QA

How To Diy A Led Reef Light Fixture

Can you use LED lights for coral?

Yes, LEDs do grow coral – just ask our experts at LiveAquaria.com! They have been using LED lighting for quite some time now over our coral tanks with amazing results. The specific spectrums provided by LED lighting can bring out colors in certain fish like you’ve never seen before.

How long do Reef LED lights last?

LED lights last for up to 50,000 hours (almost six years) as compared with two to four months for incandescent bulbs, six to 18 months for standard fluorescent bulbs and metal halide bulbs, and up to 28 months for compact fluorescent bulbs.

How much light does my reef tank 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.

What kind of light do you need for coral?

For optimal coral growth, you will generally want a full spectrum of light that includes some reds, oranges, and yellows, but that is heavier towards the blue range. There is a current trend in the hobby towards very blue, nearly dark aquariums, with glowing corals.

Are LED lights harmful to fish?

In general, aquarium owners can use incandescent, fluorescent, or LED lights for fish but should be aware of the heat issues that incandescent lights cause. LED lights produce virtually no heat and come in many colors.

Do LED lights cause algae growth?

Contrary to what you may have been told, LED lights do not cause algae growth any more than other aquarium lighting options. This also discourages algae growth more than anything else—because it’s not the kind of light that causes algae growth, but the intensity of it.

Do LED aquarium lights degrade over time?

Like all light sources, LED sources slowly fade over time. This light output degradation, or lumen depreciation, is determined by testing LED sources over a period of 6,000 hours or more. Factors that can cause lumen depreciation include drive current and heat generated within the device itself.

Can I leave the moonlights on all night?

Moonlights are meaningless to the fish – they are only for you. If you intend to be up all night looking at the tank, then leave them on.

How long do aquarium Lights last?

For these reasons, the light bulbs in both freshwater and saltwater tanks should be changed on a regular schedule to maintain optimum conditions for the plants and coral. Depending on the type of aquarium bulbs you use, plan on replacing them every six to twelve months.

How many lumens do I need for a reef tank?

Some studies have shown that the minimum light intensity should be no less than 3,000 Lux at the deepest part of the aquarium. I personally feel it should me much higher than that and somewhere around 15,000 Lux.

How many watts do corals need?

The general guideline is that coral needs at least 5 watts per gallon. However, this varies depending on the species of coral, so research the soft coral you want to keep.

How do LED lights make certain colors?

How to Make a DIY Color on LED Lights Strip On the DIY mode button areas, press the up and down arrows to increase or decrease the intensity of the red, green, and blue base colors and show richer colors. After this, press “DIY1” again for the remote to auto-save your color adjustment under “DIY1” mode.

Do corals need special light?

When it comes to how corals grow, each category of animal requires its own unique lighting requirements, but all share one common trait; photosynthesis in order to survive. Just as plants convert sunlight to produce chlorophyll, marine animals survive similarly by converting light energy into “food”.

Do corals need UV light?

Since corals need sunlight to make food, most live in shallow waters near the ocean’s surface which exposes them to UV-A and UV-B rays. The ozone filters out the dangerous UV-C rays which would otherwise kill the corals as they cannot produce enough sunscreen to protect them from these type UV rays.

What light makes corals glow?

They found that corals survive in deep water by making a special type of fluorescent protein that captures blue light and reemits it as orange-red light, which has the potential to penetrate deeper into the coral’s tissue and promotes the photosynthetic capacity of the zooxanthellae.

Do color changing LED lights bother fish?

Picking the right color spectrum has the ability to showcase and intensify the best hues in both your fish and your plants. A fish-only freshwater tank doesn’t require lighting for many purposes besides illuminating the tank, and essentially any color spectrum can be used safely without harming your fish.

Are blue LED lights bad for fish?

Some studies have found that blue light causes more stress to fish retinas. Researchers have also found that even low-intensity blue light can cause cell death in goldfish retinas. However, these cases are rare, and there is little evidence to suggest that blue lighting is harmful to your fish.

Are LED lights OK for betta fish?

Sunlight is not unhealthy for the fish at all, in fact, UV light is good for your fish or any given aquarium plants. Some large or professional aquariums use UVB or others , but if you’re planning to keep your betta in a basic aquarium with standard aquarium plants, LED will do fine.

What type of light causes algae?

Our results show that algae grows the best under white light and more in blue light than red light. Therefore, our hypothesis is partially supported because the growth rate was higher under the blue light in comparison to the red group; however, the algae under the control condition experienced the most growth.

Do aquarium lights promote algae growth?

Without aquatic plants, low light conditions will favor the growth of algae, since there is no competition for the light or other nutrients. In freshwater planted aquariums, the use of a LED lighting system for aquatic plants will promote the healthy growth of plants, which will restrict the growth of algae.

Do LED lights cause brown algae?

Even the right LEDs or the right fluorescents will create algae if the light is too strong without nutrient sufficiency (particularly CO2). I’ve had many LED’s and had no more of an algae problem than I did with my previous fluorescents.