Actinics?

[washowi]

What, you Mojo's Bit--h!!???


Just kiddin.....but seriuosly replace them. why wouldn't you....I have a tank that runs totally on the them. That is the light source....It has corals, and they are growing.... My 25 Gallon has Frogspawn, zoos, GSP's mushrooms everywhere, Colt coral and a HUGE open brain coral.

They are using something...

 

[vettesarebest]

Yeah I am. lol Thats a good point.

 

[cameron]

My head hurts reading this stuff. Seems in the article I posted earlier states Kelvin rating has little to do with overall health. There 6k bulb performed virtually the same as the 12k bulb in reference to the experiment and the PAM fluorometry. If this is true, then actinic is just as good for growing coral as a standard bulb... I am guessing there is more to this and a lot more reading on my part.

Quick quote:

This experiment's results suggest information potentially valuable for hobbyists - that rates of photosynthesis were essentially the same under these two distinctly different light sources. Other than aesthetic value, there appears to be no advantage, photosynthetically speaking, in using high Kelvin lamps.
The implication of these results should be of interest to hobbyists; it suggests that lamp selection (with due regard to lamp intensity) may be based on appeal, whether that is price or the "look" it gives to a tank, without fear of hindering photosynthesis. Economy-minded hobbyists and coral farmers may find this especially useful. It appears that light intensity and relatively simple light measurements alone adequately judge lamp efficiencies within the context of zooxanthellae photosynthesis. This should not be construed to mean that all light sources are adequate for reef aquaria use.

 

[vettesarebest]

Thanks for the help! I guess I will replace them when it is time.

 

[mojo]

.... and my tank doesn't have them, and some would say that it's doing fairly well....

 

[washowi]

That my friend is the mystery of the hobby..It all works. "sometimes"

 

[vettesarebest]

So another question. I have the Coralife Aqualight Pro fixture. It has two 150 watt HQI bulbs and two 96 watt actinics. I want to replace the two 150 watt HQI 10k's with 14K bulbs. Should I keep the power compact actinic bulbs in or would that be too much blue. If I should change them what kind of bulbs should I get.

 

[mojo]

Only you'll be able to say if it's too much blue- the amount of blue is a personal choice. More blue == less growth, but usually prettier colors. Pick your poison.

 

[vettesarebest]

Cool. Thanks! I think i'll go with the 14K and keep the actinics and if its too much blue than I'll change the actinics to 50/50.

 

[washowi]

I run 2- 14K 400w MH with 265w of full actinics PC's (not the 1/2 and 1/2)..It's not that blue at all.....It's perfect for my tastes..

 

[vettesarebest]

Ill keep that in mind. I don't think I've ever seen a 14K bulb in person. Do you think you could post a pic of your tank with those lights on?

 

[washowi]

http://www.washowich.com/Pets_of_the_Family.php">http://www.washowich.com/Pets_of_the_Family.php</a>

Look on my webpage..

 

[washowi]

I have bigger pictures if you want, but that should give you an idea..

 

[kappaknight]

I don't think photosynthesis is the right word... but blue lights does do something. It makes your coral pop out more as the zooxanthellae does fluorescence more under the blue spectrumed light. If you have to replace 20k bulbs or 50/50 bulbs, then you would probably have to replace actinics as well.

 

[washowi]

What about the 14K's I got from ya? They had a par of 625+ at the surface and at a depth of 24" was over 260? That is pretty good and I can't think of anything that won't grow in that...

 

[vettesarebest]

Well Todd I like the pics and you've talke dto into the 14K with the actinics. P.S. I love te shelfs you have in the 90 gallon.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

Speaking of PC bulbs, anyone tried to order off of E-bay for some bulbs. I was just looking for a review on the lights offered. It is hard to believe that 4 65W bulbs could be $40 bucks + $25 shipping. Ok I can believe it but it is hard to believe that those bulbs would be worth a crap. Replacing my 6 bulbs is not fun thing to do when money is tight!

 

[cameron]

Here goes.... more info. Quoting from Aquarium Corals by Borneman (and where I got the blue is for photosyenthesis comment I made... I knew I would find the original ref sooner or later):

research indicates that photosynthesis, and hence the calcification rate in corals, is enhanced by providing light primarily in the blue range, and secondarily in the white range.

He goes on to explain red is has been known to induce bleaching. A bit further down he states:

Thus, any lighting should optimally be concentrated in the blue and white light spectra

You can read the full information from his book at pages 327-330.

All that said he does not go into actinic lighting which from other sources I have read is filtered light. How this filtering technique effects the light itself I do not quite understand. Also, he does state that the coral type itself often determines what is the best light. Corals that naturally grow closer to the surface get around 50%-60% of the light transmitted by the sun while deeper water corals can get as little as 1%-10%. Further, he states that he has had better results with mixes of blue light from 60%-75% give better results with the other being white light. Another point mentioned is that light in the aquarium effects all creatures in the aquarium so while one spectrum of light might be better for the coral it may not be good for other photosynthetic animals and plants the coral relies upon. Last point I gathered was that too much light can cause oxygen toxicity which causes coral bleaching as well. He suggests simulating cloud cover and a dusk/dawn period during the day by using actinic lighting.

A fascinating part of the chapter briefly mentions glitter lines and how these lines focus light in rapid succession sometimes up to 15x. It is thought that light demanding corals particularly use this to allow the light to reach deeper inside them and to the zooxanthellae. This could certainly add some benefit to owning a wavemaker.

 

[darren24]

Maroon, I have an Aqualight Pro fixture also. I have tried 10K, 14K, and 20K bulbs with the actinics. I would definately go with a 14K Phoenix bulb. You will see a big difference in how Zoas and softies like ricordea appear. It makes the colors pop. I am currently running a 20K XM and it was so blue I changed 1 of my actinic bulbs to a 50/50 to even it out. You will get good growth from the 14K Phoenix.

 

[vettesarebest]

Oh yeah I remember you recommending that bulb to me before but I couldn't remember the name of it. Will it also bring out the color in the sps and lps?