LED Spectrum and SPS Corals

[thabizness]

I was listening to one of the MACNA talks on LEDs and the speaker made the comment of changing the spectrum during the business day to the one that best grows coral (which in his opinion looked 'ugly' and during the evening when most are at home and viewing there tank to a spectrum that makes the corals look most pleasing to the eye. Having LEDs this is kinda a no-brainer but I am wondering if anyone has done it and the results they have gotten over time?

Thoughts?

 

[Eric Boerner]

Exactly what I do. Plus it emulates natural light during tidal cycles.

I have my Apex set up to ramp up from 20% power to 90% over the course of a "reefday", then dip back down to 20% in the night. My "reefday" starts at noon PST, and ends at Midnight PST. So by 7PM, I am at full peak on lighting. We typically go into the reef room after 8, so that is also when the color starts shifting.

From Noon till 6 I run the lights at 10,000k. I was at 6,500k but had issues with hair algae blooms that my tangs could not keep at bay. Notching the spectrum up a bith to 10,000k eliminated that problem. From 6PM to 8PM, they shift to 15,000K. From 8PM to 10PM, the shift to 20,000k. From 10PM to Midnight, they shift to Actinics.

All my colonies have great growth rates so far, and are still retaining their superior colors. My torch doesn't like the shift from 20,000k to Actnics however since it always retracts it's polyps when the shift occurs. Other than that, it does give you a leg up on growth rates.

 

[trueblackpercula]

Exactly what I do. Plus it emulates natural light during tidal cycles.

I have my Apex set up to ramp up from 20% power to 90% over the course of a "reefday", then dip back down to 20% in the night. My "reefday" starts at noon PST, and ends at Midnight PST. So by 7PM, I am at full peak on lighting. We typically go into the reef room after 8, so that is also when the color starts shifting.

From Noon till 6 I run the lights at 10,000k. I was at 6,500k but had issues with hair algae blooms that my tangs could not keep at bay. Notching the spectrum up a bith to 10,000k eliminated that problem. From 6PM to 8PM, they shift to 15,000K. From 8PM to 10PM, the shift to 20,000k. From 10PM to Midnight, they shift to Actinics.

All my colonies have great growth rates so far, and are still retaining their superior colors. My torch doesn't like the shift from 20,000k to Actnics however since it always retracts it's polyps when the shift occurs. Other than that, it does give you a leg up on growth rates.

+1 i do the same thing and my sps look great

 

[thabizness]

Eric how long are you at peak lighting?

 

[Eric Boerner]

My 90% is about 2 hours. But I am at 70%+ for a total of 8 hours. I have a 30" deep tank, with my LEDs around 10" off the surface.