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Lighting the Aquarium: Orphek’s Atlantik V4 LED Luminaire – Photosynthetically Active and Usable Radiation

By Dana Riddle

Lighting an aquarium would be a simple affair if only aesthetic considerations mattered, however advanced aquarists’ goals often include husbandry of plants, algae, corals and other photosynthetic organisms.

To that end, it was originally suggested that only ‘intense’ lighting was required, and spectral characteristics were of a secondary concern. Our understanding of the needs of reef organisms has advanced over the years.

In this installment, we’ll look at two important lighting parameters –

Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD) – often referred to as simply

Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR with a bandwidth of 400-700nm)

and Photosynthetically Usable Radiation (PUR.)

These two categories can not be mutually exclusive. A lighting source of high intensity (PPFD) and low useful output (PUR) has few practical applications, while the opposite is also true – low PAR output with high PUR is of limited usefulness.

This time, we’ll look at PPFD and PUR generated by ultraviolet, violet, and blue LEDs in an Orphek Atlantik V4 LED luminaire.

The procedure used was as follows.

Black poster board with a hole exactly the diameter of the lens of each LED allowed measurement of individual LEDs (although the thick plastic cover of the luminaire allows some blending of light from adjacent diodes.)

A Li-Cor LI-1200 quantum meter’s sensor (calibrated for ‘air’ measurements) was placed directly over the LED and the result (as µmol·m²·second) was recorded.

PUR was estimated through use of a Seneye Reef device that reports the result as a per centage.

The Seneye estimates PUR by comparing red, green, and blue outputs. Photosynthetic efficacy was estimated by multiplying PPFD by per cent PUR.

While the procedure is not perfect (particularly with LEDs producing radiation outside of the PAR sensors window of 400-700nm) it does allow a rough estimate of performance.

Ultraviolet Radiation                                                                                                                                               

This luminaire contains 4 LEDs producing UV radiation with peaks at 382, 383, and two at 384 nm.

These wavelengths are useful in photosynthesis – they can be absorbed by chlorophylls a and c2.

They can also excite fluorescent proteins found in many corals. There is also the possibility that these can induce the expression of some of these colorful proteins (both fluorescent and reflective in nature.)

Violet Light                                                                                                                                                                 

Ten violet LEDs are found in this luminaire, with peak outputs at 410 to 428nm.

Some of the comments made about UV radiation are applicable to violet wavelengths as well.

Blue Light                                                                                                                                                                  

Water appearing blue to our eye is the hallmark of clear oceanic waters, hence blue light makes a reef aquarium appear natural but more importantly, chlorophylls absorb this light and use it in photosynthesis. This luminaire contains 32 LEDs producing blue light, ranging in peak outputs from 431 to 473nm.

Using the techniques previously described, these are the average PPFDs of these LEDs.

Figure 1. The Li-Cor PAR meter will under-report PPFD of ultraviolet and violet LEDs since the sensor’s cutoff is at 400nm. The blue LEDs are powerful. PPFD is reported as micromole per square meter per second (µmol·m²·sec.)

As mentioned, PPFD is only part of the story. We’ll now multiply the PPFD values by PUR factors obtained through use of the Seneye device. These are the results.

Figure 2. Using factors generated by the Seneye device, Violet wavelengths are most efficient (87%) in the promotion of photosynthesis, followed by Blue at 80%, and finally UV at 74%.PUR is reported as micromole per square meter per second (µmol·m²·sec.)

Next time, we’ll look at other bandwidths and discuss their importance.

Read More:

Lighting the Aquarium Part 7-Photosynthetically Usable Radiation

Lighting the Reef Aquarium Part 6 – Coral Coloration – A Primer

Lighting the Reef Aquarium Part 5 -Tridacna Clams

Lighting the Reef Aquarium Part 4

Lighting the Reef Aquarium Part 3- The Myth of Corals Requiring Unlimited Amounts of Light

Lighting the Reef Aquarium Part 2-Measuring Light Intensity

Lighting the Reef Aquarium – Part 1

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SPS reef tank lighting made simple and stable.

You may have already caught the latest BRS TV episode that focuses on lighting; episode 11. The series has been developed to cover all key aspects of a new reef tank set up based on a number of options at various budgets. In this episode they explore lighting and a variety of ways of achieving success.

