Acclimating Your Corals to LED Lights

 A big issue many reef hobbyists encounter when using new LED aquarium lights is coral bleaching and proper light acclimation.

Unfortunately, its often an issue you never thinking about until you have already bleached a few corals or already made numerous trips to the local fish store or your favorite reef forum. Coral bleaching is when a coral loses its symbiotic zooxanthellae (what gives them color). When corals are “stressed,” they often expel their zooxanthellae, leading to a lighter or completely white appearance (hence why we call it “bleaching.” In nature, it can be caused by a multitude of factors, including:
- Dramatic chance in water temperature
- Increased solar radiance (PAR and UV band light)
- Changes in water chemistry or salinity
- Bacterial infections
- Silt and run-off
- Herbicides, pollution and cyanide

In reef aquariums, the same factors can cause the same effect, especially an increase in light levels. Often times, switching from fluorescent light to LED aquarium lighting  is a dramatic increase in PAR, so its very important to slowly acclimate your corals to your new lights.

We’ve put together this simple led aquarium lighting guide to help everyone out with acclimating their tank to a new set of lights.

クモシリーズ 16

製品番号 ランプ数量 インプット電圧 LEDチップ 発光角度 Spider 16-1440 16PCS COB LED AC100V-240V EPISTAR/BRIDGELUX 120 degrees ルーメン値 サイズ 環境温度 使用寿命 スペクトル割合 29120lm L650*W650*H60mm _25~55 degree 50,000hrs 660:470:640:440:740=10:2:4:2:2 製品優勢: 省エネルギー、消耗電力が低くて、発光効率が高い、高圧ナトリウムランプ、ヘルニア燈 と金ハロゲンランプなどを比べて８０％で節電した。 ランプの寿命より強く、使用時間が50000時間可能です 温度が低くて、植物に直接接触てきる。また、他の放熱システムと空気の流通システムが必要ではない。 インストールが簡単で、バラストと反射カバーが必要ではない。 葉緑素AとBの吸収を促進します、90％光が植物に有効的だが、高圧ナトリウムランプ、ヘルニアライトと金ハロゲンがただ8-10%光線が植物に役に立つ。

How to grow corals in fish tank?

Here are a few steps you can take on your lights and fish tank.
1) Raise your led aquarium lights . This method is best used if you have a hanging system on your lights or another way to easily move the lights higher over the tank. You will want to slowly lower your fixture over the course of 3-4 weeks.

2) Reduce your exposure period. In essence, don’t let your chinese led aquarium lights  run for as long as they have been. Most hobbyists run their tank lights for 10-12 hours total. Most of us have a dusk/dawn schedule where we run only the blue or actinic lights for a couple hours before and after our daylight bulbs are used. You are probably safe to still run your dusk/dawn lighting for the same time, but you should drastically reduce the amount of time that your daylight bulbs are on. Try only running them for 4 hours now instead of the 8-9 hours that you were before. Then slowly, over a month, add one hour every week until you are back to your original schedule.

3) Use window screen or shade cloth. Just make a trip to your local hardware store or plant nursery and buy some window screen or shade cloth. You will want enough to cover the entire top of your tank with 3-4 layers of screen. You simply put all the screen on top of your tank and remove one layer at a time every 4-5 days. If your corals seem a little stressed after you remove a layer, place it back on for 1-2 days and then try again. Overall, this should take you 3-4 weeks but in some cases can go much faster.

4) Use a dimmer. Now that we have released our new in-line dimmer, transitioning has never been so easy! Simply hook up our dimmer and lower the led aquarium lighting intensity. Carefully watch your corals for any bleaching or other signs of stress. You may have to implement another method mentioned above in severe cases. When your corals look healthy you can slowly ramp up the intensity to the desired level. Again, this method should take 3-4 weeks.

No matter which method you use, ALWAYS watch your corals to see how they react. Taking your time and being patient—can and will—save your tank. No guide can replace what you are seeing happen in your tank. If corals are losing color and turning white, SLOW DOWN.

what you should care for when choosing led reef lights?

In the last 20 years of fish keeping, nothing has rivaled the explosive growth and popularity of the "reef"; nor has anything stirred up so much discussion. While many people attempted various modes of reef keeping, it was the introduction of the Dutch reefs with wet/dry filters, which triggered the hobby's growth in the U.S. With the new biological wet/dry filters, it became possible to have stable, large, bio-load systems which could support more delicate life, such as corals and anemones. Once the filter platform was available, other shortcomings in chemical filtration and   led aquarium lighting   became evident, spurring the evolution of new products and controversy.

