Coral growth poll

[Christian]

Hello

I want to know witch lighting you find best for the most coral growth.

6,700K

10,000k

14,000k

20,000k

[offroadodge]

IMO 20K Reeflux great growth in my tank

[GKarshens]

Typically the lower the kelvin the better the growth. However, with that you also get less color. It also matters which brand bulb you use. Do a Google search for "Sanjay's Lighting Chart" Great reference for PAR on most popular bulbs.

[Will]

are you talking about striaght growth independent of color? 6500k or 7200k

with color 14k or 20k+10k

[Christian]

Just basic growth.

Thanks to who ever made it a poll.

[GKarshens]

You're Welcome

[Brooks]

I voted 14k, but I've never had a 10k bulb. They're growth bulbs, though. They just give crappy color.

[stoneroller]

In my experience, Reeflux 10Ks produce quality color and growth.

[Christian]

But witch is the fastes growing light for corals?

[GKarshens]

That was answered twice above. The lower kelvin bulbs will produce the fastest growth.

[cmanning]

I'm guessing you could always go for a 10K and once you get the growth you aim for...you can later switch to 14k's or 20K's to get them to color up. Or supplement with T-5's later on (just for the color).

[Will]

i believe (please correct me if im wrong) that the fastest growth would be achieved by either a 6500k or 7200k bulbs, as they mimic natural sunlight at the surface of the water. however most of your coral would appear in the brownish spectrum.

[nemirn]

I'd love to see a LED system in action, where you can change the spectrum without having to replace bulbs.

[GKarshens]

Will that is correct.

[+dapettit]

Typically the lower the kelvin the better the growth. However, with that you also get less color. It also matters which brand bulb you use. Do a Google search for "Sanjay's Lighting Chart" Great reference for PAR on most popular bulbs.

I agree with Gabe. Check the link section under Resources. Sanjay compares bulbs and ballasts. This will help you make an educated decision.

Everyone here will a have a different opinion, I suggest you do a little research.

With that said, bulbs do pay a part in coral growth but it is not the catch all. Along with water quality, coral placement flow, calcium, alk, pH, etc, will also effect your growth.

I have always used 14K 250W buls (after reading Sanjays article) and am pleased with my growth.

[+mcallahan]

I agree with Gabe. Check the link section under Resources. Sanjay compares bulbs and ballasts. This will help you make an educated decision.

Everyone here will a have a different opinion, I suggest you do a little research.

With that said, bulbs do pay a part in coral growth but it is not the catch all. Along with water quality, coral placement flow, calcium, alk, pH, etc, will also effect your growth.

I have always used 14K 250W buls (after reading Sanjays article) and am pleased with my growth.

oh c'mon Dave...! Coral growth like losing weight. Just take a diet pill and you're good to go! Lighting is everything...water quality has nothing to do it with.

[Christian]

Ok cool. I want my plate corals to gow bigger so that I could frag them.so thanks for all your guys help.

Ok with LED lights you can change the spectrum of how much light is put put?

[+KeeperOfTheZoo]

+1 to lower K= fast growth but poorer color.

I switched my bulbs out a couple months ago, didn't get exactly what I wanted but since I'm still trying to figure out what color I like in my tank (lighting wise) I went with it.

I have two 6500k/10k bulbs and two 10k/actinic bulbs.

My coral and coraline algae growth has EXPLODED (the back of my 6' long tank is at least 50% covered in coraline and it's all happened in the last month and a half)! Everything from SPS (who are giddy happy even with PCs) to my softies are growing like mad. All my zoas have browned out though and some of my other corals have shifted color as well. I suspected it was the lower K bulbs and this confirms it. I'm going to give the tank a few more months then switch out the 50/50 bulbs lower K bulbs with something else. The growth is wonderful, but I don't like the color of light in the tank or the color of my corals. Blah.

Ooops, and I agree with Dave. Lighting ain't everything.

[+dapettit]

I also have a very nice piece of it growing under PC's, 300 watts of PC's.

[fishypets]

Two other very important factors that impact coral growth is flow and water conditions.

[Brooks]

Ok cool. I want my plate corals to gow bigger so that I could frag them.so thanks for all your guys help.

Ok with LED lights you can change the spectrum of how much light is put put?

The success rate of fragging Fungia is very low. Make sure you've got all the facts before ya' frag!

[Christian]

So if I put a 6,000k light over a small 10gallon tank just to get some corals to grow, will that work? And than to get them to color up put them under a 20,000k?

[Christian]

I'm sorry not fungia. I ment montipora cap. But the common name is plate coral.

[+mcallahan]

So if I put a 6,000k light over a small 10gallon tank just to get some corals to grow, will that work? And than to get them to color up put them under a 20,000k?

If your water params and flow are right as others have mentioned in this thread, yes, the 6K will help the corals grow.

Note that they 20K's won't make the corals color up, the color is already there, but when you change the color of the light shining on the corals, the color that the corals appear will change.

[Christian]

Ok cool because I just put a small pice of a purple cap under a 6,000k 50/50 light and a 6,700k light. Because I had it under my 20k light bio-cube and it was slowly turning white. But my water is all good and so is my flow