Warm White, Neutral White, and Cool White? Help clear the haze!

[jedimasterben]

Can we touch on the what led colors that will help the warm side if we don't have ww.For example.Red,green.I have seen some who had there reds and greens cranked up 60 to 70%.Without having ww.For example The tank of the month on RC.

Coral Coloration: Fluorescence: Part 1

Coral Coloration, Part 2: Fluorescence: Pigments 510 - 565 and Notes on Green Fluorescent Proteins

Coral Coloration, Part 3: Pigments Responsible for Yellow and Orange

Coral Coloration, Part 4: Red Fluorescent Pigments, a Preliminary Report of Effects of Various Environmental Factors and Color Mixing

Coral Coloration, Part 5: Non-fluorescent Chromoproteins (CP-480 to CP-562)

Coral Coloration, Part 6: Non-fluorescent Chromoproteins (CP-568 – CP-610) And A Newly Discovered Colorant

Coral Coloration - Part 7: Coral Reflectance, Chromoproteins and Environmental Factors Affecting Non-fluorescent Pigmentation

Coral Coloration, Part 8: Blue and Green Coral Fluorescence: Environmental Factors Affecting Fluorescent Pigmentation

Coral Coloration, Part 9: Tridacna and Other Photosynthetic Clam Coloration, With Observations on Possible Functions

How to Make Corals Colorful, Part One: New Information, With Particular Attention to Blue-Green Fluorescent Pigments

How to Make Corals More Colorful, Part Two: New Information! Green Fluorescent Pigments, Pigment Clades, and Photoconversion from Green to Orange/Red

How to Make Corals More Colorful Part 3 - New Information: Red Fluorescent Pigments: DsRed-type

Aquarium Corals: Making Corals Colorful: New Information on Acropora species

Aquarium Corals: Making Corals Colorful: 'Kaede' Fluorescent Proteins

 

[James Robert]

I need to go back to school.Or get a tutor. I appreciate the article's, but my little brain is not breaking it down to understand.

 

[Nano sapiens]

Exactly Nano sapiens, anyway known that you think a lot with human eyes and little with the real needs of the coral.
When I think of a lamp for a reef aquarium, I always start by imagining what is the correct light for corals and then try to adjust it for our eyes.

You are assuming a lot, but unless you are psychic you have no idea how I developed my DIY LED system. When I put together my LED setup I had an eye on the spectra needed to properly support coral growth and flourescence, what wavelengths would stimulate non-flourescent pigmentation and what was needed for overall viewing pleasure. NW and WW help with this, but are not the only way to provide these warmer wavelengths.

For reference, this is my favorite article on the subject and what I used as a main reference:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012/10/aafeature

 

[Nano sapiens]

I need to go back to school.Or get a tutor. I appreciate the article's, but my little brain is not breaking it down to understand.

I've read most of the articles and this one is the most inclusive, IMO:

Feature Article: Light in the Reef Aquaria ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

 

[James Robert]

I've read most of the articles and this one is the most inclusive, IMO:

Feature Article: Light in the Reef Aquaria ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

Ok,This is helping,Im still on the slow side."Stop laughing, I can't help it".The spectra of the natural light into ocean. That is what i need to try to match.Keep in mind,all my corals are acros and a few other sps.On my hydra,it shows the light spectrum im puting out.Do have it so as the sun comes up,match what is on the natural spectra. Thats where im a little confused. What is the natural spectrum showing inthat article, what part of the day.

 

[Nano sapiens]

Ok,This is helping,Im still on the slow side."Stop laughing, I can't help it".The spectra of the natural light into ocean. That is what i need to try to match.Keep in mind,all my corals are acros and a few other sps.On my hydra,it shows the light spectrum im puting out.Do have it so as the sun comes up,match what is on the natural spectra. Thats where im a little confused. What is the natural spectrum showing inthat article, what part of the day.

The light spectrum that penetrates the water changes over the course of the day on the reef. When the sun rises the most energetic wavelengths (those with the shortest wavelengths such as violet, blue) penetrate first after the sun's angle of incidence reaches around 15%. Rather quickly, other 'warmer' wavelengths start to penetrate with around 12:00 - 2:00 pm as the time when the highest intensity of full spectrum light can penetrate. Then the reverse happens moving towards dusk. Picture it as an upside down bell-curve from dawn to dusk.

 

[Nano sapiens]

Picture it as an upside down bell-curve from dawn to dusk.

Correcting myself, "Picture it as a bell-curve from dawn to dusk."

 

[ReefLEDLights]

The light spectrum that penetrates the water changes over the course of the day on the reef. When the sun rises the most energetic wavelengths (those with the shortest wavelengths such as violet, blue) penetrate first after the sun's angle of incidence reaches around 15%. Rather quickly, other 'warmer' wavelengths start to penetrate with around 12:00 - 2:00 pm as the time when the highest intensity of full spectrum light can penetrate. Then the reverse happens moving towards dusk. Picture it as an upside down bell-curve from dawn to dusk.

"High Noon Effect"

Bill

 

[James Robert]

Good news, Im getting.I it. Thanks for putting up with me.Im not done.Still need learn more about it.Thanks for the great info.much appreciated.

