do you need a actinic?
- Thread starter bullitr
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reefkprz
Active Member
Originally Posted by renogaw
i thought actinics are what generate the best color and better growth for corals, where the bright whites are more for our liking.
the bright whites and yellows promote the best/fastest growth, colors appearance wise depends on spectrum, absorbed and reflected, if a coral relfects blue light (aka is mostly blue colored) its not going to be super blue under pure white (carries all spectrums of color) but it will look blue, put it under actinic wich is really deep into the blue spectrum and the colors POP, same with greens and yellows oranges reds they all tend to flouresce under the blue end 420-460 NM. corals can utilize actinic for photosynthesis, but ruinning pure actinic wouldnt suffice for most of the higher lightr corals, they just are not intense enough, picture it this way, water filters out red spectrum light really efficiently, so the deeper you go the bluer the light is that penetrates, for a super deep coral all the light that reaches it would be actinic type or blue end, for a ashallow coral its going to get full spectrum.... with gradients in between, if you wanted to simulate a deeper tank you run heavier on actinics, if you want to simulate a shallower tank you run heavier white, SPS and clams will not get the intensity they need from an actinic bulb, musrhooms maybe you could run full actinic only.
i thought actinics are what generate the best color and better growth for corals, where the bright whites are more for our liking.
the bright whites and yellows promote the best/fastest growth, colors appearance wise depends on spectrum, absorbed and reflected, if a coral relfects blue light (aka is mostly blue colored) its not going to be super blue under pure white (carries all spectrums of color) but it will look blue, put it under actinic wich is really deep into the blue spectrum and the colors POP, same with greens and yellows oranges reds they all tend to flouresce under the blue end 420-460 NM. corals can utilize actinic for photosynthesis, but ruinning pure actinic wouldnt suffice for most of the higher lightr corals, they just are not intense enough, picture it this way, water filters out red spectrum light really efficiently, so the deeper you go the bluer the light is that penetrates, for a super deep coral all the light that reaches it would be actinic type or blue end, for a ashallow coral its going to get full spectrum.... with gradients in between, if you wanted to simulate a deeper tank you run heavier on actinics, if you want to simulate a shallower tank you run heavier white, SPS and clams will not get the intensity they need from an actinic bulb, musrhooms maybe you could run full actinic only.
reefkprz
Active Member
Originally Posted by bullitr
thank you ...reefkpzr my concern is if a get 250 will it penetrate the bottom of the tank its 30 " high but i will put only xenias or maybe my carpet anemones in the bottom of the 250 .
It will but I wouldnt consider it high light unless its the area directly under the bulb, if its 30 inches high directly under it is the brightest, move 8 inches to the side and its angled so the lenght the light has to penetrate is further due to the angle from the source, at 8 inches from center your now penetrating 31 inches, at 11 1/4 inches from center your penetrating 32 at 13 1/2 your penetrating 33 inches, notice the increments keep getting smaller between distance to the side and another full inch of penetration. (these mesurements are not super exact to the micron or anything I used a tape measure and wrote on my floor to get them) I think 250w would have plenty of penetration under the bulb but a couple feet to either side is going to be low light.
thank you ...reefkpzr my concern is if a get 250 will it penetrate the bottom of the tank its 30 " high but i will put only xenias or maybe my carpet anemones in the bottom of the 250 .
It will but I wouldnt consider it high light unless its the area directly under the bulb, if its 30 inches high directly under it is the brightest, move 8 inches to the side and its angled so the lenght the light has to penetrate is further due to the angle from the source, at 8 inches from center your now penetrating 31 inches, at 11 1/4 inches from center your penetrating 32 at 13 1/2 your penetrating 33 inches, notice the increments keep getting smaller between distance to the side and another full inch of penetration. (these mesurements are not super exact to the micron or anything I used a tape measure and wrote on my floor to get them) I think 250w would have plenty of penetration under the bulb but a couple feet to either side is going to be low light.
earlybird
Active Member
Great info.
Let me personalize this a little. To refresh you I've got a 29 with pc's. I've had my first zoa frag for a little over a week. I'm planning more zoas, shrooms, gsp, frogspawn or torch, and maybe a brain. I really like the actinic look and my lights are on for 8hrs with the actinics on first and last for 1hr. Can I have the actinics on for longer and reduce my brights?
