Sniperhank
Giant Clam Addict
All sounds like excess nutrients in a system to me.
Are we driving our corals past their light saturation capability?
- Thread starter Gregcoyote
- Start date
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Gregcoyote
Aquarium Advice Addict
What's "excess?" It covers a lot of ground. What is excessive to a type of acro is perfect for mushrooms.
My interest was how the article spoke about photosynthetic saturation and it's effects on growth. That followed with my observation of shutter speeds and F stops when I shot wild corals. My home reef is lit far brighter than almost any coral garden I ever dove on deeper than 30-50'
My interest was how the article spoke about photosynthetic saturation and it's effects on growth. That followed with my observation of shutter speeds and F stops when I shot wild corals. My home reef is lit far brighter than almost any coral garden I ever dove on deeper than 30-50'
mr_X
Aquarium Advice Addict
Wait a second here......Greg, you dove many reefs. Have you seen such brilliant corals there as you do in successful reef tanks? It's our powerful, artificial lighting that makes these corals color up this way. Do they need it? Nope. Perfect example: I gave a frag of a purple valida to a friend years ago and he glued it to a rock and forgot about it in his 125 gallon with 99% soft corals and 150 watt halides over it. It turned poop brown and grew a little, but lived there for about 4 years until he broke his tank down and I took it back off of him.
I put it in the tank at the gym I maintain, and now it has become this-
Are we driving them past their limits? No way. Are we giving them much more than most of them are used to? Yup. Is it hurting them? Nope
I put it in the tank at the gym I maintain, and now it has become this-
Are we driving them past their limits? No way. Are we giving them much more than most of them are used to? Yup. Is it hurting them? Nope
OP
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Gregcoyote
Aquarium Advice Addict
I am not suggesting we are hurting them (although many of you have your LEDs dialed back quite a ways to not blast them). I am just saying that these corals are also colorful in the wild under white light. At depth they all look pretty much blue . It just seems they are growing with less light than we hit them with artificially. I use to believe the more light the better, this isn't true, it's just the right amount at the right frequencies. Too much and they bleach, too little and they grow additional algae to help make up the difference. But if you deplete phosphates by using something like Phosguard. I found the coral became even easier to bleach under lighting it once loved. Drat, this can be like balancing a ball even after all these years. It think I may just let her rip and hope for the best. I worry too much.
mr_X
Aquarium Advice Addict
Those LEDs you see in the reflection are the first generation, non dimmable, tao or similar units. That coral is probably 15" from the fixture.
This particular tank has relied on weekly water changes ( 24 gallons on a 150 gallon dt with a 55 as a sump) since set up about 5 years ago. The medium/large fish in it eat twice a week and get 2 sheets of nori a week, along with a couple pinches of flakes during the week and about the equilevant of an average sized chromis of frozen food on the weekend.
Nitrate and phosphates? This tank has been topped off with treated tap water since day one. Maybe in this case it's a help.......
This particular tank has relied on weekly water changes ( 24 gallons on a 150 gallon dt with a 55 as a sump) since set up about 5 years ago. The medium/large fish in it eat twice a week and get 2 sheets of nori a week, along with a couple pinches of flakes during the week and about the equilevant of an average sized chromis of frozen food on the weekend.
Nitrate and phosphates? This tank has been topped off with treated tap water since day one. Maybe in this case it's a help.......
OP
OP
Gregcoyote
Aquarium Advice Addict
Those rad the lights I use on my main reef as you remember. The lighting hasn't changed, but I lowered P04 down to under 0.10ppm. That has certainly shifted the balance from soft coral dominance to a renewed growth in my hard corals. Same light can now bleach a coral easier it seems. More colorful, but maybe closer to the edge?
