The actinic range could be grossly described was about nm to nm. Anything that peaks at around nm is going to produce a lot of actinic light. So, then, what's the difference between blue, true blue, true actinic, 03 actinic, etc.? Let's say one bulb has a perfect intensity peak in the dead center of the actinic range, and produces no light outide of it. I think you could safely call that true actinic. But take another bulb, that has that EXACT same intensity peak, but then add a few smaller ones in a slightly short wavelength say, around nm.
Well, no one would market that bulb as a true actinic, even though it produces EXACTLY as much much actinic radiation as the aforementioned true actinic bulb.
It produces a considerable amount of actinic light, but also produces in enough other wavelengths to give it more of a daylight appearance.
The appearance thing is logical So it's enirely a visual appeal thing. Which is a perfectly valid reason for wanting true actinic bulbs. My comments before were entirely from the perspective of "effectiveness.
As for the UV content Because most actinic bulbs peak around nm, whether they're "true" actinic or not, it is rather expected that the roll off from the peak can go down to the nm area, which is getting into the UVA spectrum.
For that matter, the entire range of UV is highly actinic the reason you get sunburn and skin cancer from it. Only the very end of the visible range nm is actinic, although less so than actual UV light. But aquarium bulbs use the visisble actinic range for visual appeal. The kind of light that we see things in changes how we see those things. This reef tank is shot under actinic light , which will not only facilitate photosynthesis or stimulate light sensitive species, but also changes how the corals look.
From liveaquaria. The light spectrum, or Kelvin rating, of aquarium lighting will also alter the appearance of corals. For example, bulbs that emit light heavy in the actinic blue range bring out dazzling fluorescent colors not visible under full spectrum daylight bulbs. Watch more coral videos on this site. The actinics are more for the aquarist aesthetics. Lighting w VHO. On 5 hrs daily.
I am starting to see some Cyano on the back panel. I have great coralline algae growth on rocks pink, reds, greens Can I do anything different with lighting to encourage coralline and discourage Cyano? Does Actinic lighting alone favor Cyanobacteria? Refugium : 10 hrs lighting 10 K at night. Sound OK? I have approx lbs of LR since Sept.
After I clean the back of the tank, within days pinpoint colonies of coralline algae emerge. I would like to keep that temp to encourage growth. We also have 4x96 watt PCs from an older tank that we are thinking of adding. We'd like to get a nice affect to look at, but don't want to "waste" the electricity if they won't help the corals. Thanks in advance for your advice! We'd like to get a nice effect to look at, but don't want to "waste" the electricity if they won't help the corals.
I would supplement the PC fixture with two true actinic and two 10K bulbs. If the tank receives indirect sunlight from a window etc, you should be OK as you are.
James Salty Dog. Also, when replying, reply with original message so it can be routed to the WWM writer. A lot of people believe that having some actinic helps the corals develop better coloration as well as make the tank look better. If anything, all white light would provide more intensity to the corals, but you may find the appearance of the tank unappealing. Best Regards. Which Wavelength? And what is a more suitable lamp? I have not read this passage that you cite, but can assure you that the opposite is true for most corals.
Any look at studies on corals and symbiotic activity in the last 5 years has demonstrated that all commercial lamps K yes I personally employ only K lighting for various coral tanks as well I use Power Compact. I personally don't think a tank without actinic lighting will affect corals one way or another. I am somewhat sure someone out there could give you true scientific data regarding the growth and mortality of corals with and without actinic lighting maybe Sanjay Joshi or Craig Bingman?
Again, I don't believe you need to rely so heavily in actinic as you should go for a display that looks natural and appealing provided the inhabitants needs are being met first. Most high end aquarium lighting systems today, provide enough blue light at the K spectrum for photosynthesis. Another important aspect to coral keeping is feeding. It is my belief that photosynthesis alone is not enough to keep corals alive. They are feeding at some level aside from photosynthesis. Nothing can be made to mitigate the heat issue?
Be sure you provide the proper environment before purchasing a particular animal or coral. Just a quick question or two regarding lighting. Well I hope it's quick anyway. Good or otherwise? It's important to note that lighting is only one of the many variables that goes into how well a coral thrives available calcium and alkalinity, and proper water movement are also critical.
I get great growth, and use 10k w lamps. Basically, it's not just the bulb, you could have excellent growth under most lamps provided everything else is in check.
It would be worth a shot, but you may not be happy with the results. Dig around the forums for pictures of tanks with this same setup. You are all an inspiration to aquarists everywhere. Thanks once again for everything and anxiously awaiting the next volume in "Natural Marine Aquarium" series. What is the benefit of actinic lights? Hi, great site, Ok here is my tank set up 11 months with 55 FOWLR, 40 lbs of rock, 1 jawfish, 2 damsels, 2 true percula clowns, 3 yellow clown gobies, and one fat lawnmower blenny.
I have heard different things about the actinic lights, do I need them for the live rock, i. Do you think it would be harmful if I get rid of the actinic lights? I would switch these lamps out as you state.