 

[Nano sapiens]

Took me a while to get it, too, and I've been 'reefing' for a long while. In the 'old days' one used MH (or MH plus a few Actinic flourescents) or just a gaggle of Daylight and Actinic flourescents by themselves...not much chance to mess it up.

Putting together your own LED array can quickly turn you into a 'student of electomagnetic waves'

 

[jonjboz]

You are assuming a lot, but unless you are psychic you have no idea how I developed my DIY LED system. When I put together my LED setup I had an eye on the spectra needed to properly support coral growth and flourescence, what wavelengths would stimulate non-flourescent pigmentation and what was needed for overall viewing pleasure. NW and WW help with this, but are not the only way to provide these warmer wavelengths.

For reference, this is my favorite article on the subject and what I used as a main reference:

Feature Article: Light in the Reef Aquaria ? Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

Nano sapiens me I was not referring to you, I was referring to most aquarists

 

[Nano sapiens]

Nano sapiens me I was not referring to you, I was referring to most aquarists

Ahhhh, I see, something got lost in the translation.

 

[eagle]

After all the back and forth just one question, can we see what your SPS look like under your lights. I keep reading all these threads going back and forth and most of it comes from some lighting guys that love "building lights" and talking about building lights. Not keeping SPS. Pages and pages of technical datasheets lol. I never see any SPS pics from their tanks. Sometimes just algae breakout pics. Most of the time it's bare tanks with 50 par readings typed on the picture. Show me the results of the perfect led array and I'll probably buy into your theory. Or just figure it out myself by looking at successful tanks. Lights are important no doubt but there's a lot more to it than that. And the PAR readings are pretty subjective to nutrient levels. I for one can't turn my lights up much at all due to low nutrients. Really can't put much white to them at all or they'll start getting pale. Some of the most colorful tanks I've seen are low nutrient with lower PAR numbers. I've talked to many guys that are successful with SPS under LED that they turn them down. 150-200 PAR. So it's all subjective. Too many variables. Everyone's different and like different looks. But you look at the sites selling frags. Look at their pics and read what they're keeping them under. Very, very blue on most occasions. Most all use 20K. There's a reason for that I suspect when you're trying to get them to grow as fast as possible. And their colors are popping. So instead of a gaggle of PAR numbers and hypothesis just show us what this acro looks like under this light vs that light. That's the ultimate deciding factor. Otherwise we should just look at successful tanks and look at what they're running. Unless this is a flashlight building forum.

 

[Harold Green]

I have to agree with Eagle. I'm sure the hobbyist who can afford $10,000 for equipment can be successful. The rest of us have to contend with figuring the minimum we can spend and still have a vibrant tank. I switched to led's several years ago. In my den I have a 44 gallon corner tank so I built a small led fixture. 12 cw and 12 rb 3 watt crees. No sump only a small skimmer and two circulating pumps. Corals were brightly colored and growing well. A bit of fire and ice zoas multiplied to hundreds of polyps in six months. Last year I did a 210 build with a sump, large cone skimmer, refusium, wave maker, ato. When it came to lighting I built two more larger leds with the same cw and rb led's. I added a cheap Chinese fixture at each end of the tank. Very slow coral growth with monti caps losing color and declining. Recently I added two more cheap fixtures with a mix of rb, cw, ww, red and green. The tank is very pleasing to the eye at this point and the corals have opened up and begun feeding. Orange monti caps are extending polyps, something that mine have not done before. It could be from the added colors but my belief is I've reached a level of intensity that my corals were lacking before. Acros are encrusting over the bases and off onto the rocks at this point. I've tried cutting back the whites and colors to a more blue look but the corals begin to fade and I have to crank the lights back up to 100%. I think what the average reefer needs is low cost leds that get the job done. Just as it's possible to cover a tank with plain flourescents with enough lamps we can get the same results as more expensive flourescents that are fewer in numbers. Leds at this point have the same issues. Do we go with high dollar leds that cost more but use less power or higher numbers of cheaper leds that waste energy because they may provide a minimum of the necessary wavelengths? Until we actually have all the figures in a form the average aquarist can understand and afford we're still in guesstimate stage.

 

[ReefLEDLights]

For me its all about spectrum.

Cree Bins their LEDs so you know the spectrum and intensity. As far as 3 watt bridgelux I have not seen their spectrum nor been able to obtain the different bins or be able to purchase specific lots or bins.

For me spending a bit more on quality is safer and ensures me the better spectrum.

I want drivers and powersupplies that are UL listed. We have all seen the posts about the EBay fixture that caught on fire.

I'm also old school MH and by knowing the Bins of my LEDs I can create a fixture that emulates any MH Lamp with a fraction of the electricity and heat.

For me a quality Cree DIY or factory fixture is not more expensive considering the spectrum, efficiency and saftey.

I resently spent $100 on a couple frags. Spending an extra $100 to give them the best light was only proper.

Bill

 

[jasonandsarah]

Cool whites? Check
green? Check
red and hyper red? Check
yellow? Check
my Sps are growing great.... I see a lot if people hating on certain led colors with pretty bare tanks?