kaleidoscope

I love the 14 K SPS But I also would never operate a system with out good true actinic For several reasons first is growth and fluoresces of the corals And with good strong True actinic you can supply about all the real light the corals need But the M/H's do contribute to the process But I can get by with 6 hrs aday of the M/H's and 16 for the VHO's so I get great growth and smaller power bills and heat in the summer for the A/C to deal with

Now at the shop we run the M/H for 9 hrs aday with the VHO's just faster growth rates But not to fast..

Now as for P/C lamps I really never found them to do what all I had expected them to do I had been spoiled by VHO's and after some long term compassion I could see the short comings of all P/C lighting. Not saying its bad lighting system I'm just basing it on my experiences of my tanks and corals and clams reactions and all I know who where also comparing them back in the day . But since URI started to build P/C lighting they are a lot closer to a true 03 actinic. And as I mentioned Id never use any tube without the URI stamped on therm or Their new logo I can't recall right now .

But now all of this being said the single best combination I and many have ever found was a old Iwakie 6,500 K and Actinic VHO's for total coral growth rates But fuguly to look at in the home hobby aquarium. And since we completed the Green house the sun makes them grow like crazy but then we have to bring them into the building systems to color then up with the VHO and 14 K..

 

6500k with actinics is a great combo for growth. the sun is about 5500k but after going through the air its more like 6500k when it hits the surface of the water. then the color changes dependent on depth.

there are many prosperous sps tanks without actinics that just run combinations of mh.

what about 5500k mh? some say the k value is to low for corals. the last group of pics is with 5500k and there is no tint of other colors. the pics prior had a tint of blue, green, yellow.

 

I found the 55's to work very well And back when I was involved with a Clam spawning project we found the old 55's to do a great job on the floating larva's and for their first yr of life, The coloration sucked LOL but higher K where just to hot and seemed to lower the % of the larva making it to any size at all. I just guessed it was the radiation effect of the 65's and 10 K's. and the shallow water of a few inches ,, Not any data other then it just worked better for myself and the 2 others involved in the clam thing.. The Lady who got me involved in it found it out first by mistake when the new 55K was all she had on hand .

I did try them on a reef tank in 95 or so But I had to add VHO's as it was just to damn yellow and ther algae loved them

 

clams and sps are close in regards to intesity and color needs. its the color range that makes me ponder with the different k values. the sps 10 k whitened out some of my corals. but when i had the aqualine 10 k everything had color. the sps 10 k was to intense. look at the difference of the 5500k picture with the others and tell me if there is a tint or not. im not seeing any. the cri of 5500k is about 92. what is it for the sps 10 k? and is there a color in nanometers that the sps 14k offers that the 5500k doesnt that will benefit the sps corals?

 

how much would that effect the 5500k vs 10k on a tank that is 21" deep?

 

I'll send the stuff I have to amcarrig tomorrow for her to finish out a lighting and actinic thread From a study with how corals Fluoresce and how take up the 430 light wave length and use that as a carbon to food conversion and they actually make yellow and green as a waste product.. And how that waste effects the water and refraction .. I have that all stored in my computer That I take to work and not this one in my lap now .. Its interesting and I kind of makes me thing why I like the use of a true 03 VHO.. But the bottom line is you can't have to much 03 Actinics It does effect the corals health and no M/H can supply it totally.

 

I don't recall for sure once I can get back to the shop I can test it for you lot of factors will dictate the effect though . I will ask the Boss tomorrow when we talk on the Ph he may have that info from their lab studies with corals and green mice ears LOL

 

corals color up or fluorescence from UV. it would be interesting to see the results in the computer. im just playing with all the different lights in my stock. the 5500k mh with the 03/7100k actinics dont seem to give off a ting of other colors, which is more pleasing to the eye. but dont know if its good for the corals in regards to growth and color. the lighting scheme with reef tanks has been and will always be debated.