15:01 The video discusses the option of panel style LED lights that provide an alternate to T5’s for full coverage. Orphek Atlantik series do exactly that. 

15:08 shows that one Atlantik v4 Gen 2 light will provide enough light coverage for LPS and Soft corals

15:11 Whilst for show stopping SPS tanks, 2 Atlantiks provide a highly diffused light source that wraps around the corals and is almost impossible to shadow.

15:19 The performance of the Atlantik v4 means you can suspend the lights up to 24’’ above the tank to provide even coverage.

36:30 The Atlantik v4 offers the most comprehensive solution for a 4ft tank with 2 lights costing less than $2000. Arguably the best value v performance option on the market.

The Par achieved on a custom setting and not full power. The Par spread is incredibly even across the whole tank.

Orphek Atlantik provides the real alternative to T5’s for full coverage and a highly diffused light source. The series delivers the perfect spectrum and par to create show stopping SPS displays and gives value for money due to the lower number of lights required to achieve great results.

Orphek Atlantik V4 reviewed  by a client form south Africa

Before I had the Orpheks over my tank I just had a marine aquarium with half colored and dull looking corals. I tried all the micro nutrient dosing that I could find to try and color up the corals. I tried different makes of LED’s, T5 and the combo there of but with little change.

Then I added the orpheks and wow…now I have an marine aquarium under water wonder world. The growth is unbelievable, I had to double the amount of alkalinity that I add to the tank within the first two weeks. The colors are unbelievable. Never thought that lights alone can make such a huge difference. Just love these lights. Control-ability through the app is easy and very user friendly

Thank you Orphek for an amazing product.”

For more information contact

Kind Regards
Leslie Hempel
Sulitouch (pty) LTD t/a
Reefing Solutions
Owner
and Orphek SA agent!

Cell: 0835550459
Fax to e-mail: 0864033475
Registration No: 2018/037147/07

Suppliers of quality and affordable marine aquaria and equipment!

Best LED Lights for Reef Tank 2018-2019 Review

Thanks Ryan Cunningham for making such an awesome review.

Ryan has 2 units of Atlantik V4 Gen 2, one unit of Atlantik Compact V4 gen 2 and 2 units of OR120 Bar – Blue Sky

Hello my name is Ryan Cunningham and I am a coral addict.

I started in the reefing hobby back in 2013 when a friend of mine from medical school introduced it to me on a series of spear fishing trips in Southern California.

(2 units of Atlantik V4 Gen 2, one unit of Atlantik Compact V4 gen 2 and 2 units of OR120 Bar – Blue Sky )

My first tank was a 40 breeder and I haven’t looked back since! I love the reefing hobby and my undying excitement to look at it daily with hopes to find new growth wherever I look. It always amazes me that everyday I come home and have an opportunity to look at my tank how I get the same feeling when rushing to the tank to see “how it’s doing”.

If you are a real reefer then you know the feeling of excitement we all get when rushing to see our tanks for the first time that day! Now let’s talk about the guts and progression of my reef system. I run a very “simple” system although when you look at the sump area it does not always look that way!

I have a 180 gallon aqueon tank,

a bashea signature series sump, nyos 220 skimmer and am now lit by the most amazing lights on the market, Orpheks. I do not run any reactors, I do not run Gfo and I rarely use carbon unless I can justify a reason for its use and even then the bag is only in the tank for a maximum of 7 days.

I dose a few different products including seachem fusion 2 part, 4ml of nopox, kalkwasser for a ph boost as well as a few trace elements from Red Sea. Everything is dosed by 2 Jebao dp4 dosers with possible plans to maybe switch over to Apex Dos system if their trident alkalinity monitoring is ever produced.

Let’s talk about lighting

now since this is really a review of how things have changed for me since switching to Orphek. Prior to running all Orphek lights I was running a hodgepodge of LEDs with two t5 retrofit kits. It wasn’t pretty but it most certainly got the job done. My main light was actually a 48 inch v1 reefbreeder.

I loved this light and for the price and result that I got from it I think it honestly is the best “bargain” light on the market currently. However, if you are a reefing lifer like me and super serious about the hobby the switch to either Orphek or the radion g4 pro is inevitable.

