Stupid Questions

Ok, What is actinics? I understand that it is some kind of light, but how do i know if i have any and how much one is if i don't. Is this the "moon" lighting that is on the light i have,(see post on lighting earlier). Thanks a ton.

 

Actinic lighting is the blue lighting. Not the moon lights. It helps to simulate a deep ocean. Plus you can put your lights on a timer and make a dawn/dusk effect, by turning the actinics on one hour before the daylights, and one our after the daylights go out. Plus if you have any bright corals, they will glow under pure actinics. In tech terms, it is the light spectrum in between 420nm(nanometers) and 460nm. Corals respond to light between 420-700nm. Hope this helps,

Michael

 

Actinics are supplemental lighting that is used to simulate dusk and dawn and only put out blue light (410 to 500nm) in a typical Reef set up the Main lighting would be Metal Halide ranging from 6500K to 20000K (I like 10000K) The Actinics would be PC, NO, VHO, of T5 fluorescent bulbs.
Usually the Actinics are run a few hours before, During and a few hours after the main lights.

Jason

 

Your a faster typer than me Michael

 

lol, sorry. Im tring to hit the rounds, and go to bed. Im not feeling to good tonight, .

 

TRUE actinic is 420nm. Actinics accelerate coraline growth. They are also used in the dawn to dusk affect and can be ran all day. Some corals glow under actinics. When you use them along with your other lights during the day, it brings out some really awesome colors in your corals.

 

Actinic (blue hues) are the second to last color of the specrum(ultraviolet) to be refracted by the depth in water. They make a good transition between the full intense of your daylight bulbs and the dawn and dusk representation as mentioned in the above posts. The daylight bulbs with the addition of the actinics makes for a beautiful color rendition as the fish and corals flouresce in amazing colors!!!!!