Anyone Else Sick of Actinic Only Pics?

[Surfandturf]

i agreew tih you completely...the 14k look is the most natural imho...i love it... i could do without the windex look as well...desn't look natural... does it really look like that where the corals grow?

So you are referring to the old blue version of windex? Times have changed, there is a white, orange, and yellow version of windex as well. Just fyi

 

[rosshamsandwich]

So you are referring to the old blue version of windex? Times have changed, there is a white, orange, and yellow version of windex as well. Just fyi

correct old blue version

 

[rosshamsandwich]

so does it really look like windex old blue version in the ocean?

 

[srad750c]

The blue-light phenonomen has given a crutch to folks who no longer have to work hard to actually color coral. It still takes daylight to bring out the most colors with the most contrast.

Here are some ugly mushrooms under daylight... nearly every color is there. They are not this colorful under just blues. Even you can have better color with more spectrum.

You can color with daylight and still illuminate in any what you see fit. Why does it have to be one or the other all the time?

Ugly, no way. They look great if you know what you looking at. I can see all the different colors and variations in those.

 

[jda]

I like them too. I just call them "ugly" since most folks do not have enough daylight to make them look like this. Those are under 20K Radium with no supplements... and about 700 par.

 

[Bill Saucier]

Here's how I see it

VS

If you're still reading this ... where was the first photo taken? It's a wonderful design idea.

 

[Bill Saucier]

Sorry but, all natural SPS corals, before man was involved, live and grow in the deeper waters. For many reasons. Just because we moved them up and farmed them, doesn’t mean they don’t prefer the spectrums from deeper water where they have been growing for centuries. You can watch videos of Jason Fox getting SPS corals in Indo, all 80 feet or deeper. Guys with hoses, to a compressor on a boat, no dive gear too.

Welp, I'm a newbie here, but I have my PADI Open Water Diver certification that allows me to dive to 60 feet. Often I am closer to 40 feet. I see lots of coral.

 

[DanConnor]

If you're still reading this ... where was the first photo taken? It's a wonderful design idea.

It's the castle in Corigliano Calabro, Italy

 

[Bill Saucier]

It's the castle in Corigliano Calabro, Italy

Thanks!! I've been to Italy maybe 5 times but haven't been there.

 

[vetteguy53081]

 

[Bill Saucier]

I just now, truly, burst into laughter. Thanks.

 

[Nano sapiens]

When these very blue actinic type photos started to surface many years back, there was a severe backlash against them since the reef aquaria at the time tended to run more daylight spectrum (talking MHs and T5s, mostly), and so the photos didn't represent what most people would see once the corals were in their tanks. But now, just take a look at how many tanks (especially those set up by beginning reef aquarists) are very blue...just like many of the online photos. The question arises, is this a case of reef keepers mimicking what they see online to try and replicate the blacklight look, or do they really think this type of lighting is better for their corals? (if I had to guess, I'd say mostly the former). One can make the case that the many vendors collectively have created a trend that further justifies the use of hyper blue photos since more and more reefers are adopting this type of lighting.

Often when I visit a LFS and look at stock (or buy online), I now have to envision what such-and-such coral might look like in my ~14k system since their lighting is more-often-than-not nothing like what I have on my tank (I tend to look for any hints of pigmentation that aren't caused by fluorescence from the nearly actinic only lighting). With a bit of experience and luck, I can end up with corals that look much better (read as 'more natural') to my eye when under my lighting, but might not be what someone else with hyper blue lighting would find desirable.

 

[Lousybreed]

The most legit vendors often have pics with different lighting spectrums. I buy from them.

 

[Lousybreed]

I set up an all blue tank in my system. I have over 400 PAR, mainly 420,450, and 470nm LED’s. Plus a blue plus and actinic t-5. It grows corals like crazy. And the coraline algae coverage is ridiculous. Some corals look better under those conditions and some look worse. I prefer a crisp 14k look.