Things to Consider When Choosing a Lighting System

[Tom Davey]

Full spectrum supply to corals should work, but consider the alternative: provide them an alternative, keep it constant and they will adjust to the light. Either way, the key is consistency (no change).

A general heuristic is that you lose one primary color (R-O-Y-G-B-I-V) for every 10 feet of depth (but it depends on water quality and what else is and under the water (sand, rock, algae). So, a coral that breaks off of a colony at 10 feet and gets swept away to a new location that is 20 feet away will adjust to a new color spectrum.

Thank you very much.

 

[94Roarge]

What do red and green spectrums do for corals?

 

[sghera64]

What do red and green spectrums do for corals?

Some of the chlorophyll in the corals tissue get some benefit from the red light:

https://sbreeflights.com/content/7-faq

You can see there is a peak of beneficial light in the 660 range for chlorophyll-A. I don’t know about green. That may be just for aesthetics to the human eye.

 

[gabeJLFT]

anybody know of a place that sells par meters for not a lot of money or maybe on amazon

 

[sghera64]

anybody know of a place that sells par meters for not a lot of money or maybe on amazon

BRS now rents then out.

 

[Mike T IL]

I have been doing a lot of research on what lighting to go with. Your information was very helpful.

 

[Nep2nRevision3]

· What sort of water moving devices will you use? Water surface agitation causes waves that can focus light in what most hobbyists call ‘glitter lines.’ Water motion can also affect the rate of photosynthesis.

It seems I've heard/read somewhere that the focusing of light due to surface agitation is a benefit to corals. I read everything I can put my hands on that is written by notable authors (and yes ‘The Captive Reef’ is in my collection). Is this a generally accurate statement?

 

[Nep2nRevision3]

As a new guy to lighting and reading this...all I see is an info dump and no real answers, just a bunch of questions. Even if I went down and answered every question on this list...I still don't end up with an answer to what light to use...or even a general idea of what's better in my scenario.

With that criticism, I'll make a suggestion. If there is interest in helping to get people started, how about a basics of lighting 101 that has general descriptions with pros and cons of lighting types and maybe some example scenarios with appropriate lighting?

Just a thought. Thanks.

Some of your list is helpful and other parts are general information with no stated pro or con to its application. I appreciate you sharing knowledge. I respect your position on not recommending a brand. Most helpful certainly to me and Mr. Shaw and I am sure others as well would be what characteristics to look for in lighting equipment specifically for the best overall impact on our tanks. There are so many variables and equipment available. Cheap, expensive and every type and lamp in between. So if all light will provide basic needs for corals I'll just go get half a dozen LED aquarium flood bulbs for 20 each. Seriously though I am at that point of choosing a good light to start with. Will start out with fish only and gradually introduce corals. So with the questions some answers or impact of various characteristics would be great.

I think you've may have missed the intended message Dana is sending. These many questions are the exact reason he DOESN'T generally make recommendations. So many variables, personal preferences and financial considerations. The questions asked are to get you thinking and investigating based on how you would respond. There is no one answer but many many answers. I.E. I have implemented T12 VHOs and metal halides and had great success with both (really hate the T12 VHOs went the way of the dinosaur) but now I run LEDs. My current choice is partly driven by the fact that I didn't want to deal with the heat issues that metal halides present and that my tanks water depth is 30", kind or ruled out T5s. I also like the programmability and control I have with my LEDs. I can program spectrum, on-off and ramp times and intensity from an Apple app. I'm also more able to afford these lights than I would have been 10 - 12 years ago. I think Dana has provided an excellent tool to get us started, it was never intended to be the answer.

 

[Dana Riddle]

It seems I've heard/read somewhere that the focusing of light due to surface agitation is a benefit to corals. I read everything I can put my hands on that is written by notable authors (and yes ‘The Captive Reef’ is in my collection). Is this a generally accurate statement?

Yes. I have a paper that looked at effects of the caustic network ("glitter") on rates of photosynthesis (increased). The problem is that it isn't possible (at least in my experiences) to replicate oceanic waves and their focusing effects in home aquaria.