So why did I choose Orphek over radion?

Well being a student into my late 30s was a big factor as I am pretty much constantly broke so financial reasons were one for me. From what I have been reading one Atlantic v4 covers the same amount of area as TWO radion g4 pros.

But what tipped me over the edge to pulling the trigger?

Well that was certainly the BRS YouTube review That Ryan and his team put together.

BRS does a review like this for all the lights they sell including Radions and when I saw that in that video Orpheks were not only outperforming radions but also outperforming their t5 geisman counterparts I was blown away.

The light has even blending and spread throughout the tank and par readings that are just out of this world.

For example, my par level 3 inches below the water is a blanket of 700 as measured by the apex par meter. This is kind of a good Segway into the next point I want to make about these lights. Clearly judging by the pictures I’m a huge stick head.

When I was planning on making the switch to Orphek,

pretty much everyone in the Chicagoland reefing community knew about it and people were putting in their two cents. One fellow recommended that I monitor my alkalinity closely following the switch as the lights might “shock” my corals into senescence.

Meanwhile my doser would still be adding alk and this could possibly lead to a crash. So I followed his excellent recommendation and I was monitoring alk on the daily making sure it stayed rock solid. Well after the lights had been installed for about two days I realized the opposite was occurring.

My alk had dropped 1.5 dkh even though my doser was still dosing 60 ml of alk a day.

Well since that time I have had to increase my alk dose from about 60 ml a day (standard dosage under the reefbreeder led) to 100 ml a day!!! Yes that is a liter of alk every ten days and no I’m not switching to a ca reactor.

The increased dosage of alk can only mean one of two things, either increased growth of corals or increased precipitation of calcium carbonate into sand/sump.

Well I’ll tell you it was the former and it was obvious to me that this was the case in just under a week.

After about a week of the lights being installed I started noticing new INCREASED growth rates from all of my acros.

It was not a subtle change, it was the most obvious change I have ever seen.

I have had some acros in here for four years where all they would do was encrust a little with no other changes all of a sudden just started to sprout little white growth tips ALL OVER the entire acro, it was incredible.

This then prompted me to write one of two reviews I have ever written in my life.

Basically what I am saying is it takes a lot for a guy like me to post pictures and write a full length passionate review about a product and honestly I just couldn’t hold back my excitement about the lights.

With the info ban in place I feel like is is crucial to make this hobby sustainable and I wanted to spread the good news to all the reefers out their hesitant about these lights to tell them these things are THE REAL DEAL. After having a few friends over they were all shocked to see what a difference the lights make in regard to the vivid colors I now see in not only my corals but also in my fish!!

The colors of my fish are just popping now

and my tank just looks so much more alive if you will.

Since I like hard scientific facts that things are improving in my tank I would also like to share another unexpected positive of these lights, PH. Prior to adding these lights I was swinging between 7.8-8.1 which is not ideal imo.

However after switching to these lights my ph has bumped up an average of .1. In other words since switching to these lights my swing is now 7.9-8.2!!! So what does that mean though? Well to me it indicates that the awesomeness of these lights have increased the photosynthetic capabilities of my zooxanthella.

Since these lights have put these plant like cells into overdrive it has increased the conversion of co2 to o2 in my tank and therefore a increase in my ph. So people out there having problems with low ph, this is a possible piece to the puzzle for you in trying to get that number into a more acceptable range. #science Lastly but most certainly not least piece of scientific evidence is the coloration and overall look of the coral.

For me I will use the infamous but beautiful Vivids rainbow from my favorite coral shop Vivids aquarium.

If you are a real stick head then you are familiar with this coral and how much of a pain in the a** it can be to keep colored up.

I have heard people say “if you even look at the vivids rainbow wrong it will brown out on you” and prior to owning these lights that was my experience with this coral. For me the vivids rainbow always grew but just looked brown and crappy.

Since switching to these lights I have seen a transformation in this coral that is nothing short of shocking!!!

The colors OMG THE COLORS MAN!!!

I have included a pic of my progression on this coral and Oh man it gets better everyday!!!