Please remember that led aquarium lighting guide is still relatively new, and many successful systems are available. If you have talked to other enthusiasts, you are aware that there are several ways to set up your reef. Keep in mind that what works for someone else may not work for you; you may need to set up a traditional wet/dry system or jump into the latest "Berlin" skimmer system. Plan your approach to avoid frustration.

Proper aquarium size

The first step to a successful reef is to obtain the proper size of aquarium. Ideally, you want a fairly large tank; a minimum would be 18" wide x 48" long x 18" deep. Large, wide tanks are advantageous because they include more area for aquascaping and for the lighting system.
led aquarium lights

Among the most important aspects of reef keeping is the lighting system. With lighting, we want to provide the proper photoperiod, intensity, and spectrum for good coral and anemone growth. Most applications use a 12-hour photoperiod. With multi-light systems, you can use timers to vary the intensity by varying the number of lights on at any one time. Usually, one bulb comes on for an hour, then all bulbs for 10 hours, then one light is left on for an additional hour while the others are turned off. This is one method to duplicate the sun passing over the reef. On really elaborate systems, some hobbyists have even designed cloud cover patterns.

To provide proper light intensity, use 3-5 watts per gallon and use multiple fluorescent lights if the tank is 30" deep or less. Deeper tanks require more elaborate systems, usually involving hanging metal halide pendant lighting. Most books suggest one 175-watt metal halide per 4 square feet of surface area, hanging about 1 foot above the tank.

The development of electronic ballasts for Very High Output (VHO) fluorescent lighting, has allowed enthusiasts to design high wattage systems in small spaces. A 48" VHO bulb outputs 110W, versus 40W for a standard bulb. VHO systems require special end caps to withstand the higher heat emitted. Most of these tubes are available with internal reflectors to maximize intensity. Use bulbs with a CRI of 90-99 (CRI 100=sunlight), or color temperature of 5500-10,000K.

Most corals have light intensities at which they grow best. This is important to know when selecting bulbs and determining at what depth a certain coral should be placed. Most corals are a little forgiving as light intensity goes. It is important, though, not to "blind" new coral when placing them in the tank, as this can lead to light shock or bleaching of the zooxanthellae. Place new corals deeper in the tank than the optimum and provide some shading. Once acclimated, (generally about 2 weeks), raise them to the optimal level.

DIY led reef lights

Light is one of the most important tools at the disposal of the reef aquarium hobbyist. Our corals and other photosynthetic livestock require intense light of the correct spectrum to grow and thrive.So that's why led aquarium lights has been developed

The methods commonly used today - high output fluorescent or metal halide lamps - are well established and viable sources of light. Their use has become well accepted as a standard approach, despite their shortcomings.Cheap led aquarium lights offers an alternative for people who are interested in a different approach that can address some of those shortcomings, while providing some exciting new advantages.

 As with many new technologies in the reefkeeping hobby, the DIY community has begun embracing wholesale led aquarium lights.

Lighting: Reef Aquarium Lighting System Design and Selection

In the last 20 years of fish keeping, nothing has rivaled the explosive growth and popularity of the "reef"; nor has anything stirred up so much discussion. While many people attempted various modes of reef keeping, it was the introduction of the Dutch reefs with wet/dry filters, which triggered the hobby's growth in the U.S. With the new biological wet/dry filters, it became possible to have stable, large, bio-load systems which could support more delicate life, such as corals and anemones. Once the filter platform was available, other shortcomings in chemical filtration and led aquarium lighting became evident, spurring the evolution of new products and controversy.

Please remember that reef keeping is still relatively new, and many successful systems are available. If you have talked to other enthusiasts, you are aware that there are several ways to set up your reef. Keep in mind that what works for someone else may not work for you; you may need to set up a traditional wet/dry system or jump into the latest "Berlin" skimmer system. Plan your approach to avoid frustration.

Proper aquarium size

The first step to a successful reef is to obtain the proper size of aquarium. Ideally, you want a fairly large tank; a minimum would be 18" wide x 48" long x 18" deep. Large, wide tanks are advantageous because they include more area for aquascaping and for the lighting system.

led Reef lights
Among the most important aspects of reef keeping is the lighting system. With lighting, we want to provide the proper photoperiod, intensity, and spectrum for good coral and anemone growth. Most applications use a 12-hour photoperiod. With multi-light systems, you can use timers to vary the intensity by varying the number of lights on at any one time. Usually, one bulb comes on for an hour, then all bulbs for 10 hours, then one light is left on for an additional hour while the others are turned off. This is one method to duplicate the sun passing over the reef. On really elaborate systems, some hobbyists have even designed cloud cover patterns.

