Why does anyone want a light that does lightening?

[Gregcoyote]

I guess I don't get it. Why would you flash the LED lights to make it look like lightening? It scares the heck out of the fish. And as a diver, I have seen lightening underwater. It doesn't look like this. Cloud passage over a big tank might look cool, but an effect that causes fish to jump is counter productive.

[jeffaquarius]

I don't have one but I guess it's for the heck of entertainment lol

[Gregcoyote]

I guess since I haven't viewed the effect from inside a tank, maybe it does look real to the fish...it's easy to do with the proper controller, I just don't see why.

[Gti_Leo]

i think its a feature that can be done so it has to be done just to look cool

[Cjsanders757]

My lfs says it does help stimulate growth in coral. He has his ai sol doing every month on a different day.

[TommyP]

I never saw it in person. But I saw it on a youtube video last night. Looks "cool" but It scared the crap out of the fish.

[Gti_Leo]

Originally Posted by Cjsanders757

My lfs says it does help stimulate growth in coral. He has his ai sol doing every month on a different day.

how does a simulated lightening storm stimulate coral growth, its not like its gettign any more light then it normally would

[Keithhjs]

I have lights that have that feature. I do not use it except for when I first got them just to experience it. It is cool to watch the storm "set in" and the lights flash, especially when the rest of the room is dark. Didn't really freak the fish out too much. They act like its night time pretty much. I just decided not to run it. I think an argument could be made that it could possibly stimulate some corals just because the ocean is so diverse and so many variables these lights are just trying to simulate one of variables. Maybe it does nothing but I think of those corals that spawn on one day a year and somehow they all know when to do it and I wonder if in an aquarium they would. Maybe the lights can promote something that happens in oceans only if only at a smaller level even. Dunno, guess I rambled on lol.

[jeffaquarius]

If the designer of the lightning feature has not included its usefulness then I would only assume it is only for the fun of watching it.

[Gregcoyote]

I am highly skeptical that that effect stimulates the growth of anything. Sounds like a nice way for a LFS to push that feature. As long as it doesn't make your fish jump out of their scales, no harm done. It probably does look cool.

[Keithhjs]

Originally Posted by Gregcoyote

I am highly skeptical that that effect stimulates the growth of anything. Sounds like a nice way for a LFS to push that feature. As long as it doesn't make your fish jump out of their scales, no harm done. It probably does look cool.

I am skeptical too that it would promote any growth but I wonder if in some small way it could help stimulate some reproduction process. I would be surprised if it did but who knows?

[Gregcoyote]

Who knows? There are still mysteries to this hobby.

[MikeYQM]

I feel 100% confident stating as FACT that the feature possesses no practical use and is purely aesthetic.

There is no reasonable explanation as to why lightening would stimulate growth. Also, due to the randomness and frequency of storms on nature, it would have any effect on a seasonal process like the moon or tides for example; forces which are not random.

It's a feature built in, through a minute of extra programming to help sell units. If there was ANY thread of practical benefit, the manufacturers would be knew all about it.

[Mr. Crabs]

Tell ya one thing. Whenever a thunder/lightning storm hits my area when I'm asleep, it scares the crap out of me and I need an extra cup of coffee to get my morning started the next day.

I can only assume my fish would hate it too.

[Gregcoyote]

You ought to see one up close. For years I flew a twin engine aircraft for my company and got caught on IFR flights in some pretty scary stuff. Here in the Midwest they are hard to avoid some days. Can't imagine fish like them anymore than I did.

[Keithhjs]

Originally Posted by MikeYQM

I feel 100% confident stating as FACT that the feature possesses no practical use and is purely aesthetic.

There is no reasonable explanation as to why lightening would stimulate growth. Also, due to the randomness and frequency of storms on nature, it would have any effect on a seasonal process like the moon or tides for example; forces which are not random.

It's a feature built in, through a minute of extra programming to help sell units. If there was ANY thread of practical benefit, the manufacturers would be knew all about it.

Please understand that I am not trying to say the lightening feature does anything for the coral per se. I was simply playing devils advocate in the sense that who knows what random things do and do not help. I was also more specifically referring to the storm (cloudiness, etc) part of the lights than the lightening. I agree the moon, tidal currents, temperature, etc, etc , etc are much more involved in the reproduction and growth of corals. Didn't mean to say my lights with marketing features is actually doing anything other than providing light.

[jeffaquarius]

When there is thunderstorm and lightning, rain comes next. After the rain the river overflows. Guess where the rain and the water in the river go. I am not sure if the diluted water in the reef caused by the rain can really contribute to the reproduction and growth of corals. We know for sure that corals prefer sunlight but not with dark clouds. We also know that animals synch their reproduction during season of plenty. As someone has mentioned, if the manufacturer has never mentioned any benefit of such features, then we assume they do not. Otherwise, if they say they do but not true, then their product will be jeopardized by biologists who can reveal the truth.

[Gregcoyote]

Yes, that effect of runoff is very significant, but the electrical effect of the lightening itself is unlikely (not impossible) to have much real effect underwater. You can barely see it. It is just a flicker when on the real reef. But we didn't dive during active thunderstorms, so I don't know what a real doozy might look like from the corals point of view. But they don't have a point of view, so can't see how they could care. The fish however jump at night in my tank if I turn on the desk lamp.

[Rbuck143]

Originally Posted by Gregcoyote

Yes, that effect of runoff is very significant, but the electrical effect of the lightening itself is unlikely (not impossible) to have much real effect underwater. You can barely see it. It is just a flicker when on the real reef. But we didn't dive during active thunderstorms, so I don't know what a real doozy might look like from the corals point of view. But they don't have a point of view, so can't see how they could care. The fish however jump at night in my tank if I turn on the desk lamp.

My question would be does the light produced from lightning have anything in it that "normal light" doesn't?

[Gregcoyote]

Don't think it penetrates or has enough duration to do much. But again, it's why I asked the question.