What light spectrum is best for corals?

blue spectrum
Efficient photosynthesis requires not only adequate light intensity but also the correct spectrum of light. Terrestrial plants, like those found in our garden, favor colors in the yellow, orange, and red range while corals favor colors in the blue spectrum.

What is the best lighting schedule for reef tank?

Most hobbyists run their aquarium lights a total of 10-12 hours per day, including a 1-hour sunrise/sunset. You’re safe to still run your sunrise/sunset lighting for the same time, but you should consider reducing the amount of time that your daylight spectrum runs.

How many watts of light do I need for a reef tank?

A good basic rule to follow is to provide 1 to 2 watts of lighting per gallon for fish-only aquariums, 2 to 5 watts per gallon for freshwater planted aquariums, and 4 to 8 watts per gallon for reef aquariums.

Is blue light or white light better for corals?

Corals don’t need a white light to grow in your reef tank. Instead, they need blue light to grow healthily. White light is more useful to humans, as it helps them ‘see’ the corals in the reef tank better.

What light makes corals glow?

They found that corals survive in deep water by making a special type of fluorescent protein that captures blue light and reemits it as orange-red light, which has the potential to penetrate deeper into the coral’s tissue and promotes the photosynthetic capacity of the zooxanthellae.

Are blue LED lights bad for fish?

Some studies have found that blue light causes more stress to fish retinas. Researchers have also found that even low-intensity blue light can cause cell death in goldfish retinas. However, these cases are rare, and there is little evidence to suggest that blue lighting is harmful to your fish.

Can corals get too much light?

Like every photosynthetic organism corals need light, but there’s only so much they can take. Overexposure to light, meaning exceeding the maximum amount of energy that the corals can handle, has undesired effects.

How long should I run my lights on my reef tank?

Essentially, the ideal time to have your lights on full is between 9 and 12 hours. Providing ramp up and ramp down time if possible. This gives the coral enough time (roughly 9 hours) to grow and reward from the photosynthesis.

How many watts do corals need?

The general guideline is that coral needs at least 5 watts per gallon. However, this varies depending on the species of coral, so research the soft coral you want to keep.

How do you tell if my corals are getting enough light?

Keep a look out for a coral color being pale vs bleached as well. A coral that goes pale very quickly after making a lighting adjustment is normally from to much light. A coral that does it slowly can be from to little light, to high or low a temp or to low nutrients.

What is the best reef tank lighting?

The latest craze in reef tank lighting is also the most advanced option. By now, you’re likely familiar with the various benefits of LED lights. These advanced light sources offer an incredible amount of light without reaching the scorching temperatures of metal halide fixtures.

Why is lighting spectrum important for reef aquariums?

THE CORRECT LIGHT SPECTRUM IS IMPORTANT FOR REEF AQUARIUMS. Too often reef aquarists concentrate on providing ideal water chemistry that mimics that found on the reefs and less thought is given toward providing the ideal lighting spectrum for their corals. Water chemistry on the reef is very stable as is the light spectrum that falls on the reefs.

What is the wavelength of light in coral reefs?

The majority of coral feature Chlorophyll A, which features an affinity with two light spectrums: Violet Light – 440 nm wavelength. Red Light – 675 nm wavelength.

Do reef tanks need red and violet light?

Of course, this doesn’t mean a reef tank can only thrive with shades of red and violet within this specific nm reading. There are other compounds, such as carotenoids and Chlorophyll C, which respond to other wavelengths of light.