Lighting question

[Ddredar]

I have been doing a LOT of research on lights, and I am thinking of making my own LED lighting. The thing thats confuseing me is that most of the retail lights out there are in the 8000k to 10000k range, and some even up to 12000k. Those temperature ranges go kinda deep into the blue colors. Natural sunlight is in the 5500k to 6500k range which is in the yellow to white color range. Are the higher K ranges used th mimic the blue tint of ocean water or does it surve a different purpose?

Also, I've seen sone UV lights out there that give the tank a cool night time look. However, UV lighting is used in killing bacteria and viruses (i.e. UV water filtration systems). Wouldn't that be a major issue for a reef tank that needs that bacteria for amonia and nitrite conrtol?

maybe im over thinking this whole thing :shock:

 

[kbuser92]

You are overthinking. The higher colours make th colours look better and pop more, where natural light makes them look duller and promotes algae growth. Thats the extent of my help, although I think a nice mix of cool/warm white (10,000 & 6500/8000) blue and royal blue (420/460, I think), magenta, yellow and green is common, along with moonlight is common.

 

[chichimom79]

Lighting confuses the ever-loving crap out of me. Watts, Kelvin, Par, blah blah WHAT?? LOL

 

[little_fish]

The moonlights that you see probably werent UV lights, just some blue LEDs

 

[Northstar24]

The 'night' lights you're referring too are blue LED's not UV. As far as color of LED's - if you look at an analysis of how light penetrates water, you'd find that most of the white wavelength is filtered out in the first few feet of water, and you have a much 'bluer' look after that.

Most Commercial LED's are a little higher than 8-10k, they are usually 14k and through dimming, many can actually be set anywhere from 5500K all the way up to 20,000K+ for a very, very blue look

The bluer light will cause the zooanthellae in coral to flouresce which is what many reef keepers are after

Take a look at Rapid LED for DIY LED fixtures. They offer many different kinds of kits

For a DIY fixture, you are going to want at least Warm Whte LED's and Blue LED's, and you may want to also consider some Royal Blue and/or UV LED's as well.

I would also advise trying to view a tank lit by LED's in person as well. They light a tank very differently to T5's and Metal Halides

 

[Ddredar]

Thanks for all the info.

So what about this rumer I heared that LED lights could be "burning" corral and other invertibreas?

 

[slm32123]

How many LEDs are you looking at getting? I have a 12 LED fixture that I bought from RapidLED and put together that I am looking to sell. Just a thought.

 

[Ddredar]

Im setting up a 55 gallon tank. I belive its standard length of 48".

 

[Amba]

+1 North on RapidLed, they are fantastic.