Why do I need blue light? Thanks again Adam. I've had freshwater fish since age 3 or 4. So a yellow tang doesn't bother me It excites and stimulates the corals to produce more pigments. I'm going to try to make it See you there! Wattage Deprived Corals? Copy of article is at the end of this email. My corals include mushrooms, polyps, candy canes, a hammer, colt, and cabbage. I realize coral placement fits into the scheme of things. As far as the total lighting you have around watts.
The difference is counting usable watts of light. I've never come by this before! Thanks Crew! The 10,k bulbs you have don't suffer from this yellowing as the tap into the blue end of the spectrum already. If you are really concerned with the best growth you can possibly get you can trade out the actinic PC lighting and go with more full spectrum bulbs.
It is more of a personal preference as actinic fluoresces colors on fish and in the tank to bring out the brightest color you can get, since daylight suppresses some of the more vibrant ones. If you really enjoy the actinic look going with two 40 watt fluorescent lights in actinic T! I will forward this to Anthony for his take on this as well.
Hope this helps. Wattage Deprived Corals 2 Thanks Justin. Can you and Anthony "shed some light" on this? Actinic's wavelength of nm is very crucial for photosynthesis, but it cannot be the only wavelength for photosynthesis or animals would starve in nature since actinic is so specific.
The lighting mimics the sun so it has to be yellowish to get all the wavelengths. Your 10,00k bulbs lose the yellows and operate at a higher color temperature that still supplies enough various full spectrum lighting to ensure photosynthesis. Actinic Wattage Doesn't Count? MH's at 14k K or 20k K are too blue for many popular corals.
The heavy weigh on that side of the spectrum is given at the expense of some watts being used that could otherwise drive more daylight colored lamps. In this context THE defining param Do compare the PAR values of excessively blue lamps with that of more daylight leaning colors k K Do enjoy your blues! I'm still confused. In purple is the dialog that that lead to it. I want to make sure I have adequate lights for my corals. You mentioned Actinics nm wavelength, which is very important for photosynthesis.
This does not adequately stimulate zooxanthellae in photosynthetic corals. Your tank would be better off and see more growth if you switch out your actinic PC bulbs, and replace them with more full spectrum bulbs.
Bottom line: You have adequate lighting, but you could get more growth by switching out the PC bulbs as I said. And a wave length for actinic is range which means that one wavelength can alter a bit over time but it is still in that NM range and is one single wavelength that degrades over time up or down. It has a higher PAR which is always the best way to measure usability in keeping photosynthetic animals. Maybe that's why my Bubble and Hammer deteriorated slowly over months No puns this time!
Thank you very much Justin. I am just sorry we couldn't help you understand earlier and left you confused for at least a week with no word back that you were confused still.
But I am always glad to help, and hope things work out well for you. Do I still need Actinics or that will do the job? Their blue color is amazing though. The Giesseman fixtures are second to none.
Your color rendition should be fantastic with this setup. PC vs. I think the pc give off more light per area. However, if you have a tank feet long, then a VHO bulb fits much better than a pc bulb. Also, to me VHO bulbs appear to be better for actinics.
However, it all depends on what you're looking to keep. Lighting Clarification, functionality of actinics, anemones I've been reading on your website through the anemone lighting FAQs, and several of the WWM crew keep saying that an actinic bulb doesn't really provide any benefit other than aesthetics.
Within the blue band there is a chlorophyll absorption peak at about nanometers, and the actinic also peaks at this wavelength. Does this mean I should replace the Actinic 03 with a k daylight? Would two k daylights be more appropriate as lighting care for this anemone?
Are actinics really not beneficial? I was under the impression, like the advertising always says, that it stimulates the anemone zooxanthellae sp hehe and provides important spectrum and is important for the well being of the anemone. Please let me know the best combination based on your knowledge. I was thinking I could get two k 96's and then add on one normal output 30 watt actinic, I don't want to waste 96 watts of my PC ballast on a bulb that isn't giving my anemone what it needs.
Thanks for any advice, opinions, etc, Dennis. Re: Actinic Lighting Clarification I'm more confused now! Actinic or not? Re: Lighting Clarification Ok, I'll get the actinic 03, but all of the wetwebmedia lighting threads are confusing!
Lighting Clarification, a difference of opinion, fact? I'd like to state that actinics don't do "much" functionally I would encourage a visit to a large library for this task.
I'd like to know what the difference is between the k lights and the actinics. I should read ahead. One thing that I've been looking forward to is the next book in the natural aquarium series.
Could you tell me what the schedule of releases are? It's inspired me to get a refugium. I don't have one yet but it's in the works. BTW have you had any experience with the ecosystems refugium method? Thank you for this effort! You guys are great thanks a mill.
Actinic wattage doesn't really count? Anthony, in an article you wrote recently that was posted at www. What exactly is it about actinics that they don't do much for the corals? Actinic bulb, 25w 30in. It is very frustrating. The bulbs must be available. I would recommend you start with the shop where you purchased the tank, it seems to me if they stock the tank they would also stock lights or at least be able to order them for you.
