Blue Tanks: I started keeping corals 15 years ago. Still don't get it.

[galleon]

I started growing corals 15 years ago. I have over a decade of oceanography experience under my belt. I have seen reefs in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, multiple sites in the Pacific. And I don't mean dive site reefs.

As a DIRECT result.

I HAVE NO IDEA why people continue to use blue lights that make entire systems look blue-washed. I can't believe that coming back to the hobby, it's still an insanely popular thing to do.

Lighting in the SPS coral world is likely my biggest, and maybe only true, peeve.

I don't care about your justifications, rationalizations, whatever. Your overall blue light makes your corals and tank look like crap. Yes you.

 

[EJPLV]

Hey, you forgot "End rant." :lol:

 

[Apple Sticker]

I started growing corals 15 years ago. I have over a decade of oceanography experience under my belt. I have seen reefs in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, multiple sites in the Pacific. And I don't mean dive site reefs.

As a DIRECT result.

I HAVE NO IDEA why people continue to use blue lights that make entire systems look blue-washed. I can't believe that coming back to the hobby, it's still an insanely popular thing to do.

Lighting in the SPS coral world is likely my biggest, and maybe only true, peeve.

I don't care about your justifications, rationalizations, whatever. Your overall blue light makes your corals and tank look like crap. Yes you.

Why do you care about what other people do?seems like its bugging you more than it should.

 

[GrimReefer555]

^Seriously... Maybe they think YOUR tank looks like crap. That's like saying you hate that people like cheeseburgers, because you don't. I don't care about their justifications, etc, cheeseburgers are stupid!

 

[galleon]

Hey, you forgot "End rant." :lol:

Yup.

 

[brad908]

Sounds like a personal problem

 

[galleon]

Yup, it's a personal problem because I know what sunlight in seawater actually looks like. Looks like many people in the SPS world just guess, dream, or play a version of monkey see monkey do. Basically, my personal problem is everyone being a bunch of followers with either no idea what reality looks like, or willfully ignoring it to make their corals look like they are partying in a rave.

 

[Andyf30]

Everyone has there own tastes. I do like the fluorescence I get with my morning and evening lights, but my day time lights are much whiter. I like both the natural and the blue. Its the owners call...not sure why it bugs you this much haha

Edit: Just to clarfiy I have been snorkeling in the Keys, Bahamas, the Galapagos Islands, and Hawaii. I still like my tank a little blue

 

[phish guy]

You mad bro?

 

[Allmost]

3 simple reasons, conclusion of all sps lighting articles ends with "coral use blue spectrum MORE" key point being more. They can use all visible wavelengths.

All articles mentioning that blue spectrum is the only one that makes it deep into the reef, but fail to mention corals that we keep don't live that deep.

And lastly, excitation of certain pigments under blue lighting. It simply brings out different colors from the same coral.

I have white t5s, except 2 for sun rise/sundown, to see the " other" color in corals.

 

[mayjong]

and what exactly do these mysterious “reefs” you speak of look like underwater?
every one i've seen (past the "snorkle " zone ) look pretty blue to me...
that's kinda how it works.

that being said, i don't like much of a "blue" tint. i run my leds at about 70-30, and when i had mh (and building a mh tank again) i will run 14k phoenix. not too blue...

 

[M88A2]

Quick solution for your problem bro. Look at you own tank and mind your own business. I very much doubt anyone keeps reef tanks to make you happy.

 

[Bigcefa]

This guy... Sounds like personal problems to me.

 

[ReefTronix]

I guess they should use blue/green and make their tank look blue/green washed?

This is what the reefs I've seen in Hawaii, Cozumel, Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas, etc over the last 30 year of diving and snorkeling..

and the only way to really get the colors to pop was to use an external light source or flash like this:

as you can see everything else is washed out in blue.

While I only use the blue for sunrise/sunset in my tank and otherwise its pretty much full spectrum and not blue.. It looks far better than real reefs where colors are always really washed out.

 

[psykobowler]

4x400watt radiums, 8x54watt ati blue plus and 4x110watt vho super actinic on my 300 gal tank. Because I CAN.

 

[galleon]

Shame, I guess I'd like my corals to look good in a natural sense, rather than pretend they look good through 3D glasses at a discotheque while tripping on acid.

 

[ryanrid]

Shame, I guess I'd like my corals to look good in a natural sense, rather than pretend they look good through 3D glasses at a discotheque while tripping on acid.

nice story tell it to readers digest :lolspin:

there are no protein skimmers, cal reactors etc in the wild either you got problems with them too.

oh yeah they not in glass boxes either, better just stick to snorkeling where theres nothing un natural

 

[phantomg23]

nice story tell it to readers digest :lolspin:

there are no protein skimmers, cal reactors etc in the wild either you got problems with them too.

oh yeah they not in glass boxes either, better just stick to snorkeling where theres nothing un natural

actually, there are natural versions of those equipment pieces. thats why we use them. And how do you know its not in a glass box? the world could be in a glass box lmao inception.

 

[phantomg23]

guys calm down let him like what he likes and let you like what you like we are all entitled to our opinions. I too like a 12-14k look better. I like the true pastel colors

 

[ryanrid]

guys calm down let him like what he likes and let you like what you like we are all entitled to our opinions. I too like a 12-14k look better. I like the true pastel colors

hes the one telling everyone

I don't care about your justifications, rationalizations, whatever. Your overall blue light makes your corals and tank look like crap. Yes you.