Running Blues Only!
- Thread starter JeffyT
- Start date
isomorphic85
New member
on my AI hydra 26 HD's I don't run any reds or greens at all and I have coral in the tank
I've heard that not running red's or green's in some cases helps reduce algae growth ... i'm not sure how accurate or to what extent it actually holds true though.
I've heard that not running red's or green's in some cases helps reduce algae growth ... i'm not sure how accurate or to what extent it actually holds true though.
marinelife
Active member
Blues only caused my red cyano to go crazy. I ended up running them less to get the algae to go away.
i have t5s running during the day already. this is strictly for viewing purposes.
Ron Reefman
Active member
The zooxanthellae (algae inside your coral) uses almost exclusively blue wavelengths of light. That's because it's mostly the only wavelength that gets deep into the water at reefs. White (the mix of lots of wavelengths) can be useful to some pigment production and overall health, but it is primarily blue that is required.
Cyano is a bacteria bloom not an algae.
scooter31707
New member
I think you could get away with it with a FOWLR, but probably not with a reef tank.
SeattleReefer
New member
Corals have evolved for their environment, which is mostly blue. White light is for human enjoyment.
Ron Reefman
Active member
I have run just the blue and violet for as long as a week or 10 days in the past. I do this rather than do a 3 day black out. With the blues on the corals still polyp out, fluoresce and grow. The algae slowly fades away. I think it's much better for the corals and easier for me than a 3 day black out.
Long term I suspect you'll be OK for the most part. But I wouldn't be surprised if some of your corals did some color shifting without other spectrum of light present. This may take a few weeks or many months, and it may be very subtle or fairly dramatic.
I have a green zoa that comes from just a couple of feet under water in the Keys and if I subject it to higher PAR levels (at just 4" to 8" deep in my tank) they will morph into a pretty blue over a month to 6 weeks. Put them back in lower light and they go back to green over several weeks.
Long term I suspect you'll be OK for the most part. But I wouldn't be surprised if some of your corals did some color shifting without other spectrum of light present. This may take a few weeks or many months, and it may be very subtle or fairly dramatic.
I have a green zoa that comes from just a couple of feet under water in the Keys and if I subject it to higher PAR levels (at just 4" to 8" deep in my tank) they will morph into a pretty blue over a month to 6 weeks. Put them back in lower light and they go back to green over several weeks.
Optionman
New member
After slowly ramping up the blue/violet/royal/UV over several weeks/months, I currently run the 3 blues at 110% and the UV at 80%. I turn up the white spectrum only to take photos and maybe on weekends because my wife enjoys looking at the fish with the whites up.
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Ron Reefman
Active member
110%... really? How do you do that? :spin1:
GimpyFin
Active member
I know, it sounds funny. The Hydra HDs (And new Mitras LX7) allow you to run colors over 100% when others are run lower than 100% as long as the total power rating of the light is not exceeded. Each color also still has a cap on maximum level over 100% that is allowed.
WatDatThing
New member
3 blue = 110% = 35 + 35 + 40. Yeap, I'm good with math :rollface:
This may be a stupid question: My Redsea Max S650 comes with 4 AI Hybra LEDs, which has "UV" option (I do not see this UV option with my other LEDs that i had before). I see that you are running 81% of your UV, and did it affect any of your coral coloring and growth? Why aren't you running your "cool whites"?
thanks
Optionman
New member
Running Blues Only!
I bought my S650 right before the LEDs were included. I upgraded to 4 hydra 26 when my tank was 3 months along and they've been running for nearly a year now.
Once I saw how the corals fluoresce under blues only (reef glasses!!) I began minimizing the use of the cool white, and I (rightly or wrongly) believed running greens and reds produced algae without benefits. I began running the 3 blue spectrums at 60% and UV 30% and increased slowly over a few months to about 100% and 65% and left it there for few months. I recently slowly bumped it up to current levels. I don't want to give the impression that I never run cool white. They might run for a few days and then not for another week, and I might turn them on for an hour every few days to take photos or show visitors different looks.
My reef is packed and I've had great growth across the board with really no algae issues to speak of. None of my corals seem in any way stressed from the lights I'm providing. My nutrients run high, nitrate 50 and phosphate .4-.5. I run a CA reactor, skimmer, bagged carbon and nothing else.
I've posted numerous photos on this site of my tank and corals as well as video on my reef. Take a look.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I bought my S650 right before the LEDs were included. I upgraded to 4 hydra 26 when my tank was 3 months along and they've been running for nearly a year now.
Once I saw how the corals fluoresce under blues only (reef glasses!!) I began minimizing the use of the cool white, and I (rightly or wrongly) believed running greens and reds produced algae without benefits. I began running the 3 blue spectrums at 60% and UV 30% and increased slowly over a few months to about 100% and 65% and left it there for few months. I recently slowly bumped it up to current levels. I don't want to give the impression that I never run cool white. They might run for a few days and then not for another week, and I might turn them on for an hour every few days to take photos or show visitors different looks.
My reef is packed and I've had great growth across the board with really no algae issues to speak of. None of my corals seem in any way stressed from the lights I'm providing. My nutrients run high, nitrate 50 and phosphate .4-.5. I run a CA reactor, skimmer, bagged carbon and nothing else.
I've posted numerous photos on this site of my tank and corals as well as video on my reef. Take a look.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Ron Reefman
Active member
I'm just being curious here, but do you know the nm (nano meter) spectrum of your UV leds? I've never owned any AI fixtures so I haven't paid close attention.
I ask because a lot of led brands call 410nm UV when in reality it's violet. UV starts at 400nm and shorter wavelengths (smaller numbers). If you can see the light, it's probably not UV as UV (400nm and shorter) and infra-red (700nm and longer) are outside the human visual range. I'm less sure of this, but I think UV leds are uncommon, more expensive and have shorter life spans than other leds and therefore don't often get used in aquarium fixtures.
I ask because a lot of led brands call 410nm UV when in reality it's violet. UV starts at 400nm and shorter wavelengths (smaller numbers). If you can see the light, it's probably not UV as UV (400nm and shorter) and infra-red (700nm and longer) are outside the human visual range. I'm less sure of this, but I think UV leds are uncommon, more expensive and have shorter life spans than other leds and therefore don't often get used in aquarium fixtures.
Ron Reefman
Active member
That's not 110%. That's 35%, 35% and 40%. They are different colors and you don't add them together. In fact, if you want to be accurate, you would average them and say it's 36.66%
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