uv lighting

[eddiereefs]

Hey guys i have a rapid led kit on my biocube 29 (12 cool white 12 royal blue). The thing is i didnt believe in full spectru/ uv at the time. Needless to say sps growth was lack luster
I added 4 uv leds 400-420 nm and some cyan leds about 520 i believe. Any ways growth has been taking off lately on my sps. I think i can positively say that the uv are the keys to my success since my alk is always stable and cal ans phos have never been an issue. I know that uv is highly debateable but id like to here ur thoughts either for or against uv.

 

[Ron Reefman]

How about we start the discussion by calling the 400-420nm spectrum what it really is... violet. It's not UV. UV is wavelengths shorter than 400nm.



All my led fixtures (7 of them over 4 tanks and 2 refugiums) have leds in the violet range so I can't say from personal experience that they make a significant difference over not having them. But I think the science has shown that anything in the long UV (360-400nm), violet (400-420nm) and blue (420-480nm) are useful to the zooxanthellae that help feed our corals.

 

[alton]

Ron why can't we refer to them as Actinic like the old Philips 03 actinic made in Holland, or the old VHO Super Actinic?