News

Understanding Calcium  and Alkalinity In Saltwater Aquarium By Orphek  Understanding water chemistry can be one of the most frustrating aspects to new or seasoned aquarists alike without a formal education on calcium and alkalinity and how they can affect each other.  Most hobbyists do not like to read scientific writings about water chemistry or look at scientific […]

Photo acclimation Why and How When upgrading your lighting to an Orphek high PAR/PUR LED lighting system, a photo-acclimation period may be necessary for your corals depending on your previous lighting technology and/or the light spectrum your previous lighting system emitted.  Most corals are photoadaptive and will adapt to different lighting conditions providing it is […]

Understanding Spectral Wavelengths and How They Affect Photosynthetic Life   Not long ago metal halide/HQI lighting was the lighting of choice for experienced reef keepers because of their high PAR values which generally exceeded 300+.  With the recent advent of LED lighting technologies, many hobbyists were leery about LED lighting because of their seemingly low PAR […]

BUTTERFLYFISH COMPATIBILITY WITH CORALS The ability to mix butterflyfishes with corals would be a wonderful boon for most reef aquarists. Their unique shape and coloration are second to none, and combining corals with Butterflyfish can double the pleasure. This can be a reality if care is taken to choose those fishes that are reasonably safe for the […]

Orphek’s Tips for Buying an LED Fixture With the growing number of LED fixtures available to the hobbyists, selecting one to purchase can be a difficult decision and one that needs careful consideration.  Below are a few items you should be aware of when shopping for a LED lighting system.   Make sure the fixture […]

ORPHEK Announces New Product Release. The Red Model Freshwater Planted Aquarium LED Pendant       LED aquarium lighting is flooding the market with lighting for marine aquariums, most notably reef aquariums.  No manufacturer has focused on producing a LED fixture specifically designed for freshwater planted tank enthusiasts.  These types of aquariums can be just […]

Is UV light a gimmick in LED Fixtures, or do corals benefit by it? UV light can be dangerous to all biological life including us humans so we will first explain the different wavelengths of UV light and their effects.   UV-A – 315-400nm UVA is the most commonly found form of UV, and is […]

DIF30c Refugium LED Pendant ORPHEK Announces Their New DIF30c Refugium LED Pendant   The use of refugiums by marine aquarists has become increasingly popular over the last few years as they offer a refuge for growing macro algae as well as an area away from the display tank to keep invertebrates that otherwise would not […]

UNDERSTANDING KELVIN, LUX, LUMENS, PAR, AND PUR KELVIN The descriptor Kelvin is often used as a measure of color temperature of light sources. Color temperature is based upon the principle that a black body radiator emits light the color generated at the temperature of the radiator. Black bodies with temperatures below about 4000 K appear […]

Ingredients for Good Coral Growth and Color Light, Coral, and Photosynthesis Many factors can affect coral growth; lighting, water temperature, feeding strategies, and water chemistry all have an affect coral growth and their appearance.  Proper lighting is one of the most important ingredients for successfully growing corals in a reef aquarium. The Zooxanthellae that live […]

Orphek LED revolution for Reef aquarium This is Part three in a series of articles and in this article we will focus on the LEDs we use, particularly our new revolutionary18K white LED.   First we will explain what LEDs are and how they work.  A LED is not a miniature light bulb, it is […]

Orphek LED revolution DIF 100 This is Part two in a series of articles and this article will focus on the development of the DIF 100 series and further improvements that were made in chronological order. March 29 2011 – DIF 100 Orphek engineers wanted to design and build a pendant that would allow hobbyists […]

Orphek LED revolution PR156 This is Part one in a series of articles and this article will focus on the development of the PR156 series and further improvements that were made in chronological order 2009 In 2009, Orphek designed and built the first LED fixture capable of growing all types of corals without regard to […]

Some experimental frags under LED lighting Tank is 200cm x 120cm x 27cm (water height). The LED unit is 45cm above water level. 2x Orphek  PR156  LENS OUT I’ve been debating trying out an LED set-up to see what colors I can get….here are some pics two weeks into using my new LED units strung […]

ORPHEK DIF 50 XP LED PENDANT Reviewed by James Gasta (wetwebmedia)   Pendant LED lighting has become increasingly popular in the last two years. The Orphek DIF 50 XP Pendant provides a means to effectively illuminate both shallow and deep tanks (depending on the lens used) with enough PAR/PUR to support corals and other photosynthetic […]

The Four Masters Video Series Coral Tank from Canada (1350gal Display Tank) , peters fish tank “Update as promised Its been a long while since any updates. We have been very busy with the build and have lots to talk about. We have been shooting videos for the last six weeks and have put together […]

About Corals About Light,Coral,and Photosynthesis Many factors can affect coral growth Lightning, water temperature, feeding strategies, and water chemistry all affect coral growth and appearance.  Proper lighting is one of the most important aspects of any reef aquarium. The Zooxanthellae that live in coral tissues depends heavily on specific types of light energy to flourish […]