Can corals be grown under LED?

[zeroinverse]

Provided identical wavelengths, source doesn't matter. That's what Joshi meant. Not that all photons are identical.

1 photon with a wavelength of 420 nm (7.138e5 Ghz) from an LED is the same as a photon with a wavelength of 420 nm from a metal halide lamp. Every photon with a wavelength of 420 nm will ALWAYS have a frequency of 7.138e5 Ghz, just like light at 7.138e5 Ghz will ALWAYS be 420 nm. Source is irrelevant.

Saw this after I posted my followup.
Just want to clarify before our members take it out of context and think any LED setup will work as good as other lighting.

Thanks for contributing!

 

[gbru316]

Saw this after I posted my followup.
Just want to clarify before our members take it out of context and think any LED setup will work as good as other lighting.

Thanks for contributing!

No problem! I'm an engineering geek myself, electrical is my specialty. I enjoy these technical discussions, they're how progress gets made.

I made my array to mimic the photosynthetic peaks (as close as I could with available emitters) in the graphics you listed above. It has worked out well so far.


If you want some further material, look into what the purpose of the xanthophyll cycle is, and what happens if not properly activated. It explains what I think is a contributor the issues people have with cool white/royal blue LED combos.

 

[kodiak23]

I had my tank LED only for over a year and all my corals grew great and had awesome color when the lights were on. But the corals looked unhealthy when the lights were off. It's hard to explain, but after switching to T5's they once again look very healthy. I am not sure if this is completely related to lighting, but just an observation.

My SPS even grew like crazy on my sand bed with all LED's.

 

[zeroinverse]

No problem! I'm an engineering geek myself, electrical is my specialty. I enjoy these technical discussions, they're how progress gets made.

I made my array to mimic the photosynthetic peaks (as close as I could with available emitters) in the graphics you listed above. It has worked out well so far.


If you want some further material, look into what the purpose of the xanthophyll cycle is, and what happens if not properly activated. It explains what I think is a contributor the issues people have with cool white/royal blue LED combos.

Sure, would love to know more about it. I am just a "newbie" at this. And definitely would love to know what issues you are referring to.

 

[Reef Bass]

So why isn't anyone making an array of LEDs which more specifically target the frequencies of the primary photosynthetic pigments? Each diode in the array could be tuned to the frequency of a pigment. Combine a number of those tuned to different frequencies into an array, mount multiple arrays into a fixture and one should have a very photosynthetically exciting light.

 

[gbru316]

So why isn't anyone making an array of LEDs which more specifically target the frequencies of the primary photosynthetic pigments? Each diode in the array could be tuned to the frequency of a pigment. Combine a number of those tuned to different frequencies into an array, mount multiple arrays into a fixture and one should have a very photosynthetically exciting light.

Because we would need an LED manufacturer to custom make emitters for our application, which would require TONS of research, time and money. Most aquarium equipment manufacturers don't have the resources required, so we're stuck using COTS (commercial off the shelf) components to fabricate our arrays.

 

[zeroinverse]

My guess is that we benefit from hydroponics LED research (reddish), LED TV (red, green, blue), biochemistry fluorescence (blues, purples, UV), and general household & indistrial lighting (whites).

BTW, if you ever look at a white LED spectrum, you'll notice that it has peaks in blue and yellow. It uses a phosphor to make some of the blue light re-emit at the lower frequency (ie yellow) color.
Our eyes are "faked" into thinking it is white light.

 

[gbru316]

My guess is that we benefit from hydroponics LED research (reddish), LED TV (red, green, blue), biochemistry fluorescence (blues, purples, UV), and general household & indistrial lighting (whites).

BTW, if you ever look at a white LED spectrum, you'll notice that it has peaks in blue and yellow. It uses a phosphor to make some of the blue light re-emit at the lower frequency (ie yellow) color.
Our eyes are "faked" into thinking it is white light.

Along these lines, when my blue emitters are operating, the white emitters appear to be operating at a lower current as well. This is just the appearance of the phosphor in the white LED reacting to the blue emitters.

 

[gonzalez78]

My guess is that we benefit from hydroponics LED research (reddish), LED TV (red, green, blue), biochemistry fluorescence (blues, purples, UV), and general household & indistrial lighting (whites).

BTW, if you ever look at a white LED spectrum, you'll notice that it has peaks in blue and yellow. It uses a phosphor to make some of the blue light re-emit at the lower frequency (ie yellow) color.
Our eyes are "faked" into thinking it is white light.

Ron did you know you can now buy all those colors in LEDs? I currently just have neutral white and royal blue over my 40 but by doing the set-up as I had stated before I should be able to hit all those spectrums if not be pretty darn close.

 

[nmouncey]

Can I answer this question once and for all : )

I grow everything.....hard, soft, mushrooms, everything.....big, small.....only under LEDs.

CHEAP CHINESE KNOCK OFF LEDs.

Learn what lighting levels each coral likes and place it in that realm of your tank. Rent a PAR reader to know what each section is lit at. I have a 500 PAR zone......a 350-400 zone and a 150-200 zone in a 2 foot deep tank.

Place corals accordingly.

That is all.

P.S. It really works.

P.P.S Really it does.

 

[Lucas M]

I've been growing SPS coral in an all-LED BioCube 14 reliably for over a year, at all depths in the tank. I haven't yet found a color or species or that's problematic. Soft corals are obviously not a problem, I've seen reliable growth from Zoanthids, Sympodium, Mushrooms, Cristata, etc.

As far as SPS is concerned, I am currently growing: M. Setosa, M. Undata, Montipora sp. (Purple Haze, Sunset), Montipora Digitata, Anacropora sp. (Blue), Acropora sp. (Wintergreen Stag, Neon Green Stag, Limeade, Red Planet, Raspberry Shortcake, Red/Green), Acropora Tenuis (blue), Acropora Tortuosa (blue), Acropora Humilis (Green/Sky Blue), Acropora Millepora (Raspberry).

I've also grown but don't currently have: Seriatopora (multiple), Montipora Capricornis, and multiple other Acropora and Montipora.

The lack of UV light is an interesting theory, however it's just not supported by my experience (zero UV LEDs in my tank). That said, I'm sure a broader spectrum would be helpful on the whole. My frag system going up will have UV LEDs, so I might have some personal experience to share in the long run.

Whether or not LEDs can grow SPS as quickly as Halide, however, is a separate discussion. I'm still willing to lean on the side of Halide's effectiveness with the broad spectrum for growing SPS.

 

[woodnaquanut]

Luis, nmouncey and Lucas M,

Thanks for the reports from the real world.

 

[gonzalez78]

No problem John, if you're planning on getting an led fixture for your tank I would recommend the razor unless you want to spend more on the radion.