Actinic lighting for sps

[Gills 619]

Im sure this has been asked before.
What is the importance of actinic lighting for sps?
Will it just help to supplement the yellow effect of low "K" lamps and show a better colour on the corals, or has it got a health benefit for the corals?
I run a combo of 14k and 20k BLV MH lamps and would like to know the opinion of other sps keepers as to weather I should add a percentage of actinic lamps
Thanks

 

[Frick]

True Actinic lamps (420nm) are for supplementing UV-A when using a daylamps (10Ks). 14K and 20k lamps should have plenty of this in their spectrum already so there shouldn't be a need to add actinic.

Lamps that peak in 420 nanometers will provide slight UV-A radiation. As a reaction corals will build pigments in their tissue to help reflect that away. You don't want to over do it too quick or you will give your corals a sun burn a.k.a. bleaching.

 

[dvanacker]

No need really....but they sure look great. And the royal blue led....wow if you arent running some royal blue leds you are missing out.

 

[Gills 619]

Great. Im thinking of adding some blue LED's. I have never used actinic lamps in the past and have always wondered if it's the reason that I have problems keeping beginner corals growing well. Cant get monti's to grow and colour up(not even green digi!) All other corals grow very well and PE is excellent and is always commented on by fellow reefers. Also dont get as good colour as fellow reefers that do run actinic.