How many hours of light does a reef need?

Aiming for roughly 9 hours of high intensity light would be sufficient for most corals, but is a short window of time for enjoying your reef tank. Additionally, a sudden change from no light to full intensity can cause some amount of shock to the corals.

How many watts of light do corals need?

In order to keep soft coral alive you will need special, high-output fluorescent lighting like T5 fluorescents. The general guideline is that coral needs at least 5 watts per gallon.

Is 6500K good for corals?

Your 6500K will do nicely for growing macro. Algae requires light more so from the red end of the spectrum than the purple and blue end. Corals, on the other hand, will be more colorful, healthier and grow more successfully by using a full spectrum bulb that focuses more light -20K with a blue- purple color.

What’s the best lighting for corals?

The 12 Best LED Aquarium Lights for Corals, Reef Tanks

How many watts does a coral reef need?

Over the years hobbyists have discussed crude measurements of the amount of light corals need to thrive. Most successful reef aquarists will use about 6-8 watts of light per gallon of tank water, more in deeper tanks and less in shallower tanks.

How many Kelvin are in Coral?

The 9,000 to 10,000K lamps generally produce very good growth rate for soft and LPS corals but slows down growth of SPS corals. The 14,000K lamps which are popular with metal halide and LED lighting will penetrate the water better than the above lamps and still provide a good PAR level for all corals including SPS.

Is blue light better for corals?

Efficient photosynthesis requires not only adequate light intensity but also the correct spectrum of light. Terrestrial plants, like those found in our garden, favor colors in the yellow, orange, and red range while corals favor colors in the blue spectrum.

Why choose led reef lighting fixtures?

These advanced fixtures not only offer a variety of controller options, such as WiFi-controlled light adjustments, but also their seemingly limitless spectrum adjustment. LED reef lighting fixtures offer an easier way to select and refine ideal lighting qualities for your specific tank.

What is the best reef tank lighting?

The latest craze in reef tank lighting is also the most advanced option. By now, you’re likely familiar with the various benefits of LED lights. These advanced light sources offer an incredible amount of light without reaching the scorching temperatures of metal halide fixtures.

What is the wavelength of light in a reef tank?

Violet Light – 440 nm wavelength. Red Light – 675 nm wavelength. Of course, this doesn’t mean a reef tank can only thrive with shades of red and violet within this specific nm reading. There are other compounds, such as carotenoids and Chlorophyll C, which respond to other wavelengths of light.

What is a reef tank lighting cycle?

In brief, a lighting cycle refers to how long you should illuminate a tank. Remember, the underlying purpose of a reef tank is to replicate oceanic conditions. While it’s impossible to perfectly reproduce life in the ocean, with a little trial-and-error, you’ll find a reef tank lighting schedule that works best.