Random light

[DonW]

We know random flow does alot of good. Are there any studies about random light?
Ive been rolling this chunk of acrylic around on top of my tank for a while now. I have noticed that if I leave it on say the left for two or three days the coraline takes off on the left. So would a random moving cloud really affect corals (growth or coloring)?

Don

 

[esmith]

You know Don, I've read that it does and that is why some people use those motorized pulley drives (Blue Sierra has on over some of their frag tanks).
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=226&sort=7&cat=15&page=1
I've been considering using one inside my canopy, but I'm not sure how well it work.
My thoughts were that I could use only 1 250 watt halide over my 75, and have it moved from side to side to somewhat simulate the changes in the sun over the earth during the course of the day...the only problem I can see with this is that it won't perfectly replicate the rising and setting of the sun unless I have it make only one pass over the tank, and have it move farther away from the water...(if I wasn't going to be using a canopy I would probably create a arched bar to go over the tank and then run the light along it's path).

This is how I've seen it done in a lot of photos of tanks in Japan, although I'm not sure of it's benefits/effects on the overall health of the corals.

Eliyah

 

[DonW]

With a home aquarium only 4 to 6 feet long that would be next to impossible. My first thought would be a moving light filter. Something like a converted rollout window shade. Maybe use window screen as the filter. Have it pull in and out randomly. This is something doable. If it would have any great effect on the corals, I dont know.

Don

 

[esmith]

Hmm, good point. I like your idea Don, lets see if anyone else chimes in to see if there is any benefits to doing this.

Eliyah

 

[Angelscrx]

Now this is a good topic. I have heard of people setting lights to come on and off at different intervals to simulate sunrise and sunset. Could you add dimmers to lights and have them dim out and in to simulate clouds passing overhead?

 

[DonW]

Now this is a good topic. I have heard of people setting lights to come on and off at different intervals to simulate sunrise and sunset. Could you add dimmers to lights and have them dim out and in to simulate clouds passing overhead?

Since most use halides probably not. I think there are some high-end halides that dim. I think that if you turn them on and off to much it will cause problems. Besides you have to let them cool before they will refire, sometime this could take 10min and others an hour.

Don

 

[Beckmola24]

I gave this a little thought awhile ago... I turned my lights off for half a day a couple of weeks ago to help dissipate some algae and I noticed that a few of my frags really liked it. My stylo got the whitish "growing tips" a few days later and the rest of my corals seemed equally happy. It isn't sunny every day on the reef and clouds do roll in and out, so I would assume that this idea would move our tanks a little closer to the natural thing. Don, the screen idea might work. Since clouds are totally random over the ocean, the screen could be randomly placed a few times a week. JMO

 

[Angelscrx]

Since most use halides probably not. I think there are some high-end halides that dim. I think that if you turn them on and off to much it will cause problems. Besides you have to let them cool before they will refire, sometime this could take 10min and others an hour.

Don

I understand about not being able to do this with halides but what about PCs or VHOs?

 

[wrightme43]

Since most of have our lights on timers any way what about just turning them of for half hour or a hour a day? I would think enough light comes in the house thru the windows that the corals would still know its daylight. Just a idea. Steve

 

[DonW]

Since most of have our lights on timers any way what about just turning them of for half hour or a hour a day? I would think enough light comes in the house thru the windows that the corals would still know its daylight. Just a idea. Steve

Since we are trying to figure out if it would produce a positive effect. I would answer no to that. I have a few corals that slime each and every time the halides shut down. I dont think the jump from dakness to intense lighting would be beneficial. It would be the slow change in intensity that I would like to learn more about (clouds and storms).

I do think i it could be done easily with pc and vho. The problem is that they arent very intense to begin with. Your not going from very bright to bright. You would be going from dim to dimmer as compare to halides.

Don

 

[Angelscrx]

I do think i it could be done easily with pc and vho. The problem is that they arent very intense to begin with. Your not going from very bright to bright. You would be going from dim to dimmer as compare to halides.

Don

Wouldn't it just depend on the type of corals you have in the tank? I would think that if you have corals that don't need very intense lighting this might work. But then again if they don't need very much light why bother with going dimmer?

 

[BCT182]

What about having one halide go off for 30 minutes and then 2 minutes after its back on have the other one off for 30 minutes? One halide would always be on and while the first light is reaching its full brightness the second flips off. Then back on a half hour later. Just a cloud passing over for an hour a day. I wonder if that might be of any benefit?

 

[johnehr]

What about a strobe light and disco ball? I saw that the fish enjoyed it on "A Shark's Tale" so it must be true!

 

[johnehr]

I almost forgot about a fog machine, but how to get it to work underwater...

 

[mojoreef]

Its good to see folks putting allot of thought into these things. The use of motorized track lighting is basically to save on the amount of lighting you need in the tank, if you have your MH or Pc's set up across the top normally you are not going to get anymore coverage from a track.
On the concept of simulating dawn and dusk or clouds it could be a neat projet but I don't think its going to doing anything for the corals. Corals basically turn light energy into sugars, they have systems with in themselves where once they reach capasity they shut down the process and thus control it. So I don't think outside control of that would be needed. but for simulation sake it may be a neat effect.



Mike

 

[Angelscrx]

Disco ball, strobe lights, and fog machine wow that is hilarious. And you can play staying alive as the algae blooms take over your corals!

 

[les]

Mojo,
Don't you think it would be neat if a motorized light assembly was timed to simulate the rise and set of the sun? On the new tank I am in the planning stages for I have come up with an idea for doing just this. Instead of using a pully assembly, I plan on purchasing a "step" motor and indexer. These are the units that are used in the machinery automation industry, like a CNC mill or track torch. The price for the motor and indexer is less than the cost of purchasing 3 new 400 MH's. For background lighting, I plan on using 4-6, 96 watt PC's with 10K bulbs. The motorized MH's will be two 400 watt, one each 20,000 and 6500K.
Tank dimensions are 96 x 36 x 24 tall in a flat back hex design.
If you think motorizing the MH lighting is just to much screwing around then please let me know.