Lighting your reef... Best bang for your buck.

[Gregcoyote]

That makes sense. I know deep ocean photographers like you would even use full spectrum lights to capture the colors of the deep.

I should post some pictures of corals at 30' with and without flash. Big difference. Down even deeper, there is only blue light. Yellow goes first, followed by reds then even greens.

 

[mr_X]

I find that most of the dull looking corals we hear about with these fixtures are from lack of proper acclimation. IME, it takes months to get a coral to color up to it's full potential under these particular fixtures, no matter if you use a RB or similar fixture with multiple colors, or a straight blue and white one.
Some LPS just can't handle the fixtures at full strength. I am growing montipora and keep anemones under a Tao fixture with just the blues at about 80%. Turn it up any higher and the anemones hide.
Even going from one LED unit to another, potency differs.
I have a 250 watt halide fixture set up over one of my sumps with a 20k lamp in it and The same corals look 100 times more colorful and more florescent under the Tao units I am using.

 

[Jonnypro]

I was just looking around and I found these. What do you all think? http://www.saltysupply.com/mobile/default.aspx#P7526

 

[mr_X]

That link isn't working for me. I'm on a PC.

 

[jeffaquarius]

I was just looking around and I found these. What do you all think? Salty Supply Inc. Mobile

That link requires you to register and give them your personal information before you can open the pages. You must be a salesman lol

 

[Jonnypro]

That link requires you to register and give them your personal information before you can open the pages. You must be a salesman lol

Lol. Not me. Here is a pic.

 

[jeffaquarius]

I should post some pictures of corals at 30' with and without flash. Big difference. Down even deeper, there is only blue light. Yellow goes first, followed by reds then even greens.

I'd like to see it. I have done snorkeling in the narrow reef but not deeper than 10 ft.

 

[mr_X]

The SOLs are very good LED fixtures. Pricey, but they will do the job, and have a lot of extra doodads to keep the kid in us satisfied....

 

[JJ-MIK]

So I have a seneye meter that reads kelvin lux and par.. What colors in lux should I be looking for then under my 50w floods?

 

[jeffaquarius]

Here is an example of the Powerchrome Spectrum. You notice that it has 3 emphasized colors which are blue (400), yellow/green(550) and orange/red(625). This is the graph you wanna see when you buy your fixture or lights. The LED fixture should also include similar graph showing which colors are more prominent. If your meter has a wavelength selection then you can read the intensity of each color. In the example graph, the green is not emphasized. That is why some fixtures will include green LED to give more realistic appearance in your tank.

 

[Gregcoyote]

I'd like to see it. I have done snorkeling in the narrow reef but not deeper than 10 ft.

First shot is a Carribean coral garden at about 20'. No flash, but good color penetration at this depth. 100' visibility this day.

Next two shots, first is about 120' the next is about 70' down. Notice the lack of any color than blue.

Last shot is a composite of artificial light shots at depth.

 

[JJ-MIK]

I will post pictures of what my seneye is reading under my floods

 

[jeffaquarius]

First shot is a Carribean coral garden at about 20'. No flash, but good color penetration at this depth. 100' visibility this day.

Next two shots, first is about 120' the next is about 70' down. Notice the lack of any color than blue.

Last shot is a composite of artificial light shots at depth.

Awesome shots. The deep has lots of colors after all.

 

[Gti_Leo]

Awesome shots. The deep has lots of colors after all.

not really , its all blue lol

 

[Gregcoyote]

But here's the trouble, corals grow from the surface where there is enormous PAR at all frequencies, then there are corals that grow over a hundred feet down, where there is practically no light. Most photosynthetic corals don't grow much deeper than 50-75' so the bandwidth is pretty broad depending on the species and the clarity of the water they evolved in. The filter feeders dominate below 100'

I was a dive master for a while and would take pictures of black coral at 140'

 

[JJ-MIK]

So here's what I've got.. I'm thinking maybe the meter is off.. Maybe not... Tell me what you think..







Ok.. The white line is showing from my tank.. The colored lines I'm guessing is your control. Because they don't move... My lux is reading 1000.. Looking that up its saying basically its an overcast day

.. These readings are 2" below the top surface..
What's your opinions?

 

[JonathanG]

Love those pics Greg, here are some from St. Lucia, dive log says it was 80 - 130 ft.

 

[JonathanG]

And a few more

 

[Gregcoyote]

Love those pics Greg, here are some from St. Lucia, dive log says it was 80 - 130 ft.

Very nice!

 

[Jonnypro]

Those pics are awesome. Great job!!