 

[Dana Riddle]

I think you've may have missed the intended message Dana is sending. These many questions are the exact reason he DOESN'T generally make recommendations. So many variables, personal preferences and financial considerations. The questions asked are to get you thinking and investigating based on how you would respond. There is no one answer but many many answers. I.E. I have implemented T12 VHOs and metal halides and had great success with both (really hate the T12 VHOs went the way of the dinosaur) but now I run LEDs. My current choice is partly driven by the fact that I didn't want to deal with the heat issues that metal halides present and that my tanks water depth is 30", kind or ruled out T5s. I also like the programmability and control I have with my LEDs. I can program spectrum, on-off and ramp times and intensity from an Apple app. I'm also more able to afford these lights than I would have been 10 - 12 years ago. I think Dana has provided an excellent tool to get us started, it was never intended to be the answer.

Thanks Nep2nRev1. There are plenty of general references on light required for corals. The issue becomes very complicated when we try to take corals from different biotopes and throw them into a glass box illuminated with unnatural light (almost all reef tanks are 'mixed' reefs.) I have spent countless hours suggesting proper illumination where the hobbyist didn't like the color of the light. After almost 30 years of writing/speaking about lighting, I do tend to shy away from specific recommendations, particularly on spectral quality. There is no universal best light. Successful hobbyists research the requirements of their captive animals, purchase some sort of light-measuring device, and apply their knowledge.

 

[Nep2nRevision3]

Yes. I have a paper that looked at effects of the caustic network ("glitter") on rates of photosynthesis (increased). The problem is that it isn't possible (at least in my experiences) to replicate oceanic waves and their focusing effects in home aquaria.

Understood. I would be interested in reading the referenced paper, is it available?

 

[Dana Riddle]

Understood. I would be interested in reading the referenced paper, is it available?

Walsh, P. and L. Legendre, 1983. Photosynthesis of natural phytoplankton under high frequency light fluctuations simulating those prodced by sea surface waves. Limnology and Oceanography. 28:688-697.
Google the authors' names, date, and limnology and the abstracts pop up - maybe even the complete article somewhere.

 

[Nep2nRevision3]

Thank you sir.

 

[Nep2nRevision3]

I was indeed able to find the referenced paper. Though a bit above my pay grade, a good read nonetheless. I found it interesting that the absorption rates of the different light colors were affected at different percentages by surface waves. As stated, we can't replicate sea surface wave motion in our small aquaria. But I would imagine that, though probably immeasurable, the magnification created by surface motion in our aquaria does positively affect the photosynthetic animals we care for.
Thanks again.

 

[Owram2]

Very good info!
Wattage is somehow one very important factor many missed!

 

[jose hernandez]

IM FINALLY GETTING A REEFER 750XXL GOIN SPS DOMINANT I HAVE 4 G4 PROS ALREADY WOULD I BE GOOD WITH THAT OR DO I NEED MORE OR GO ANOTHER DIRECTION AS FAR AS LIGHTS

 

[ukgeoff]

I ended up with a Radion G5 and one thing I didn't factor into my choice was the noise of the cooling fan. If I had known how noisy the Radion fan is, I would've chosen a different light, with passive cooling.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

I wonder if there is any feedback on the new "dimmable" T5 that are on BRS and other sites. There doesnt seem to be a lot on them from what I can find.

 

[Turtle_reef]

My Thoughts on Reef Aquarium Lighting

Generally, I avoid answering questions such as ‘Which light is best?’ or ‘Need advice on lighting.’ Let me explain why and provide some thoughts.

Will ‘T5’ lamps adequately light a reef aquarium. Yes (T12s too, for that matter.) Metal halides? Of course! LEDs? You bet. As I stated in my book ‘The Captive Reef’ (published 20 years ago), almost any light source will provide adequate radiation to support photosynthesis in corals, Tridacna clams, and marine algae. But no light is perfect (even sunlight can create a hostile environment in which some animals cannot thrive.)

Requests sometimes ask if ‘Brand X’ is suitable. Although I have tested lights for years, I have not tested every light currently on the market. These sorts of requests are best answered by those with experience with that particular brand.

