How long to run whites or just run blues only for Coral

[RockStarReefer]

I was told to run my blues only and white for two hours tops

 

[Bpb]

I was told to run my blues only and white for two hours tops

You should cease all listened to advice from whoever told you that. It is pure nonsense. Best to rent or buy a par meter, set how you like it visually, in the correct intensity, and leave it alone.

 

[RockStarReefer]

You should cease all listened to advice from whoever told you that. It is pure nonsense. Best to rent or buy a par meter, set how you like it visually, in the correct intensity, and leave it alone.

So how long on white I had algae problem at one point it's all gone now don't want it back but the coral need how much uv for how long

 

[Bpb]

So how long on white I had algae problem at one point it's all gone now don't want it back but the coral need how much uv for how long

Run them as long as you like. Some of the most experienced and professional coral growers run every channel at 100% for 10 hours a day.

White light doesn’t cause algae. Algae will grow just as well in solid blue light. MORE light will grow algae faster.

Corals don’t NEED uv lighting. They are able to use it biologically but they can survive and thrive without it. Most led fixtures do not contain uv light. Kessil and Orphek are the only two that come to mind that use actual UV diodes. Those also degrade very fast, and will
Burn most plastics and acrylic.

 

[Brian1f1]

Run them as long as you like. Some of the most experienced and professional coral growers run every channel at 100% for 10 hours a day.

White light doesn’t cause algae. Algae will grow just as well in solid blue light. MORE light will grow algae faster.

Corals don’t NEED uv lighting. They are able to use it biologically but they can survive and thrive without it. Most led fixtures do not contain uv light. Kessil and Orphek are the only two that come to mind that use actual UV diodes. Those also degrade very fast, and will
Burn most plastics and acrylic.

I didn’t know that. I thought running most LED fixtures that high was too intense for most coral except sps

 

[Bpb]

I didn’t know that. I thought running most LED fixtures that high was too intense for most coral except sps

It is....extreme example, but an example none the less.

You led people. Here you go

Purchase a conventional reef intended led fixture by a reputable brand.

Rent or buy a par meter (apogee 510 ideally)

Set your light ratios to what you find visually appealing.

Increase the intensity until you are in an ideal par range where you are keeping coral 100-150 for lps and softies
250+ for sps

Leave the lights alone. No more adjusting to show your friends what the faders and adjusters can do, no increasing and decreasing the lights every time you buy something new. All those features will end up being shortcomings of the technology, not advantages, if you can’t set and forget

 

[jda]

Corals burn fromLED because of quality, not quantity... the same quantities of other types of light do not do any damage to anything.

Like said above, white diodes, red light, etc do not promote algae growth. If you have the right tank conditions, you can grow it with any type of light.

Daylight will bring out the best colors in your corals, and then illuminate them however you see fit.

Remember that every time you change your lights, you do a disservice to the things that depend on them. Quick adjustability is a curse, not a positive.

 

[sfin52]

as you can see light does change the way stuff grows. Interesting stuff. There's truth that white.is not needed to grow coral.

 

[Bpb]

as you can see light does change the way stuff grows. Interesting stuff. There's truth that white.is not needed to grow coral.

True you don’t need white specific diodes to grow coral, but if you created an ideally mixed ratio of all those peaks into one single led puck and turned them all on, guess what color it would appear as? Most cheaper “mood lighting” from the hardware store aren’t white diodes, yet when you turn them on they appear white. They’re RGB Multichips. As I am sure you know, but others may not, white isn’t a color, it is a mix of colors

 

[sfin52]

I found with cold white that reds turn brown and rust color.

 

[Bpb]

I found with cold white that reds turn brown and rust color.

Carotenoids are the pigments that create vibrant red and orange pigments. Providing that ugly cyan/turquoise spectrum in the 480-500 nm will actually improve those colors. You don’t need much.

 

[sfin52]

Thats what @dantimdad told me came up with a great light just saving to make it.

 

[sfin52]

as you can see light does change the way stuff grows. Interesting stuff. There's truth that white.is not needed to grow coral.

@Erin O