300 gallon "Outside Corner" Reef

[Ingy]

During the winter, when the sun is low and can shine across my front room to the tank on the opposite wall, I can see the sand turning slightly browner where the sun hits it. A very definitive leading edge as it moves across. The 2 conches follow right along cleaning it up.

 

[Macscale]

I saw something similar in my neighbors tank. The sun would peak into the tank from a side panel of glass in the morning and it would only grow there. Why exactly, I'm not sure. Maybe the unfiltered spectrum of the sun provides easier growing.

 

[gleach]

I've seen this tank some where...

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[mr_X]

This guy uses sunlight as supplemental light and his tank looks pretty good.....
Tank of the Month - February 2006 - Reefkeeping.com

I have direct sunlight hit my tank for an hour a day and I welcome it.

 

[Gregcoyote]

I use to, but something is wrong in this one patch of the reef that's getting the sunlight.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Now that's a clam. Or a sump pump or maybe both.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=490900454371828&id=178920925569784

 

[Sniperhank]

That thing is massive! I'm jealous.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Acro Al raises clams.

 

[Gregcoyote]

New British skimmer. $$$ but has a high cool factor. Up to 2000 liters.

 

[Gregcoyote]

So you want coralline algae?



This will take a while to clean.

 

[Cichlid-dude]

Lol right at the seam eh?

 

[Gregcoyote]

The reef. 150' visibility. About 80'



Note almost all the yellows and reds are gone. These corals all evolved under these blue wavelengths. Not to say they can't re-adapt to different spectrums, but this proves to me that adding the lower frequencies, like yellow, is all about our viewing pleasure and little about the corals health.

What do you think?

Shot on the Bloody Bay Wall at Little Cayman. Drop off to 6000' of sea water.

 

[Sniperhank]

All to please the eye.
Speaking of pleasing the eye...you see these guys Greg?
Astreopora Hermit Crabs of the Genus Paguritta! - YouTube

 

[Gregcoyote]

Very cool. Excellent macro photography. But the critter itself kind of gave me the creeps. I am not a fan of anything that looks too much like an insect. My bad.

 

[LeftCoaster]

Engineer Goby's

I've got two in my 29 cube that are a little over 1 yr old (at least in my tank), and they are already about 8" long and it is amazing how much sand they move!

 

[mr_X]

View attachment 237951

The reef. 150' visibility. About 80'



Note almost all the yellows and reds are gone. These corals all evolved under these blue wavelengths. Not to say they can't re-adapt to different spectrums, but this proves to me that adding the lower frequencies, like yellow, is all about our viewing pleasure and little about the corals health.

What do you think?

Shot on the Bloody Bay Wall at Little Cayman. Drop off to 6000' of sea water.

I think it looks awesome!
Meanwhile, I agree about the lighting (i think you already knew that though).

 

[Rare]

Some good reading....Photosynthetic Efficiencies of LEDs: Results of Short Term Exposure to LED Lights — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

 

[mr_X]

So, if I read that right, reds are a no-no, and responsible for coral bleaching?

 

[Gregcoyote]

Not how I read it, by the way, that was an interesting article.

A photon is not a photon as far as photosynthesis is concerned and I tend to agree with that. It looks like red light circumvents some of the algae protective capacity. It's like it works too well. The spectra they showed looked pretty similar to what we already knew, heavier absorption in the higher wavelengths.

 

[mr_X]

So, if you had a coral farm and wanted the fastest growth with the least energy expenditure, you would use red leds? The coral protects itself by getting colorful, so the reds would not color up the coral, but it would grow fastest?