Let me personalize this a little. To refresh you I've got a 29 with pc's. I've had my first zoa frag for a little over a week. I'm planning more zoas, shrooms, gsp, frogspawn or torch, and maybe a brain. I really like the actinic look and my lights are on for 8hrs with the actinics on first and last for 1hr. Can I have the actinics on for longer and reduce my brights?
reefkprz
Active Member
Originally Posted by earlybird
Great info.
Let me personalize this a little. To refresh you I've got a 29 with pc's. I've had my first zoa frag for a little over a week. I'm planning more zoas, shrooms, gsp, frogspawn or torch, and maybe a brain. I really like the actinic look and my lights are on for 8hrs with the actinics on first and last for 1hr. Can I have the actinics on for longer and reduce my brights?
I would reccomennd keeping 8 hours of brights, 6Minnimum and this is kind of iffy for higher light stuff, if you want more viewing time under actinics just put them on for longer make it a 9 hour photo period with the actinics ending for 2 hours starting for 1, or put all the actinic hours at the end of the day.however you like. put the actinic hours wherever you have the most viewing time (dont break up the daylight though keep it a solid 8 hour stretch)
Great info.
Let me personalize this a little. To refresh you I've got a 29 with pc's. I've had my first zoa frag for a little over a week. I'm planning more zoas, shrooms, gsp, frogspawn or torch, and maybe a brain. I really like the actinic look and my lights are on for 8hrs with the actinics on first and last for 1hr. Can I have the actinics on for longer and reduce my brights?
I would reccomennd keeping 8 hours of brights, 6Minnimum and this is kind of iffy for higher light stuff, if you want more viewing time under actinics just put them on for longer make it a 9 hour photo period with the actinics ending for 2 hours starting for 1, or put all the actinic hours at the end of the day.however you like. put the actinic hours wherever you have the most viewing time (dont break up the daylight though keep it a solid 8 hour stretch)
bullitr
Active Member
Originally Posted by reefkprZ
It will but I wouldnt consider it high light unless its the area directly under the bulb, if its 30 inches high directly under it is the brightest, move 8 inches to the side and its angled so the lenght the light has to penetrate is further due to the angle from the source, at 8 inches from center your now penetrating 31 inches, at 11 1/4 inches from center your penetrating 32 at 13 1/2 your penetrating 33 inches, notice the increments keep getting smaller between distance to the side and another full inch of penetration. (these mesurements are not super exact to the micron or anything I used a tape measure and wrote on my floor to get them) I think 250w would have plenty of penetration under the bulb but a couple feet to either side is going to be low light.
can a keep a carpet directly beneath it ? i know xenia will but it may deacreased its growth i dont mind my tank is 48x 36 x 30 high no dark spot in the tank because is basically a cube so if i get the 250 ( to decrease wattage) BUT I can always go for 400 watts but the power usage will be more. maybe i should get a solar power for the whole house..men these hobby is really expensive.. lol
It will but I wouldnt consider it high light unless its the area directly under the bulb, if its 30 inches high directly under it is the brightest, move 8 inches to the side and its angled so the lenght the light has to penetrate is further due to the angle from the source, at 8 inches from center your now penetrating 31 inches, at 11 1/4 inches from center your penetrating 32 at 13 1/2 your penetrating 33 inches, notice the increments keep getting smaller between distance to the side and another full inch of penetration. (these mesurements are not super exact to the micron or anything I used a tape measure and wrote on my floor to get them) I think 250w would have plenty of penetration under the bulb but a couple feet to either side is going to be low light.
can a keep a carpet directly beneath it ? i know xenia will but it may deacreased its growth i dont mind my tank is 48x 36 x 30 high no dark spot in the tank because is basically a cube so if i get the 250 ( to decrease wattage) BUT I can always go for 400 watts but the power usage will be more. maybe i should get a solar power for the whole house..men these hobby is really expensive.. lol
sh00tist
Member
For a 30" tall tank Ive seen PAR tests that conclude that the only light that will effectively reach the bottom is a 400w MH. Now you will be able to grow sofites down low with a 250 as well as clams,sps but they will have to be placed higher up in the tank. An anemone will be kinda sketchy IMO,though it will move around til it finds the best spot it can with regard to light and flow it would more than likely end up high in the rocks,and wouldnt be as happy as it could be if it had some sand and rock like you find on the bottom.