I get asked fairly often what light is the best light. Unfortunately, there is no right answer. First off, there is the difference in aesthetics. That is a purely subjective decision that only hobbyists can make for themselves. Most of the time hobbyists gravitate towards the blue end of the spectrum because it is very … [Read More]
The Deep Dive on Reef Aquarium Lighting, Part 2: Lighting Technologies
Filed Under: Equipment Tagged With: blue light, coral aesthetics, coral growth, energy consumption, energy efficiency, fluorescence, greenhouse, hybrid lighting, LED, light emitting diode, light spectrum, metal halide, natural sunlight, photoperiod, reef lighting, T5 HO fluorescent
Kessil A360W LEDs Don’t Disappoint!
Regular Saltwater Smarts visitors may recall that back in the spring of 2015, I closed down my 75-gallon reef tank and converted my 125-gallon (then) FOWLR tank to a reef system with the addition of some invertebrate livestock from the 75 and a Current USA metal halide/T5 combo light fixture donated by Caribbean Chris. Fast-forward … [Read More]
Filed Under: Equipment Tagged With: energy consumption, glimmer lines, LED, light intensity, light mounting, light penetration, lighting acclimation, metal halide, reef aquarium lighting, shimmer lines, T5
An Introduction to Reef Aquarium Lighting
Saltwater aquarists who choose to take the plunge into reef keeping quickly come to an interesting realization: The lighting used in such systems is of paramount importance. Whereas lighting in fish-only systems is primarily an aesthetic concern (for the most part, as long as the lights show off the fish to their best advantage, you’re … [Read More]
Filed Under: Equipment, Set Up a Saltwater Aquarium Tagged With: LED, lighting, metal halide, overview, photosynthesis, symbiotic algae, T5 HO fluorescent, zooxanthellae
