NuclearReefs
Active member
Lostmind,,, I saw a guy in atlanta put a light rail motor on a radial arm which made his lighting spin over the corals,, 180 degrees then return like a clock arm,, now that was awsome,,, it was over rubbermade vats .....
Greenhouse project
- Thread starter dendronepthya
- Start date
For the winter months, why not put a reflector over the tanks to bounce light into them? Something I remember from skiing as a kid in the Rockies is the sunburns I'd get in February. White snow reflects light quite well. I'm sure with a little creativity and a roll of mylar, you could direct a lot of light into your tanks without shelling out $$$ for MH.
dgasmd
New member
I think you guys would be extremely surprised of how much PAR there is on a mildly overcast day in the middle of the winter. The one thing that will be needed is some form of blue light for the SPS to color up well. I have always heard from other people with outside set ups or sunlight driven set ups that their sps tend to not get the vibrant colors they get inside an aquarium. Hard to uderstand since they come with those colors from the sea, which is sunlight at its best. It doesn't have to do with intensity as much as it seems to be related to color temperature.
Again, this is all reproduction of what I ahve heard others with these set ups say and not personal experience. Take it for what is worth.
Again, this is all reproduction of what I ahve heard others with these set ups say and not personal experience. Take it for what is worth.
NuclearReefs
Active member
dgasmd,, I would say one of the possible reasons is the wavelength of light where the corals are collected is different from where most are setting up greenhouse scenarios. Also the factor of " Natural Nutrients" they receive which is still a mystery to us.This could really be playing more of a role than we actually realise.. we only have touched the tip of it i beleive..
dendronepthya
Premium Member
I have heard the "color temperature" argument myself, but it simply does not make any sense. It is not like there is no "blue" in sunlight. In fact, there is a ton. About 20 feet underwater though, most of the longer wavelength light is blocked out by the water column, so everything looks blue. A coral in shallow water that looks more like daylight is still getting every bit of the "blue" in the spectrum, it is just not apparent to our eyes since they are more sensitive to the red part of the spectrum.
I don't doubt that some people with outside setups have corals that color up funny. I haven't run into that problem myself as of yet (I'll post pictures for sure if I do). The nicest, most colorful corals I have ever seen though were in an outdoor setup in Hawaii's Waikiki Aquarium. They had mind blowing colors that looked like they were glowing in a slightly overcast day.
I don't doubt that some people with outside setups have corals that color up funny. I haven't run into that problem myself as of yet (I'll post pictures for sure if I do). The nicest, most colorful corals I have ever seen though were in an outdoor setup in Hawaii's Waikiki Aquarium. They had mind blowing colors that looked like they were glowing in a slightly overcast day.
SHOmuchFUN
New member
In the winter, with snow on the ground, creates a much better lighting environment. Snow has a very high albedo, which reflects light rather than absorb it, much like green grass, or even more, black pavement. Ever notice how bright a night is when the moon is out and there is snow on the ground? Same will happen during the day when there is snow on the ground, and light is penetrating through clouds.
I'll be interested when you compare par readings from cloudy days in the summer, vs. cloudy days in the winter. My educated guess is that your par will be higher in the winter.
Not to mention that snow is a great insulator.
I'll be interested when you compare par readings from cloudy days in the summer, vs. cloudy days in the winter. My educated guess is that your par will be higher in the winter.
Not to mention that snow is a great insulator.
photobarry
New member
dendronepthya said:
If that light color study in Advanced Aquarist is accurate, I think they suggested that red wavelengths of light can cause bleaching in the coral tested. That implies that it isn't a lack of blue light, but too much red that causes poor coloration. It might be interesting to experiment with something that will selectively remove red wavelengths but transmit the others to the corals.
photobarry
New member
Yeah, I am wondering if a light-blue (colored) light filter might work better than a screen that reduces all wavelengths equally. I suspect that it might not actually do much. Just as an aside, I have heard from others that grow frags outside, that they can't get good pinks in the winter.
photobarry
New member
SoCal
dendronepthya
Premium Member
I haven't seen the article, but I find that difficult to believe. During low tide, fields of Acropora are exposed to air and direct sun for hours in the great barrier reef, and they look anything but brown.
photobarry
New member
The study used monochromatic light, so that could be a factor. Maybe it is the lack of other wavelengths. Plus, I think they used a Stylophora coral. Their pigmentation is a different type than in Acros.
kris_willard
New member
seems to me it is the same sun...
dendronepthya
Premium Member
The air pumps are working very nicely. They are still practically silent and do not consume very much electricity.
My water purification system arrived and I am in the process of installing it. It's more complex than anything I've put together in the past, so I am taking my time with it to make sure everything is the way it should be.
Shown below are (from left to right) the sink, Carbon Pre-filter, Dual-stage Water Softener, Sediment Pre-filter, and the 1000 GPD RO unit.
Control units for the Carbon Pre-filter and the Water Softeners.
Here is the 1000 GPD unit mounted on the wall with the blue Sediment Pre-filter.
