How much light could be an excess?
- Thread starter jlserr
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ScottT1980
Well-Known Member
From what I have read, the PAR readings from our lights don't even come close to the PAR readings of the sun on natural reefs and therefore, I think the common concensus is that "there is no such things as too much light." However, this is not entirely true and is really dependent upon the species being considered. Some of the deeper water corals may not be able to adapt to some of the more intense light settings and thusly, P-max (maximum level of photosynthesis allowable by the plant/algae/zooxanthelle) may be exceeded and growth could be hindered.
Of course, that is just my interpretation of what I have read...
Take er easy
Scott T.
Of course, that is just my interpretation of what I have read...
Take er easy
Scott T.
Montanareefer
Has been struck by the ban stick
I am not a firm believer of lots of watts per gallon theory. You want intensity to a given area according to where your coral is placed in the tank. Placement of a coral is far more important than have 20ww per gallon of light. JMO
Pro_builder
Well-Known Member
I have heard of having too much light for corals, but not in a home aquarium. We don't have the ability to get to much light on our aquariums. Unless we get a low light coral (Deep Sea) and have a 1000 watt MH 6" from it.
mps9506
Well-Known Member
You can shock corals by changing them from a low light environment to a higher light environment.
IME when I get a coral or frag from a lower light tank and place it in mine, it will bleach (expell the zoox.), it will recover if I adjust the lighting by raising the bulbs farther from the tank, or place screen material between the surface and the bulbs to shade everything.
Another thing that can happen is if the corals recieve too much light in a wavelength that they cannot handle. EG. a recent bulb that was released had a large spike in the red spectrum (higher than an iwasaki apparently) and many corals were not used to this and bleached. Red is not a typical color that many deeper corals encounter, if they receive a ton of it in our tanks they have difficulty dealing with it.
Same goes with UV light. (Also same situation might be occuring with the mentioned bulb). Too much UV, can lead to either bleaching, and probably some tissue loss.
So even though we don't simulate natural levels of PAR very well in our reef tanks, we can make up by giving the corals light that is intense in certain wavelengths, if these wavelengths are wrong, it could lead to some problems (esp UV),
As far as how coral pigmentation relates to this, well, that is something I still don't understand, and it appears lots of research is still needed to be done on that.
It seems to me, blue pigmentations reflect useable light. Protective pigments are typically not visable to us.
Anyone feel free to correct anything that I said that is wrong...
Mike
IME when I get a coral or frag from a lower light tank and place it in mine, it will bleach (expell the zoox.), it will recover if I adjust the lighting by raising the bulbs farther from the tank, or place screen material between the surface and the bulbs to shade everything.
Another thing that can happen is if the corals recieve too much light in a wavelength that they cannot handle. EG. a recent bulb that was released had a large spike in the red spectrum (higher than an iwasaki apparently) and many corals were not used to this and bleached. Red is not a typical color that many deeper corals encounter, if they receive a ton of it in our tanks they have difficulty dealing with it.
Same goes with UV light. (Also same situation might be occuring with the mentioned bulb). Too much UV, can lead to either bleaching, and probably some tissue loss.
So even though we don't simulate natural levels of PAR very well in our reef tanks, we can make up by giving the corals light that is intense in certain wavelengths, if these wavelengths are wrong, it could lead to some problems (esp UV),
As far as how coral pigmentation relates to this, well, that is something I still don't understand, and it appears lots of research is still needed to be done on that.
It seems to me, blue pigmentations reflect useable light. Protective pigments are typically not visable to us.
Anyone feel free to correct anything that I said that is wrong...
Mike
ScottT1980
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I guess I didn't fill in the details as well as mps. Innately, our systems do not equal the light intensity of the natural environment. However, our corals do "get used to" our lighting and when we intensify it drastically, it can cause a very accute stress response and can jeopardize the coral.
So, corals can get too much light if they are used to lower light conditions. But, with gradual acclimation, most corals can pretty much adjust to the lighting we provide IME...
Take er easy
Scott T.
So, corals can get too much light if they are used to lower light conditions. But, with gradual acclimation, most corals can pretty much adjust to the lighting we provide IME...
Take er easy
Scott T.
jlserr
Member
Hi Scott. Thanks again.
I'm agree. Acclimation is a very important point. But... Maybe acroporas are in the ocean on the top, and some maybe at the surface... But... Do you really believe that a Sarcophyton (that use to live in deeper water) would be able to acclimate to live with "a lot" of light?
The point is... The sun is a very powerful source of light and heat, but most of our corals live at least 5 or 10 meters (above de sea surface), water absorbs a lot of light in that water column and in our tanks the water column is about the 10% of the column in nature...
To stimulate the protective cells of our corals is a good idea?...
I'm white as milk... Maybe I can adapt my skin to live in Acapulco but I will suffer a little bit for sure, and there are a lot of people that developed some injuries or even deseases in the long term
Ok, it's an extreme position I'm asuming but that's the idea... MH light can burn a coral without a good acclimation but MH has the power to do it
Am I going to far? :smoking:
I'm agree. Acclimation is a very important point. But... Maybe acroporas are in the ocean on the top, and some maybe at the surface... But... Do you really believe that a Sarcophyton (that use to live in deeper water) would be able to acclimate to live with "a lot" of light?
The point is... The sun is a very powerful source of light and heat, but most of our corals live at least 5 or 10 meters (above de sea surface), water absorbs a lot of light in that water column and in our tanks the water column is about the 10% of the column in nature...
To stimulate the protective cells of our corals is a good idea?...
I'm white as milk... Maybe I can adapt my skin to live in Acapulco but I will suffer a little bit for sure, and there are a lot of people that developed some injuries or even deseases in the long term
Ok, it's an extreme position I'm asuming but that's the idea... MH light can burn a coral without a good acclimation but MH has the power to do itAm I going to far? :smoking:
ScottT1980
Well-Known Member
Really? Most of the reefs I have been to had corals no lower than probably 4-5 meters (mind you, they are al Carribean). However, I think we are pretty much in agreement. I think you always have to consider what species we are talking about first before talking about too much light. From there, it would be a good idea to know what the PAR is in their optimal environment as well as the primary wavelengths getting to them and then compare it to our systems.
Generally speaking, I think most of our corals are safe but there are always the exceptions...
Take er easy
Scott T.
ScottT1980
Well-Known Member
Oh sorry, PAR = photosynthetically active radiation and is essentially a measure of light intensity
Check out this website.
Take er easy
Scott T.
Check out this website.
Take er easy
Scott T.
