Hentz
New member
Lighting is one of the most important things for a reef tank. Corals contain a zooxanthellae algae which has a symbiotic relationship with the coral itself. Zooxanthellae feeds the coral using photosynthesis. The algae also helps the coral remove waste and provides the coral with oxygen and even some amino acids. Zooxanthellae also plays a role in coral pigmentation. Receiving light for a photosynthetic purpose, the algae also releases chlorophyll which will determine the coral's color, depending on how much it releases. Lighting intensity will play a role in the zooxanthellae cell production. The lower the intensity of the light, the more nutrients will be produced by the zooxanthellae cells for the coral. This will usually result in the coral turning brown, the color of zooxanthellae algae. The higher the intensity of the light, the less zooxanthellae cells will be produced. This is what will give the coral the bright and fluorescent color that we all try to achieve. However, too intense of a light will cause for too much zooxanthellae algae cells remaining in the coral. This will lead to an abundance of oxygen created by the zooxanthellae, causing the coral to "œbleach" - turn white - and start to die. The key to lighting is finding that perfect balance of intensity and sticking with it.
Choosing your lighting.
Aquarists who choose their lighting usually have a very hard time. Why? They often research so many reviews and experiences with so many different types of lighting, it makes them second guess on which to choose. In 2017, the most common lighting used for reef tanks are Metal Halides, T5-HO, and LED's. The debate goes on and on about which are the best and why. It's truly the good ol' Chevy, Ford, and Dodge debate. They're all built to do same thing, they just do it in different styles. Whichever type of lighting you choose, stick with it and you will achieve the results you're trying to accomplish with the proper water parameters.
Conclusion
As I said above, any of these types of lighting will achieve your goals. Each type will come with its pros and cons. It's completely up to what you're looking for in a light and which type will have more pros for you. There are so many posts asking which lights to get, as I'm even guilty of doing it. Doing so will just lead you in a circle due to the multitude of experiences and leave your head spinning.
So sit down, find the best type of lighting FOR YOU, figure out your budget, and find the brand and specific fixture that will include the options you must have. Visit your LFS's or local reefers who have the fixtures you're contemplating on. See how they look in person. If budget is an issue, look at used fixtures. You will often pay far less than retail. This gives YOU, the person with possible buyers remorse, the opportunity to get your money back if you're absolutely not happy with the lighting.
***Please Note***
This is a brief run-down of the different lighting most common today. There is so much more detailed studies and information on each individual type of lighting.
I am by no means an expert in Marine Biology nor on lighting or how lighting effects corals. I'm just an avid reefer who has been in the hobby for about 5 years and absolutely loves everything reef. This is just the knowledge I've obtained from years of research.
I made this post because like myself, many of us are searching for the BEST lighting for our reef tanks. Heads often spin due to the amount of choices and the fear of buyers remorse happening. All in all, my message is that you should not let others steer you in a direction you're truly not wanting to go because of their own negative experiences. Let your wants be priority and other's experiences be knowledge.
Please feel free to contribute any information. This is not about debating different lights but about informing our fellow beginner to advanced aquarists.
I apologize if some may not be 100% accurate as I wrote this off the top of my head. If something is not completely accurate, please quote the specific area and add the correct information.
**Correcting or Adding Information**
If you're correcting or adding any information for the post, please start the post with big and bold text in the color RED, saying CORRECTING or ADDING, to allow people to find updated or added information better.
:beer: and Happy Reefing!
Choosing your lighting.
Aquarists who choose their lighting usually have a very hard time. Why? They often research so many reviews and experiences with so many different types of lighting, it makes them second guess on which to choose. In 2017, the most common lighting used for reef tanks are Metal Halides, T5-HO, and LED's. The debate goes on and on about which are the best and why. It's truly the good ol' Chevy, Ford, and Dodge debate. They're all built to do same thing, they just do it in different styles. Whichever type of lighting you choose, stick with it and you will achieve the results you're trying to accomplish with the proper water parameters.
- Metal Halides have been used for years with proven success. These are going to be a more plug-and-play type of lighting. These fixtures require a Metal Halide bulb which can range from a 6500k-20,000k color and 75-400w (for the typical personal reef). The bulbs are placed into large reflectors that will direct the lighting down into the aquarium. These lights will give the closest possible mock of "œnatural" looking light and shimmer. It is recommended that you use one Metal Halide bulb per 2-feet of tank. Bulb replacement is recommended about every 12-months.
While many corals thrive so well under these lights, they do come with a bit of a disadvantage. They produce a lot of heat that can not only effect the area around it, but the tank as well. Some tanks may require a chiller, which can also produce heat around it, to help keep the water from over-heating. Also many Metal Halide fixtures usually contain a very heavy and bulky ballast along with a bulky fixture that is not always attractive to the eye.