To properly address the proper application of any light source, we must consider many things, including:

· Will the aquarium house only fish, or fish and corals and other photosynthetic invertebrates?

· If maintaining corals and other invertebrates, which ones? Some animals (such as some false corals) thrive in low light, while at least some Tridacna clams can use as much light as is generally possible in an aquarium.

· Can you check and monitor light intensity? Best done with a PAR (quantum) meter, although a lux meter is better than not checking at all.

· Aquarium size (LxWxD)

· What sort of lighting do you plan to use (LED, metal halide, fluorescent (T5, HO, VHO, regular output, mix of any of these.)

· How many lamps, especially fluorescent and metal halide lamps.

· What wattage?

· Length of fluorescent lamps.

· If metal halide, is it single-ended (mogul screw-in base) or double-ended?

· Is your metal halide lamp rated for its burn position? Some metal halide lamps’ ID

includes a ‘U’ for universal burn position – it can be placed in a horizontal or pendent fixture. Others are designed to operate in a given position (‘BU’ for base up’ or ‘BD’ – I’ve never seen one of those in an aquarium application!)

· What spectrum? If LEDs, are they Royal Blue, Warm White, Red, etc. If metal halide, what Kelvin? If fluorescent lamps, what is the brand and trade name of the lamp (Brand X Super Actinic, Brand X Sunlight Plus, etc.)

· If using LEDs, are they dimmable?

· What sort of luminaire (fixture) will you use? This is especially important with metal halide lamps – pendent fixtures (with the lamp mounted base up) usually focuses light in a tight circular pattern resulting in higher light levels.

· What sort of ballast will you use? Standard? Electronic? Some ballasts overdrive lamps thus creating more light (and possibly reducing the life of the lamp.)

· How high will the luminaire be off the water surface?

· What is the geometry of the luminaire. This is important! Narrow fixtures focus light and wide ones diffuse it.

· What is the reflector material? Is it painted white? Brushed aluminum? Polished aluminum? Dimpled aluminum? Stainless steel?

· Does the luminaire have a ‘splash guard’? What is it made of? Glass? Acrylic?

· How old is the splash guard? If plastic, has it yellowed due to exposure to UV radiation or warped due to excessive heat?

· Is the splash guard easily cleaned? Salt spray can cake upon a splash guard and reduce light transmission.

· How is heat dissipated from the luminaire? Fluorescent tubes are designed to operate maximally at a given temperature. Temperature affects internal pressure, which, in turn, affects the quantity of light produced.

· Is the luminaire simply vented, or is a fan used for cooling?

· If a fan is used, can you easily monitor it for proper operation? Heat is the enemy of light production by fluorescent lamps and LEDs.

· Is the luminaire housed within a hood?

· If using lamps that produce a lot of heat (such as metal halides and, to a lesser degree, fluorescent lamps), how will you deal with possible heat transfer to the aquarium water (room air conditioner, chiller, etc.)

· What sort of water moving devices will you use? Water surface agitation causes waves that can focus light in what most hobbyists call ‘glitter lines.’ Water motion can also affect the rate of photosynthesis.

· Do you plan to monitor alkalinity? This parameter can influence the rate of photosynthesis.

· Will you feed the corals? Feeding (heterotrophy) can lessen the coral’s reliance on ‘food’ provided by photosynthesis (phototrophy.)

· What color will the corals be? Darkly colored corals (brown) absorb more heat than lightly colored ones. This can happen in an aquarium using lights that produce a lot of heat.

· Are you willing to perform water changes (or use and maintain activated carbon) in order to minimize ‘yellowing’ of the water? Yellow water absorbs blue light thus reducing the amount of PAR available to the animals/plants.

· If using fluorescent lamps, do you plan to turn them on and off several times a day (in an attempt to mimic daily natural light intensity patterns? Each on/off cycle damages the tube’s anode/cathode (called ‘sputtering’) and coats its internal surface with metal particles. This is most apparent as a black ring at the ends of the tube in old lamps.) Can you bear the expense of changing the lamps more often than generally recommended?

Really good info!