natural coral reef

now were getting somewhere, i have the 3 brains of the site to answer the thread, i feel honored. i understand what you are saying geek. its ever changing. i also get good growth with my set up, but light isnt the only reason and we all know that. this was more of a quest to find world averages like tangster said, averages, the parameters will differ within close proximity of each other. matt ill check the site out, noaa also has info but not on just light parameters. ill keep plugin info from the net and if i can get it, youll be the first to know.

 

We have two grow out tables that incorporate the Light rail susyems And we use 3 250 HQI's and the tables are 9 ft long and the lamps just track back and forth all the time .. We get a very different coloration of the corals in those two systems then any others .. Take the same frag and one under the rail systems are paler in coloration then ones under the stationary lamps.. These systems are supposed to mimic the sun and clouds moving all day.

 

Ive met geek.

Hes really not that smart.

LMAO

Great thread!

 

tangster are you using the sps blue lights with that? and what is the reason for the whiteout, maybe the reason for the whiteout is the same k value at different angles, with cloud cover and the shifting of the sun the k value would change. which piggybacks what geek said earlier.

 

Use 10 K Ushio's on one and the 14 K sps on the other.

 

The reason why they are paler is because of the decreased exposure of the intense lighting. All the bright/pretty colors are the corals defense against intense lighting. So if you're simulating the sun, expect paler colorations then with stationary lights.

 

You are pulling my leg Really ??? Sorry buddy the devil made me do it I call it coral suntan .. Anemones and even fish will change colors to a certain amount with lighting and the intensity of it.

 

you caught me after I had been up all night and on the road for several hours, hahahaha

so eat me! LMAO

 

A lot of people dont know that though. Growers and hobbiest who know what they are doing know that. I threw that out there for everyone else who is reading it


Here is a good example...

Pic taken on Nov 20th the day I got it.


Pic of the same coral, just the other side of after I had been moving it to acclimate to my light and after it had colored up.

Pic taken on Dec 1.

 

Nutrient rich water is great for zoanthids and other soft corals/LPS cause they feed on light and their polyps pull nutrients from the water, where SPS like clean, nutrient poor water.