Thank you Orphek So after my initial unprompted review of the lights was made public on the orphek lighting homepage it was an honor to be contacted by the company to do another review on the lights and the changes I’ve seen a month out of installation.

Well judging by the tone of this lengthy second review of the lights it should be pretty much obvious to any English reader that my love for these lights has just been growing and growing and growing.

Do I have buyers remorse over these lights?

HELL NO! If I had known I would have gotten the results Prior to purchasing these lights I would have gladly forked over double. MY TANK IS LITERALLY ON FIRE NOW.

I’m pumping out so many Frags now that I can’t get rid of them fast enough locally anymore!

I’m kind of out of things to say but I guess I will leave it like this, if you are uncertain about these lights, don’t be.

These lights will be the single best investment

you will make in this hobby, pull the trigger, don’t look back and in a months time you will have more coral than you know what to do with!!! Thank you so much Orphek for making the best gosh dang lights on the market and making this dude right here the most satisfied customer on the face of the planet.

ORPHEK YOU ROCK!!!!! 💯 💯💯💯

Sincerely, Ryan Cunningham MD

Most colorful corals for a saltwater

Thanks to Ryan who has sent us these beautiful coral pictures of his tank under Orphek lights!

Atlantik V4 Reef Aquarium LED lighting

Atlantik V4 Compact Aquarium LED Lighting

OR 120/90/60 BAR LED Lighting

Lighting the Aquarium Part 7: Photosynthetically Usable Radiation

By Dana Riddle

Photosynthetically Usable Radiation (PUR) is a portion of the spectrum that promotes photosynthesis. It is generally considered to be a subset of Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR, defined as that light between 400 and 700nm), but this is only partially correct as some Ultraviolet-A wavelengths, and in some cases, infrared radiation, are useful in the promotion of photosynthesis.

We are taught in grade school that blue and red wavelengths are most useful for use in the photosynthetic process. While true, we tend to discount the importance of other wavelengths. Symbiodinium species (zooxanthellae) contain an accessory pigment called peridinin. Peridinin absorbs light up to about 550 nanometers, thus extending the useful wavelengths well into the green portion of the spectrum.

Figure 1 shows an Action Spectrum of a Symbiodinium species (likely of the pandemic generalist Clades C1 or C3) isolated from a Favia stony coral. An Action Spectrum is a physiological reaction (usually oxygen production) plotted against wavelength of light.

Figure 1.

This Action Spectrum show that blue and red light is important for photosynthesis in a zooxanthella isolated from a stony coral. It also shows the absorption of green light by the accessory pigment peridinin.

In another case – that of the red alga Myriogramme – we see the Action Spectrum is drastically different from that of a Symbiodinium species. See Figure 2.

Figure 2.

Figure 2. A quick comparison of the Action Spectra shown in Figures 1 and 2 shows light requirements of two photosynthetic organisms can be very different.

It becomes apparent that there is no universal ‘best’ light for the promotion of photosynthesis. Thus, aquarium lights that offer spectral tuning are most desirable. LED lights with multi-channel tuning offer the best option of any currently available.
As good as this Action Spectrum information is, we should view it with caution. Action Spectra are determined through use of a device called a monochromator. A monochromator splits broadband radiation into narrow bandwidths hence the procedure using this instrument does not demonstrate the Emerson Enhancement Effect. Discovered by Robert Emerson and colleagues in the 1950’s, the Emerson Enhancement Effect found there were two photosystems (I and II), and rates of photosynthesis were highest when plants were simultaneously exposed to red and far-red light.

This begs the question – How do photosynthetic organisms in deeper water, where there are few, if any, red and far-red wavelengths, benefit from the Emerson Enhancement Effect? The answer is they don’t.

Fortunately, some of today’s LED lighting systems are incorporating diodes that produce broadband spectra that far exceed that of early units that produced only blue and white light (as a result of blue light exciting tri-band phosphors.)

Next time, we’ll look at Photosynthetically Usable Radiation produced by individual LEDs in Orphek’s Atlantik V4 luminaire. Since PAR and PUR must be considered in tandem, we’ll look at that as well.