- T5 High-Output have been around for years as well. T5 will also be a very plug-and-play type of lighting producing some amazing results. These fixtures require T5HO bulbs which are skinny and long tubes. It's best that these bulbs are placed in a fixture that have individual reflectors for each bulb, allowing the best possible impact of light to enter the tank. It's also best to make sure your fixture has a well designed ballast, allowing for the bulb to be used at its best potential. Bulbs range from 6500k-22000k and 24w-80w. T5HO will allow you to mix-match multiple bulbs to achieve the color you'd like for your tank. They will also give you the best coverage possible around your tank.
T5HO are a great alternative to Metal Halides. They do not produce as much heat and still allow your corals to promote photosynthesis. Some fixtures even allow you to dim the bulbs, creating a "œsoft" sunrise/sunset. However, this feature seems to reduce the bulb's life faster that simply turning on/off.
The disadvantage of T5HO fixtures is that you do need to change the bulb's every 8-12 months. Bulbs will start to lose intensity over-time. The other slight disadvantage to T5HO is some fixtures come with up-to 3 cords. For most, this isn't an issue. Although when outlets are limited, this can be an issue. T5HO will also produce a "œflat" like lighting opposed to LED's or Metal Halides which will produce a shimmer.
- LED (Light-Emitting Diode) is one of the newer forms of reef lighting. They have been out for a few years and are still becoming more and more adequate for corals. That being said, they are still without a doubt able to produce the same results as you would get with Metal Halides or T5HO. While T5HO and Metal Halides are basically plug-and-play, LED's are more trial and error by slowly finding the best intensity and color for your corals. Note that LED's will appear much more dim compared to T5HO and Metal Halides, but do not let your eyes be the judge of how intense the light should be!
Most LED's are dimmable and even controllable. What I mean by this, is you can dim the lighting without hurting the life of the fixture, unlike T5HO. You can also control your lighting by setting up profiles, allowing your light to ramp up and down whenever, giving you a "œtrue" sunrise/sunset. Some fixtures even have special features allowing you to have a 0-100% lighting storm or mimic the moon at night. LED's also allow you to achieve the color you prefer without having to swap out T5HO or Metal Halide bulbs. Some fixtures even have wifi built in, allowing you to control the lights from your phone or computer. LED's also produce the least amount of heat and are a much more efficient way of lighting your reef. They also give off some of the best shimmer.
The disadvantages with LED's is exactly what they offer, controllability. User-error seems to be one of the biggest issues when it comes to LED's. Users often try to find the best settings by frequently adjusting the colors and intensity, resulting in unhappy corals. To prevent this, it's best to slowly adjust intensity over-time, allowing the corals to adapt properly. Another option would be to set it and forget it. Stability is king when it comes to corals. Another common disadvantage is quantity of fixtures. LED's tend to require more fixtures to cover a tank, especially with SPS corals. The disadvantage of this is you will need to spend more to get more to cover more. Corals also require more of an acclimation when coming from Metal Halides or T5HO to LED's. Some fixtures offer built-in acclimation settings which is a very nice feature. If your fixture does not have that option, its usually best to place the coral at the bottom and slowly move it up.
Conclusion
As I said above, any of these types of lighting will achieve your goals. Each type will come with its pros and cons. It's completely up to what you're looking for in a light and which type will have more pros for you. There are so many posts asking which lights to get, as I'm even guilty of doing it. Doing so will just lead you in a circle due to the multitude of experiences and leave your head spinning.
So sit down, find the best type of lighting FOR YOU, figure out your budget, and find the brand and specific fixture that will include the options you must have. Visit your LFS's or local reefers who have the fixtures you're contemplating on. See how they look in person. If budget is an issue, look at used fixtures. You will often pay far less than retail. This gives YOU, the person with possible buyers remorse, the opportunity to get your money back if you're absolutely not happy with the lighting.
***Please Note***
This is a brief run-down of the different lighting most common today. There is so much more detailed studies and information on each individual type of lighting.
I am by no means an expert in Marine Biology nor on lighting or how lighting effects corals. I'm just an avid reefer who has been in the hobby for about 5 years and absolutely loves everything reef. This is just the knowledge I've obtained from years of research.
I made this post because like myself, many of us are searching for the BEST lighting for our reef tanks. Heads often spin due to the amount of choices and the fear of buyers remorse happening. All in all, my message is that you should not let others steer you in a direction you're truly not wanting to go because of their own negative experiences. Let your wants be priority and other's experiences be knowledge.
Please feel free to contribute any information. This is not about debating different lights but about informing our fellow beginner to advanced aquarists.
I apologize if some may not be 100% accurate as I wrote this off the top of my head. If something is not completely accurate, please quote the specific area and add the correct information.
**Correcting or Adding Information**
If you're correcting or adding any information for the post, please start the post with big and bold text in the color RED, saying CORRECTING or ADDING, to allow people to find updated or added information better.
:beer: and Happy Reefing!
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