Using colored LEDs for a fuge light?

[Cwazy Clown]

I don't have access to buy a white LED, so I was wondering would a blue or green or red LED work? And which color should I get?

Or if anyone knows any local retail stores that carry 3w white LED's that would be awesome, Vetco only carries the red/blue/green in 3w.

 

[tat2z_21]

Well I know that they use the red and blue for horticultural growing. I have seen alot of plant lights that are ed and blue. I am almost positive that you would get good growth out of a red and blue combo. Not to sure on just one color. The white LED covers the entire spectrum so it is not peeked out in one range like just a red one, or blue one would do.

 

[Cwazy Clown]

Yeah, since my fuge is only.... 2.5"x5" I only want to put one LED right above it to keep the heat down.

I'm leaning towards red. I read somewhere that red and blue are the best growing spectrums, but they are also fairly equal in which is best. And since I already have alot of blue, I might just spice it up with a red one, LOL

 

[eww]

Our fuge light runs red and blue leds but there is literally a 3 red to 1 blue ratio. We have phenomenal growth from this light. I don't think you can go wrong with either color.

This is roughly 3 months ago

Now the fuge is packed again so we need to start giving macro's away again.

Here is the best shot we have of the light on hand.

 

[Cwazy Clown]

LOL holy crap, thats alot of 10mm leds.

I think I'll just go with one red 3w.

Also, what macros are you running? I put chaeto in my DT and it basically all died. But, I have 0 nitrates, 0 phosphates, I skim heavily, and also run rowaphos.. But the chaeto that I put into an ac20 hasent died, it just isnt really growing, and it has no real lighting, its just being flooded with light from my MH

 

[eww]

LOL, I know it is for your massive set up . We have a much larger fuge than your whole tank. I was just showing you our red/blue mix . We have Caulerpa Mexicana, Grape Caulerpa, Chaeto and Halimeda. They all grow well but the Mexicana and Grape really take over if we let them. We are over skimmed (SWC Mini S Cone on roughly 80 gal total system volume) and run high end GFO from BRS but still have some small algae issues in the DT and lots of growth in the fuge.

 

[Cwazy Clown]

Ahahah yeah definitely I think your LED array could power my tank if I was running a softy tank!

I might have to try the caulerpa mexicana, where did you get yours? I dont think I've ever seen it at a LFS?

 

[eww]

We got it from fellow reefers. We're always willing to donate if you want some.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[mcoomer]

RGB...If you buy a red, green, and blue led you can easily create white light. All that you need to do is drive them equally and you should get a clean white output. Just Google RGB colors.

Mike

 

[tat2z_21]

This will show the combined peaks of wavelength that need to be present for proper absorption for the clorophyl.

 

[Skimmy]

the other thing to consider as far as plants is that blue light is used for vegative growth, and red light is used for flowering...
so I would actually do just blue if it was me, I would be afraid of the red led possibly making the algae go sexual,
which in my mind would be the equivalent of flowering.. but im just taking a stab in the dark here...

 

[Cwazy Clown]

Interesting chart tat, I'm wondering what is the y axis?

Interesting thought skimmy, I wonder which direction light and reproduction goes. whether it is red light promotes sexual reproduction, or if red light is just the best for sexual reproduction.

Also, I'm only planning on growing chaeto, which doesnt go sexual Maybe I'll stick a mangrove in there just for fun.

 

[Billgax]

the other thing to consider as far as plants is that blue light is used for vegative growth, and red light is used for flowering...
so I would actually do just blue if it was me, I would be afraid of the red led possibly making the algae go sexual,
which in my mind would be the equivalent of flowering.. but im just taking a stab in the dark here...

The comparison of vascular plants to macroalgae is a bit of a stretch. It's not an on/off issue in regard to the blue and red chlorophyll absorption peaks... A vascular plant requires 'more' red spectra during flowering in an artificially illuminated environment... Not 'just' red.
Reproductive triggers (in both plants and macroalgae) tend to be more heavily influenced by photoperiod and other environmental cues than spectra.