Whites before and after blues? That seems backward to most alls lighting schedule?..

Please read Post #5 of this thread, in where the poster says to get more close to natural conditions. Have the whites on before and after the blues.
Have you heard of this? This is not my post obviously, but is the poster on to something that may/might be missed?

YOur thoughts, especially you experts out there- you know who you are, ya you....
Post #5
If Actinic is best for coral growth why do we need 10k's etc.. - ReefAquariumGuide

 

Although I'm nowhere close to an expert, I can see the validity in the argument here. With that being said, if you want some nuisance algae to go along with that growth, 6500 K is great! You would get great coral growth but I believe there are a lot of drawbacks, not including the color. I may try this theory at a later date with my led's and see what happens. Right now though, I'm still recovering from the nasty demon that is "too much gfo....again"

 

Thanks Daniel,

anyone else care to chime in on this theory that's supposedly based on fact for lighting?
I'm still not sure I can agree with it or understand it enough to say, yep, you're right.

As of yet, I haven't reversed my cylcle

 

What the guy said about the light spectrum is correct, as long as you are talking about light that is travelling through air. The issue is the longer the wavelength (the more red the light) the weaker the ability of the light to penetrate water. The greatest penetration of light comes from when it is perpendicular to the surface. So early morning and late afternoon light is travelling at a very low angle to the water and so the weaker penetration power of those rays is taken up at a much shallower depth.

Also midday sun in the tropics is around 5100K to 5500K. The Kelvin temperature of 6500K would be for temperate latitudes.

 

So should we change our temperature as the day goes on? ie 10 AM 15k, 11 AM 10k, 12 PM 6500?

 

That is kind of the idea of actinics to daylights as the order of how you turn on your lights.

You probably could run 6500K for a 4 hour stretch in midday if you were inclined.

 

I agree the poster mistakenly provided spectrums at the surface rather than under water; his theory and methods would work great in a desert terrarium.

My very first reef light was a 65w PC with a 6500k/460nm "50/50" lamp. Quite frankly, I didn't care for the dull yellowish look. I also get better growth from my current 2x24w T5 with 1 12000k and 1 460nm bulbs on the same size tank.

 

LOL I agree on the terrarium.

You should be getting better growth with the T5 over the PC. Much more usable energy produced from the T5.

 

I asked my LFS about this, he said the whites are more for our eyes than for the fish. Here is what he suggested: Blues for 10 hours and whites for 8, tack on the extra blue lights for an hour prior to the whites and an hour after. I am no pro but my LFS has always steered me right. Has something to do with the way the red light bends underwater.

 

That's the way I've always done it- the lighting cyle blues and whites.

In fact, I think pretty much everyone does-