Lighting the Reef Aquarium Part 6 – Coral Coloration – A Primer

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read more:

Lighting the Reef Aquarium

Lighting the Reef Aquarium: Part II

The Myth of Corals Requiring Unlimited Amounts of Light

Lighting the Reef Aquarium Part 4

Lighting the Reef Aquarium Part 5 -Tridacna Clams

Orphek Atlantik V4 the best LED light for Coral growth and color

Recently we have received what we feel is one of the best demonstrations of what Orphek Atlantik V4 Gen2 Reef lights will do for your reef tank.  The submitter we will call Reef Glow 19 and his You Tube video can be found here.

this is a 4K video !

What you will see in this video is almost unreal for a closed reef system.  The coral has to be pruned quite often because they are all growing into each other.  The different colors of the coral is also a splendid attribute to our lighting and Reef Glow’s expertise in growing coral.

No need for any more text regarding Reef Glow’s tank and our Atlantik V4 Reef lights, the video will do all the talking and give you eye candy at its finest.

Before:

after:

Atlantik V4 Reef Aquarium LED lighting

Lighting the Reef Aquarium Part 6: Coral Coloration – A Primer

By Dana Riddle

This colorful Acropora species is not fluorescent – the proteins it contains preferentially reflect red and blue light, making it appear purple.

When I managed a commercial coral farm in the 1990’s, we were content just to grow corals and propagate them. Although we knew beautifully colored corals could bring a premium price, their availability on the east coast of the United States was limited.

Today, that situation has changed drastically and corals possessing all the colors of a rainbow are common place. But maintaining that coloration in captivity is sometimes problematic. This short article will serve as an introduction to marine invertebrate coloration.

This issue is complex, and we’ll begin with some basics. There are at least two types of color compounds seen in some corals and anemones – fluorescent and non-fluorescent. Fluorescence is when a compound absorbs light and emits (fluoresces) it at a longer wavelength, hence fluorescent compounds glow (or ‘pop’) under UV/violet/blue light, while the non-fluorescent types do not (they appear dull under those wavelengths and are called chromoproteins.). All are proteins and are manufactured by the coral or anemone. There are hundreds of proteins described but there are likely to be thousands.

Figure 1.

The structure of the protein is basically the same. See Figure 1.

The portion of the protein that can become colorful (fluorescent or not) is wrapped inside bands (called staves) – the entire structure is called a beta-barrel. The colorful portion (called a chromophore if not fluorescent or fluorophore if fluorescent) inside the beta-barrel can twist when exposed to certain environmental factors, such as light, pH, metals, etc. This twisting can cause the color to be switched on or off.

Figure 1. The structure of a potentially colorful protein. The green portion within the protective bands is the part that can fluorescence, reflect light, or not be colorful at all. Green is used for illustrative purposes only – it can be many colors.
These proteins are systematically categorized in ‘clades’ (a clade is something that shares a common ancestor.). Currently, there are 6 clades called A, B, C1, C2, C3, and D (a non-fluorescent chromoprotein found in Echinopora forskalina does not fit into any clade, suggesting a seventh exists.).

Why is this important? As identity between proteins increases, the more likely it is to similarly respond to environmental factors.

Clade A is found only in anemones (although Majano anemones contain a Clade C2 protein.). Clade B has, among others, all the chromoproteins seen in Acropora species (the only other chromoprotein currently analyzed is found in Stylophora pistillata and is of Clade C2.). Fluorescent proteins found in the corallimorph Discosoma are of Clade B. Clade C (C1, C2 and C3) in addition to those previously mentioned, are found in stony corals and zoanthids (the only yellow fluorescent protein officially described is found in a zoanthid.). Clade D proteins are found in stony corals, soft corals, and another corallimorph genus (Ricordea.).

These colorful proteins respond to light differently. Some are thought to protect the coral and its symbiotic zooxanthellae from excessive amounts of light, while others (found in deeper waters) are believed to fluoresce light wavelengths that can aid photosynthesis.

The complexity of this subject quickly becomes apparent. Next time, we’ll look at those proteins that are known to respond to light intensity/spectrum.

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read more:

Lighting the Reef Aquarium

Lighting the Reef Aquarium: Part II

The Myth of Corals Requiring Unlimited Amounts of Light

Lighting the Reef Aquarium Part 4

Lighting the Reef Aquarium Part 5 -Tridacna Clams