Blue lights only?

SirDukelll

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Can i run only blue light only for my 75 gallon reef tank? Its stalked with a blue throat trigger, 2 clowns, a neon dottyback and blue damsel with snails, crabs. I would run the blue light on different intensity’s with about 8 hours of no light.
 

EvanDeVita

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Can i run only blue light only for my 75 gallon reef tank? Its stalked with a blue throat trigger, 2 clowns, a neon dottyback and blue damsel with snails, crabs. I would run the blue light on different intensity’s with about 8 hours of no light.
To be clear- you mean blue light only and no white light?
 

Josh@BVA

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you mentioned fish but nothing about coral. the light in my opinion based on what you described is going to be pretty much just for your viewing pleasure and so the fish can see whats happening in the tank. light spectrum doesnt have much wieght for consideration if there are no corals unless your dealing with trying to reduce algae growth.
 

EvanDeVita

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Agreed^. Also, it kinda seems wrong not to have white lights. You I’m assuming you’re going for FOWLR (corals will all die without white light [unless you want some NPS]). I’m not a marine biologist or anything, but I feel like the lack of white lights will have a negative affect on a fish’s mental health, and from there it’s physical health
 
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SirDukelll

SirDukelll

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you mentioned fish but nothing about coral. the light in my opinion based on what you described is going to be pretty much just for your viewing pleasure and so the fish can see whats happening in the tank. light spectrum doesnt have much wieght for consideration if there are no corals unless your dealing with trying to reduce algae growth.
There are corals. 3 leathers, a GSP, and 2 zoas
 
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SirDukelll

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Agreed^. Also, it kinda seems wrong not to have white lights. You I’m assuming you’re going for FOWLR (corals will all die without white light [unless you want some NPS]). I’m not a marine biologist or anything, but I feel like the lack of white lights will have a negative affect on a fish’s mental health, and from there it’s physical health
I didnt think about that. Thanks.
 

EvanDeVita

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I went dark for 4 days to tackle dinos and I've been running all blue for about a week. The tank is clean, the corals are thriving, fish seem fine.
Is there any light from windows? . Idk if corals can survive without light for a week and a half... unless you fed them? This is suprising to hear
 

vetteguy53081

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Can i run only blue light only for my 75 gallon reef tank? Its stalked with a blue throat trigger, 2 clowns, a neon dottyback and blue damsel with snails, crabs. I would run the blue light on different intensity’s with about 8 hours of no light.
You can but a slight white photo-period is good, but again you can
 

CMMorgan

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Is there any light from windows? . Idk if corals can survive without light for a week and a half... unless you fed them? This is suprising to hear
I have been feeding the fish, albeit less than before. I am gradually increasing their food. I did not want to come out of the dark and jump phosphates up suddenly. Likewise, I have not fed the corals any reef roids in weeks. Keep in mind that I do not have crazy corals. I only have softies. Still, my shrooms are reaching diameters of up to 3", my ricordea are splitting, my zoas have amazing color and extension. I have what may be a clove or a xenia that has about doubled in size. The Kenya tree is holding it's own, no growth or shrinkage.
So far as light from the windows... nah. The windows have curtains and tint. It;s a dark room. There is a bit of light that leaks into the room from the kitchen, but that is it.
 

Josh@BVA

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with those corals you shouldnt need much white. they are all very hardy and should do OK in most conditions even with little white. I do agree though that for overall health of any of your animals you should def have at least some white light. If blue is all you have or can afford or bought the wrong thing by accident you should be ok. But you should def plan to get some white in there somehow either by a natural light from the window or even adding a simple LED strip. mushrooms and GSP need such little light i dont think you will have any issue and in terms of the fish even if you leave it as is they should be fine but obviously for best results in color and health you want to replicate nature as best as possible.
 

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I run nothing but the 2 blue programmed phases from my EcoTechs and have for the past 3 yrs. in my reef. Nothing but SUCCESS!! Try it you may like it,lol.
 

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I was always under the assumption that reef tanks needed white light to an extent but I could be wrong
 

Reef.

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What lights are they?

I have Kessil lights and they can be run with “only” blues as the spectrum allows that as the whites are mixed in but the light still looks blue...is this is what you mean?

Or with something like Radions I believe you can turn all the white lights off, jus Thame blues in, is this what you plan on doing?
 

Metcho

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I have two tanks both full of acros and montis only use true blue 470nm and royal blues 450 channel on my led panels. I run 4 blue + ATI T5 also all the corals are growing and full of color tanks been running for over 3-1/2 yrs this way
 

zachcre06

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I have 3 Chinese black boxes (vipar spectras) over my 180 gallon tank. I run the blue lights at 25% for 10hrs. and I run the white lights at 1% for one hour and I have softies, LPS, And SPS. if you go to jason foxs website he has some videos on there and the one where he gives you a tour of his tanks he talks about running primarily blue light because most corals live on underwater mountains so they don't get direct sun all day and there so deep that most of the other light spectrums get filtered out by the water. I don't see why you couldn't run only blue light all time although I do believe the corals would benefit from some white light I don't think it is necessary
 

Dilan Patel

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You can run all blues if you wish. I have been doing it for about a year or so now. Most Corals utilize the blue spectrum more than white light/ full spectrum. Corals contain both Chlorophyll a and b so they can utilize white light but it takes a little more energy to convert it into what they need (no need to go deep into the science...if it really interest you google will give you a nice understanding). Blue corals I believe would appreciate a full spectrum light as they are reflecting the blue spectrum but absorbing the others. Again this is a SUPER simplified explanation of why white light is more for "our viewing pleasure" than the actual health of the coral.
 

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