Achieving the optimal coral health, color & growth by using iCon Helius Program
The Atlantik iCon, Amazonas 960 iCon and Or3 Osix LED Lighting comes with one pre-program called Helius specially developed for coral health growth & color.
WHAT IS HELIUS AND WHY MY CORALS NEED IT?
Helius is Orphek’s newest developed and pre-installed program for optimal coral health, color & growth.
We are bringing you an awesome new generation of the Atlantik series and also offering a decade of research combined to one single most advanced program for color health color & growth.
HELIUS MIMICS NATURE!
Helius mimics Nature by providing you a perfect sunrise to sunset spectrum and it is highly recommended because it is developed for optimal growth of SPS and LPS according to scientific research of the benefits of sun light for corals.
*Of course we believe in custom made products and preferences, so you can also create your very own customize your Helius program, but if you want to rely on serious and profound research now you have THE program!
HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN CUSTOMIZED HELIUS PROGRAM
In this video we will show you how to create your own customized Helius program.
We recommend you to go first to QUICK MODE.
There you will see the general look of the spectrum.
Once you are in QUICK MODE set the intensity of the light and color and mark it down.
As an idea, if you prefer a bluer look you can reduce both channels 1 and 2 and mark the intensity that you like.
For example, channel 1 could be at 40%, channel 2 also at 40% and all the other channels at 80%.
*this is just an idea. You can choose the percentages according to your taste)
Then, go to the program and set there the maximum intensity at 40%.
Well, we think it is easier if you watch this video. We did it just for you!!
HOW DOES HELIUS WORK?
Helius is a pre-set program with a cycle of 12 hours (from 9 a.m. to 21 p.m.)*
It starts with sunrise, when the intensity of the spectrum starts gradually to raise, until it reaches its highest point, and then it goes gradually to sundown.
*You can customize the Helius program as long as you don’t exceed the 12 hours cycle:
The lighting duration should be inclusive of all dimming phases (total lighting duration) between
11 hours and 12 hours (h) and not exceed 12 hours.
Exception: Very experienced and professionals can exceed the 12 hours cycle to 13 hours.
This cycle can be applied only in stress free and steady optimized environment conditions.
Ongoing reef aquariums without radiation stress symptoms can use Helius for 13 hours to further enhance the coral growth avoiding coral discoloration can program Helius.
(e.g., in commercial coral breeding plants)
But mostly, for private reef aquariums the 12 hours cycle is the total illumination time including the dimming phases as the maximum.
When to lower to 11 hours cycle:
If the aquarium is facing:
- Vey low levels of nutrient contents (Nutrient deficiency situations)
- Iodine deficiency with corresponding deficiency symptoms
- Macro-and micro algae growth (dinoflagellates or cyanobacteria)
The illumination time necessarily should max. of 12 h, and better even to be reduced to only 11 hours cycle in order to relieve the aquarium system.
As a result, less radiation energy reaches the reef aquarium, therefore, the probability of the occurrence of critical radiation stress situations in the coral care is reduced.
The research – What happens in Nature
Most organisms have developed an endogenous clock that allows them to anticipate daily and seasonal changes and adapt their physiological, behavioral, and biochemical activity accordingly. Endogenous clocks are entrained to their local conditions by environmental cycles through input cues such as light or nutrition. Rhythmic events are common in biological systems and range in frequency from seconds to many years. Environmental and behavioral conditions, such as stress and timing of food intake are known to disrupt circadian rhythms; however, the most potent factor disrupting the normal circadian rhythms is unsuitably timed light. It is agreed that most organisms anticipate environmental changes using the solar and lunar cycle and the disruption of these rhythms due to artificial lighting has major implications on timing of reproduction, feeding, etc. and activity that can all lead lower chances of survival.
In nature, the day-length in the tropics is relatively constant and underwater by the angle of the incidence of the sunlight and its associated reflection at a flat angle of incidence shorter in the morning and evening than over water and is about 11.5 hours. (Check the first graph above)
So while using artificial LED lights it is important to fully mimic the light cycle offered by Nature or only slightly gradually change it.
THE SECRET OF CORAL GROWTH!
The more consistent and the healthier the radiation environment in the reef aquarium, the easier it is for the absorbed radiant energy to be converted into growth!
Too strong and too high-energy light radiation causes activation of protection mechanisms so that growth rates decline and can even reach a complete standstill.
Many reefers are used to run the light playing with channels and changing drastically the spectrums and adding a blast of blue color. We strong recommend not to do so. What we recommend is to use Helius program at 12 hours cycle and complete the with the blue of the MOONLIGHT MODE. (next post we will explain in details about this mode).
We have developed Helius to mimic Nature by providing the gradually increasing/decreasing – perfect sunrise to sunset spectrum and it is highly recommended that you use it because it is developed for optimal growth of SPS and LPS according to serious scientific research of the benefits of sun light for corals.
Not only that, it is also the most suitable for the other marine creatures of your aquarium not to stress them too.
