Daily switching of MH K-ratings for healthier corals?

[Tang Salad]

I'm wondering if rotating, daily, between 10K, 14K, and 20K MH bulbs would lead to better coral health or better coloration.

The idea would be to switch bulbs every morning, run each bulb for one day in three-day cycles. This would expose corals to a fuller spectrum.

Would corals benefit from this, or would they be harmed by being in a constant state of zooxanthellae-adjustment?

Let's assume we're talking about SPS, but if you think the answer might be different for LPS, please feel free to add that opinion, too.

(NOTE: This is NOT intended to be a discussion about how much of a hassle it may or may not be switching bulbs on a daily basis. Please refrain from such comments.)

Thanks!

 

[antonsemrad]

WOW Tang Salad, I think that would be a hassle. Why ever would you want to do such a thing. To much work!:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


Well corals in the wild are subject to cloudy days and such, so mabe it could be done. I would think that having some kind of shading (cloud simulation) would be more natural than changing light bulbs. And for another thing, the 65k iwaski bulb has the fullest spectra of any bulb on the market. Witch begs the question, do we fuss about coral color to much? Perhaps we should be looking at the right kinds of foods in appropiate amounts, and looking for dark pigmentation in our acros. (hearacy I know) I guess it depends on ones goals. I find it hard to equate coral health with coral color. (as in the eye poping colors that we all like to see.) What exactly is it that you would be trying to accomplish with your proposal?

 

[Tang Salad]

Bump

 

[Donw]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8446318#post8446318 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tang Salad
Bump

I think if I were to play around with lighting I'd mess around with intensity rather than kelvin.

Don

 

[dippin61]

well.. i have 1 250w mh 14k hammie, and also a 110w vho actinic and a 50/50.

i often switch up my lighting scedule. as in, some days i'll run the mh for shorter time, but have my vho's on longer. sometimes i run the mh with both vho's on, sometimes only the actinic, and sometimes with no actinic, and every so often, just the mh. and i also switch up a few times during the same day to simulate "clouds" or severe weather.

no ills what so ever.

 

[castorpollux]

blue slimer or purple slimer would be a great coral to try this with, in some cases it browns out under 20k and blues up with 10k, and I can say that from personal experience my blue slimer frag did NOT like the 20k, it browned out except for the tip which turned a baby blue, my blue tort is blue, my miyagi tort is blue, also all under 20k. So I think that overall certain corals would benefit you would keep better colors i.e. reds with 6.5k as well as purple edges/tips due to faster growth and more UV, but definely not all the corals would have any kind of reaction I would guess, except sporadic growth as you decrease and raise your color temperature.