LED Lighting

[JCheung]

Why would you want to do that?

So you can spotlight different corals in different areas of the tank. Say one has low light requirements and another has high light requirements you can dim the lights over the low light corals.

 

[jbundas]

So you can spotlight different corals in different areas of the tank. Say one has low light requirements and another has high light requirements you can dim the lights over the low light corals.

If economy an efficiency is your goal, wouldn't you be better off going the Japanese multi-light style - buy a cheaper, less powerful light to put where need it rather than buying a more expensive programmable high power light and only using say half it's potential?

 

[JohnK]

FWIW, those complex Japanese litghting set ups don't look like they are even remotely cheap to buy, but then agian the current LED set ups aren't even close to cheap either?

 

[Sean Irwin]

You can dim fluorescents and MH but their spectral output redshifts when electrical power is decreased (dimmed). LED's on the other hand do not redshift when power is decreased. This allows you to create cloudy conditions or true sunrises/sunsets and to light acclimate corals.

 

[RichConley]

This allows you to create cloudy conditions or true sunrises/sunsets and to light acclimate corals.

And theres no evidense that sunrise/sunset is anything other than neat.

 

[JohnK]

true...

 

[LockeOak]

Sunrise/sunset near the equator is also extremely brief, at the equator the sun goes straight down/up (perpendicular to the horizon), very little dawn/dusk. I think the dawn/dusk lighting many people do with their actinics has much more to do with aesthetics than anything else. (That said, I do run my actinics a little longer in the evening for the wow effect).