You do not specifically need NEC bulbs. There are many manufactures of bulbs. You could also call or email the manufacturer of the tank and inquire about what bulb options you have available and if they know where they can be purchased. If neither of those options pan out there are several very helpful retailers online.
My suggestion would be to contact a few of those that carry Via Aqua products. I prefer the phone to email for this sort of inquiry.
Ask them if they can special order you a bulb if they do not stock them. I suppose it is simple to them, they would probably like us to simplify ours as well :. There are several online conversion calculators they are very helpful when dealing with the different standards of measurements Actinic as a Moon Light? You guys are the hammer that knocks the nail in! Is it okay to use a fifteen 15 watt actinic03 NO fluorescent lamp as a night-light on my 55g tank?
If so, then no, I wouldn't do it. If just for low wattage lighting for after regular lights out, then sure.
When looking for evening lighting I ended up using one of those battery powered "tap lights", which was always turned off before going to bed.
If it's okay as a night-light, is that thought of as moonlight, or am I totally missing the point? Quite dim, and I couldn't tell you what spectrum is received off the moon, but I would expect that it's a bit broader than the nm that actinics are specific to.
As you know, the moon's not out all night long, either. Thanks a million, I will follow you folks until the end! Now go have fun. What are these all about and are they worth getting in terms of the extra money? You may need to ask the LFS what these bulbs are Do discuss the particular bulbs that you're seeing with the LFS personnel Happy New Year!
Scott F. In The Dark For Real! Well I don't quite understand Scott.. Talk about "in the dark"! What I meant to suggest was to do a "twilight period", which you may want to gradually end with a dimmer or by shutting one of the actinics down at a time.
I think that there are various controllers that you can get for Ice Cap ballasts that do offer such a feature. They can be pricey, though. In the interim, if you run multiple actinics, try shutting one off at a time over a period of minutes or so Hopefully that will let the fish adjust As you may recall letting the tank fallow for 7 weeks, full 4 week stay in QT and everything else..
Is there such thing as a dimmer, that will dim it slowly over say a few hours? Agh its annoying me.. But read your positive feedback on the attachment. Sounds like the Tronic heater may be a really reliable unit. Best of luck with the skittish tang PC Blues Or Actinic Blues?
There are a number of good "true actinic" pc bulbs out there. I've found the ones offered by hellolights. Coralife are good, as well. Quality and specifications can vary from brand to brand I wouldn't take too much stock in advertising I have been experimenting with a couple of light bulbs lately. What caused the brown color loss, will coral be ok, is there something I should do? As long as the coral appears healthy, and is otherwise well cared for, I'd enjoy the color!
Good luck! Need for blue pc with 10K MH? Almost every MH lamp on the market in fact have excess blue in their spectrum including the K lamps and thus your pc. That's not a reef tank I mostly just pop on every once and awhile and read the posts. I want to upgrade my PC's to MH. Calm down Bob I love the look of MH's. To me that is the best looking light to be had. Crisp light, glimmer lines Yeah baby, yeah!
Yes Mr. Calfo, I will acclimate slowly I know from long experience that actinics are really more for aesthetics as PAR is the most important ingredient. Gotta love the glow and the bluer color of the tank. Would prefer NO for cost and electrical consumption but am afraid the MH's will completely drowned out the NO's light leaving only the dawn and dusk lighting to be enjoyed.
What do you think? Two watt singled ended shouldn't be considered outrageous. Tired of 25 years of Fluorescents.
Tanks a lot. More "Light" Conversation Hey Scott. It seems that someone someplace, at one time or another, used the term to market a blue bulb they were selling. I believe it was Philips. It provides spectral characteristics that correspond with the absorption of chlorophyll, which is the main photosynthetic pigment found in zooxanthellae the symbiotic algae that live within corals. This, in turn, provides energy for the corals to use in their growth So- actinic is more than just a pretty light!
I shoulda read your whole message instead of responding as I read huh? In fact- I didn't say it better! Originally blue bulbs called Actinic. The blue bulbs appear to enhance the iridescent appearance of some corals. Currently, the term Actinic is used by many manufactures to represent their blue bulbs and I believe that rumors of special phosphors in the bulb are the urban legend.
In actually, Actinic 03 as we know it was just a trade name and the actual definition of Actinic or Actinism is the "intrinsic property of radiation that produces photochemical activity. I believe that the value of actinics goes beyond just the beautiful appearance of animals that they help achieve. It really is a valuable and desirable supplement to many lighting schemes.
But seriously- I wouldn't feel too bad about including actinics in my lighting package. Some Light Conversation! You've been most helpful in assisting me in the setup of my 55 gallon reef tank. The PC's are daylight and actinic twin tubes on each bulb, one blue one white x 2 bulbs. So I went to www.
We had a chance to get these at a true closeout price, and we're passing the savings on to you. One time buy on these.
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