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Intensity tends to decrease as the K rating increases. For example, a 6500K lamp will be very yellow in comparison to a 20,000K lamp that is very blue. Lamps for aquariums will have K ratings listed on them and this relates to the color temperature, the lower the K number the more yellow-red the light will be from that lamp and the higher the number the bluer the color of the light from that lamp. Wrong, they added more blue light to their tank with the 20,000K lamp and not more intensity.
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This is something that a lot of folks get confused about, I will get calls all the time from folks that say they just added more intense 20,000K lamps to their tank. Kelvin ratings do not relate to light intensity directly, a higher K number does not represent more intensity, in other words a 20,000K lamp is not more intense than a 10,000K lamp. Light color that a lamp produces is measured in degrees Kelvin, abbreviated K. Most corals we keep in our aquariums originate in the wild from deeper water and therefore most yellow and red light is filtered out leaving blue. So, I advise having more blue spectrum lamps on your reef aquarium. LEDs are unique and usually fixtures contain many individual bulbs.Ĭorals look best and grow best under light with a more blue coloration, in my experience, and that of many successful reef aquarists. Metal halide lamps will produce a more point source spot type lighting that simulates the glitter lines as when sunlight shines through water. LED lighting is a great new option introduced just a few years ago and has revolutionized reefkeeping.įluorescent lamps are long and produce a more spread out even-looking lighting. There are three basic types of lighting used for reef aquariums, fluorescent lights, metal halide lights, and LEDs. It's just like salt mixes, there is no best, all have their pros and cons. You may quickly find yourself confused because for every type of lighting there are those that love it and those that hate it. These tanks are some of the finest in the world and have in depth descriptions of the lighting systems used. Short of going to many hobbyist’ s homes and personally seeing their tanks, you can visit some of the online reef keeping bulletin boards and check out the Tank of The Month feature. Slowly sift through all their advice and look at their tanks for an idea of how the lighting will look on your tank. Be aware that for every fellow hobbyist you ask you may get a different answer as to the best lighting. Lighting is one of the most expensive components of your system and I highly recommend that you ask lots of questions of other reef keepers in your area about their lighting and their honest opinions, a reef keeping club in your area is an excellent source for this information. Hopefully the following introduction will help you to decide on the best lighting for your reef aquarium or at least lead you into a direction to find more detailed information. Proper lighting is essential to the long-term health and vitality of your reef aquarium because most animals you wish to keep have some photosynthetic component and depend upon proper lighting for their nutritional needs. However, there are many options and all these options can make the beginner or even advanced reef keeper confused. There are many opinions and really no one correct way or perfect lighting system for your aquarium. Proper lighting for reef aquariums is another one of those hotly debated topics in the hobby.