeper you go the Bluer it gets.

And many of the Nice sought after Corals are found in Deep Waters.

So why would you say it is "Frowned Upon"

I Frown Upon White Light.

I don't want to look at Ugly Corals.

I stopped using White Lights Many Many Years Ago and I will NEVER go back to using them.

A lot of coral is in shallow water as well. A lot of anemones are actually out of the water for periods of the day with clowns in puddles of water or laying in the anemone.

I am not an expert on coral but I will bet you a nickel most wild caught coral was not very deep and it probably represents the majority of what we have in our tanks today.

 

[Hemmdog]

You guys really need to go scuba diving in a quality place. White light does not look natural, at all.
Corals do fluoresce in the ocean, I saw acro colonies the size of vw buses off Tahiti with crazy glowing neon tips. other places I’ve been diving at that have been known for contamination such as Florida, Bahamas, Caribbean, Hawaii did not have near the same fluorescence as I saw in French Polynesia.

 

[living_tribunal]

While I enjoy looking at my corals under blues, I keep a higher blue spectrum than your average tank, for the full daytime hours, for another reason.


My entire tank has been altered to help revive a temperate Wilsoni. They are found deeper than tropical Wilson and definitely a whole lot deeper than just about everything else we keep in our tanks. They do not like heavy white/uv/violet while being acclimated.

 

[Erick Armanii]

To me it’s all in the balance..
Strictly blue light and I feel like I’m walking into Spencer’s for the first time when lava lamps and black lights first came out..

To much white and it’s more of a fish only style tank..

 

[X-37B]

Simply a matter of taste as long as your corals are growing and healthy.
I ran 3b+ 3c+ for the first 6 months now same + 1 actinic and 1 purple. So 8 bulbs. Not much of a change in looks but the colors are better imo. I like a mix to more of a white look. The neighbors say the whole room looks blue and it is from a distance and that was with just the b+ and c+.
There is no right or wrong look as its up to your personel taste.

 

[Radman73]

I've never looked at someone else's tank and thought "they should change the color of their lighting." I've always run mine with a deep blue look morning and evening but near "daylight" for the bulk of the day. It lets me see the tank in a more natural light and makes it easier to identify if something looks off visually. My corals haven't seemed to care one way or the other over time.

 

[reefcubed]

To be honest, this has been growing within me more and more, I, absolutely hate, cannot stand, people taking pictures running high blues and using an orange filter. It is the second tackiest aspect of this hobby. The first tackiest aspect runs in conjunction with this, which taking photos like that of frags, with colors that you will never see, putting your name in front of it, and charging an insulting amount of money. I won’t mention the poster child of this practice, but his name is food. Lol

 

[Steve9333]

What settings are you using? I have 2 A360X running at 21 intensity and 25 color(white). This is on a 65 gallon JBJ with mostly LPS and 9 inches off the water. I always prefer to run whiter but I burn my corals if I increase the whites past 25 or 30 percent. Ideas? Tank looks bluer than I would like so I use the orange glasses.....lol

I have mine mounted 6” above the water 20” deep, have the color at 30% and intensity at 95%. I have for years with a360we and now the a360x. I keep mostly lps and chalice corals. Trying some sticks now too. Raise everything up slowly

 

[2Wheelsonly]

I’m all in for blue, running 8 blue + with 6 G4 XR30 pros running a A/B with whites turned down to 8%. I used to run more white but never saw any improvement with it.

Maybe it’s because I pride myself on being a realist but I will never be upset when vendors use blue lights to show off their corals. 1 month into the hobby you should all know what corals look like under white light. Very dull colors compared to blue, if you’re into blue lights it’s because you like that bright fluorescent rainbow color look.

If you’re into white then you should know better that a brightly colored expensive named coral isn’t going to have that same pop. My blues show unique colors in my sps, the vendors are not painting these things. People who get mad over this have a hard time setting proper expectations and I have zero empathy for them.

 

[Indytraveler83]

In my short reefing experience, algae growth under white light is insane. Good lights with powerful whites can inspire crazy breakouts. My cynobacteria problem vanished under blues lights, and the gha barely hangs on, while the coral seems to thrive under it.

Isn't most coral naturally exposed to more blue spectrum anyways, being under several feet of ocean water?

 

[reeffreak911]

I actually really like high blue coming from MH lighting. I used to run my tank much bluer than most when I had Halides. The blue that halides gave off looked so much more natural than the crazy blue from LEDs.

I use phoenix bulb has a nice natural crisp blue

 

[reeffreak911]

Boy do blue lights sure make those corals fluorescence (POP)! But why is it frowned upon? If the whole purpose of a reef tank is for our viewing pleasure then why not use whatever colored light, tank props or whatever to enjoy it? With that is mind let's talk about it today!

1. Do you use blue lighting to make your coral colors pop?

2. What are your thoughts on using blue (actinic) lighting for your reef tank?

image via @Orphek

I use metal halides trie leds and it bothers me to see the tank Blue there certain corals clams fish that can't be enjoyed under blues all the time I just use a led strip when halides turn off to watch the corals glow

 

[acesfull44]

I like the blues to show of the specific colors that "pop," however for me its just when the lights come up at the beginning of the day and go down at the end of the day. The more I look at my tank the more I enjoy the 10k version and seeing my fish and the natural state of my corals.

 

[Duncan Tse]

Personally I love the pop on the corals with just the blues

 

[2Wheelsonly]

When I want to enjoy my tank or when guests want to view it, I turn my G4's and T5's off and turn on just the Orphek blue plus bar lights. Nothing says "florescence pop" like an Orphek LED!

When they are all three on, I am running all ATI Blue +, Ecotech A/B+ and Orphek Blue Plus. I think blue reef tanks look great! I don't think i'd ever be happy with a reef tank running a very white halide setup.