How Important is Green and Red Light Spectrum

[zenzence]

Hello,
So using LED we have so many options..... At 14K we are using mainly UV, Violet and Royal Blue. With a adjustable LED light seems Green, Red and White are kinda being left out.... If you have a Prime HD light I am using only 30 watts at 14k at 80% ....This is because from what i read using a LED at or near its max the generation of heat from the LED makes it less efficent then if one was to operate it at less then max.

So guess my question is increasing green and red wont really change the color but will it benefit aquarium as i understand green and red is absorbed very quickly even at 12 inches??

Thoughts Thanks

 

[Ron Reefman]

Absolutely no visible light is absorbed by water in just 12 inches. Some UV down in the mid 300nm range maybe, but you don't want it anyway.

Here is a graph that gives you a realistic idea of how deep different colors penetrate saltwater. Even the longest wavelength of red that are visible will penetrate 3'.

 

[blasterman789]

There's no debate that the optimum energy spectrum for corals is deep blue to blue. Anybody can google the chlorophyll graphs and see for themselves. Plus, the lights we use over reef tanks for the past several decades regardless of technology are all throwing dominantly blue light (430-470nm) with just a smidge of green or yellow.

However, longer wavelengths due play a factor....it's just as well known what they do, but mostly likely regulating size and orientation. Warmer wavelengths obviously tells the coral in growing in shallow water.

Some obvious proof of this: try growing corals with just royal blue LEDs or actinics, and they just don't grow right. LFS stores are notorious for doing this, especially over softie tanks, and while they display crazy colors nothing grows fast in the tank while par is fine.

I've never been convinced UV of any sort plays a factor in coral growth.

 

[Ron Reefman]

+1

However, the red & green leds do cause red and green shadow edges that some people really hate. So cover the red and green leds with black tape or dial them out if you have that kind of control. You'll get all the red and green you need from the white leds.

BTW. I had an algae issue and rather than going lights out for 3 days, I just did a week of all blue leds. The algae is gone and my corals look just the same as they did when I started the all blue test.

 

[Wazzel]

Also keep in mind that most of the corals we keep come from relatively shallow water where most wave lengths have not been absorbed yet.

 

[AlSimmons]

Green & Red? If they both fell off the face of the earth would anything be any different? Where does your faith lie at?

 

[Ron Reefman]

Green & Red? If they both fell off the face of the earth would anything be any different? Where does your faith lie at?

We'd all been in our cars stuck in HUGE traffic jams!:headwalls:

 

[AZRippster]

"Corals can be found throughout the oceans, from deep, cold waters to shallow, tropical waters. Shallow coral reefs have optimal growth rates in warm water ranging from 70-85°F (21-29°C). Coral reefs can be found at depths exceeding 91 m (300 ft), but reef-building corals generally grow best at depths shallower than 70 m (230 ft). The most prolific reefs occupy depths of 18-27 m (60-90 ft), though many of these shallow reefs have been degraded."

http://marinebio.org/oceans/coral-reefs/

So taking that reference and applying the graph for light penetration in water will yield the most valuable spectrum's for coral. That said, most diving in the Great Barrier Reef and locations within Indonesia and Malaysia are 60' or less (at least for reef exploration). The most concentrated number of species also live within these regions. Most coral reef diving I have done range in the 30'-70' range. The only reason I go deeper is for wrecks and sea life.

 

[ken1977]

I have my red and green at 5% on my Radion.

 

[s2nhle]

Red and Green are 15% on my radion

 

[Wazzel]

You guys do know that the different LED channels on the radion are not equally rated, right? ETM has already dialed the down red and green in relation to blue and white. There really is no reason to run them substantially lower than the other channels. I use AI fixtures and all my colors peak at the same level except for white, which is a bit lower since I like a little more blue in my tank.

 

[skanderson]

no one has mentioned that one reason we light our reefs is so we can look at it. I believe that lots of led users don't use much red or green. that is why I cant stand to look at pictures of those tanks, they look off to me. I'm currently using 400 w mhs with 20 k radiums. I was told the blue look would grow on me and I would come to like it. I will be adding some leds to try to warm up the color temp look hopefully by this fall. also I don't agree with the blanket statement that the white leds have all the red and green needed. if you like that look and things grow well for you more power to you, but I like better color rendition, even if it means a bit less pop from my corals.

 

[Subsea]

Chlorophyll is required for all photosynthesis. Chlorophyll A & B, two main pigments, have peak activity in both the red and blue spectrum. While I don't care much for the blue look, most reefers have gone to it so as not to grow nuisance algae, which seem to prefer red and yellow.