Reds and warm colors

[midnightmadman]

Does anyone else like to see the reds and warmer colors (along with the blues) in their tank, or am I alone? Is there any way to get this spectrum without it causing excessive algae growth?

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

You aren't alone. A few years ago I switched out one of my actinic bulbs for a freshwater planted tank bulb and like that color more. Just seeing blue all the time is boring.

Switching to a lower kelvin lighting won't make algae grow. If you're nutrients are in check with good husbandry, you can put whatever lighting you want over the tank without worrying about algae.


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[midnightmadman]

You aren't alone. A few years ago I switched out one of my actinic bulbs for a freshwater planted tank bulb and like that color more. Just seeing blue all the time is boring.

Switching to a lower kelvin lighting won't make algae grow. If you're nutrients are in check with good husbandry, you can put whatever lighting you want over the tank without worrying about algae.


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Great!

 

[ca1ore]

Depends what your goal is. Consensus seems to be that full spectrum light is important, so reds and warm colors are a part of that. I run full spectrum fixtures, but it's easy to get a pinkish cast to the tank if you're not careful. There has certainly been a move to more of a blue spectrum, though many of the shallow water corals we keep see a much whiter light (10K or even lower).

 

[jonwright]

I'm more into the full spectrum lights. I like seeing the pinks/reds not being washed out.

I went with radiums - found out I don't like 'em. All greens and blues. Washes out pinks/red.

 

[midnightmadman]

I know why people like the blue hue to a tank, it also makes a lot of stuff glow.. but naturally unless its deep water the light isn't that blue. You can see lots more "stuff" on the liverock etc with white light

 

[mcgyvr]

I like good color rendition..

 

[Bpb]

I very much prefer a 10-12k look honestly. It's especially more attractive on sps dominant tanks as well if nutrients are kept in check.


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[smatter]

I used to think 10K bulbs were too blue when they came out

 

[jda]

There is a lot of red and yellow in fluorescent and MH lighting - a lot of it, but there is enough blue that they don't look yellow or red. It won't cause excess algae growth - this is a bad myth that needs to die.

I am no scientist, but I think that IR is important to some corals. It is not filtered out in the depth of tanks that we keep and will definitely get to the corals and does no harm or else nothing could live under most of our lights. Before anybody laughs, remember when you laughed when people thought that UV mattered?