Why there is always a photo period with blue light only?

[ahchung]

Let me give you some background of why I asked this question.

I have been keeping SPSs for 1.5 years. SPSs thrive, but color is not great (esp. for blue and fluorescent). I have been told that something needed to be improved (e.g., lighting, skimmer).

So a few month ago, I switched to a bigger tank from 15G to 45G and upgraded my lighting from PC to T5HO (ATI Aquablue Special and ATI Blue+). I am trying to set up my lighting schedule to maximize the color of my SPS. My primary goal is SPS color. I believe I have sufficient dawn and moonlight effect and so this is not a concern for me.

So if SPS color is the primary objective, would it be significant to introduce some periods with only ATI blue+ turned on? Would the existence of those periods improves the color of the SPS?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6847312#post6847312 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tigerarmy40
I think that there is no dought that 420-460nm is beneficial but I think the question that the original poster is trying to answer is more about weather or not it is beneficial to have a dawn dusk affect!!! personally I dont believe so. the light is there and affecting the corals weather run together or not!

although now that the question has been raised I watched my tank come on yesterday morning and while the act was running the leathers and lps only half way inflated but once the daylight came on they then extended and inflated to full mass!!! this may be something that shows otherwise!?!?

 

[tigerarmy40]

I dont believe so!! I think that its more due to how much actinic you run in comparison to day light and then your water conditions!!!

 

[ahchung]

I am running 2 x ATI Aquablue Special and 2 x ATI Blue+ at the moment, which is a typical T5HO configuration in successful tanks (they are running 1:1 ATI AB Special and ATI Blue+).

I plan to upgrade my skimmer from Remora Pro to Deltec MCE600 in the near future. FYI, NO3 and PO4 are zero. I encountered cyanobacteria problem on the sandbed before. The situation is improving gradually. Maybe related to the bigger tank migration 3 months ago.

I also plan to upgrade my powerheads from maxijet to tunze (less power consumption and more flow). I am running 24x flow rate at the moment. I think this is not my first priority though.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6852155#post6852155 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tigerarmy40
I dont believe so!! I think that its more due to how much actinic you run in comparison to day light and then your water conditions!!!

 

[tigerarmy40]

it sounds like your on the right track to super color!!!