To provide proper light intensity, use 3-5 watts per gallon and use multiple fluorescent lights if the tank is 30" deep or less. Deeper tanks require more elaborate systems, usually involving hanging metal halide pendant lighting. Most books suggest one 175-watt metal halide per 4 square feet of surface area, hanging about 1 foot above the tank.

The development of electronic ballasts for Very High Output (VHO) fluorescent lighting, has allowed enthusiasts to design high wattage systems in small spaces. A 48" VHO bulb outputs 110W, versus 40W for a standard bulb. VHO systems require special end caps to withstand the higher heat emitted. Most of these tubes are available with internal reflectors to maximize intensity. Use bulbs with a CRI of 90-99 (CRI 100=sunlight), or color temperature of 5500-10,000K.

Most corals have light intensities at which they grow best. This is important to know when selecting led aquarium lights and determining at what depth a certain coral should be placed. Most corals are a little forgiving as light intensity goes. It is important, though, not to "blind" new coral when placing them in the tank, as this can lead to light shock or bleaching of the zooxanthellae. Place new corals deeper in the tank than the optimum and provide some shading. Once acclimated, (generally about 2 weeks), raise them to the optimal level.

How do LEDs work ?

In order to understand LED, or to call them by their proper name, Light Emitting Diodes, we need to understand semiconductors and electroluminescence. Semiconductors are elements (or compounds) which have conductivity between that of conductors (like metals) and insulators (like glass). A process called doping is used to add impurities to the semiconductor so as to create two different types of semiconductor layers in the same chip. This happens because the impurity modifies the electron configuration of some of the atoms of the material, thereby rendering some atoms electron deficient (possessing “electron holes”) and some electron surplus. One layer becomes electron deficient, while the other becomes electron surplus. The junction of these two layers is called a p-n junction, and this p-n junction forms the foundation of all LEDs.

How do LEDs work

Electricity being essentially the movement of electrons through the element, it can only flow from the negatively charged electron-excess region to the positively charged electron-deficit region, or in other words, electricity can flow only in one direction across the p-n junction. Now electrons move from the negatively charged atoms to positively charged atoms, they fill the deficit areas (called “electron holes”) in the positively charged atoms. While filling them, they emit photons by the process of electroluminescence. These photons are “particles” of light, and when they are emitted in sufficient quantity, we can say that the p-n junction is emitting light.

The process by which this is turned into a fully functional Full spectrum LED grow lights is too complex to cover here, though if you want a more in-depth analysis, you can refer to this paper.

Evolution of LED Performance



Commercial marketing of LEDs had begun much before of course, with Texas Instruments getting the first patent for the commercial LED in 1962. The product them came up with, however, cost $130 apiece, which made it extremely costly for the time. Over the years, however, prices of LEDs have dropped, and today we have LEDs being used in the great majority of electrical implements.
History of best LED grow lights

Such diversification of LED applications influenced the grow lights industry rather late. It was only in the early 21st Century that attempts were made to create arrays of 120 5mm diodes to produce commercial grow lights. Such arrays made use of up to 5 different types of LEDs, two in the red light region, one in the orange/yellow region and two in the blue region. Such an arrangement attempted to create the natural absorption spectrum of chlorophyll and carotenoids, which are the primary energy conversion materials in the plant leaves. The original attempt offered very poor wattage, leading to less than promising results when applied in indoor gardening. Coupled with the fact that one array cost about $100, this method offered too low a rate of returns on investment to be sustainable in the long run.



Today LED grow lights offer a wide range of spectrums and users can choose to buy light arrays catering to various “bands” of spectrum depending on what the needs of their plants are (see “Types of LED lights”). More importantly, the prices offered today allow the average grower to recoup the price difference in just 18 months (assuming the replacement of 1000W of HID lighting with 350W LED lighting, which provide the same light output due to greater efficacy of the latter). Indeed, the time period is even lower in cases of large commercial entities. It is not surprising, therefore, that LED lights are rapidly displacing MH and HPS grow lights as the favorite type of lighting for indoor horticultural twilight projects.