Spectrum vs. PAR

[Unarce]

Excellent point. I suppose the test for ETR would have to be done in a closed system for it to truly apply. Interesting quote by Eric Borneman. I'd like to read into that. All the more reason to feed DT's or Reeds.

I don't like to assume, but I figured the down time in ETR during midday would correlate with intense full-spectrum.

 

[-JB]

Here what I was thinking of. I was close

Here is a quote from Eric's article on feeding zooplankton.

"Many years ago, one of the only complete energy budgets for a coral was done for what might be considered the ultimate shallow-water "SPS" coral, Acropora palmata (Bythell 1988, 1990). The study showed, basically, that 70% of this coral's nitrogen needs were met by feeding and that 91% of its carbon needs were met by light. At the 2002 conference, Bythell et al. examined three more corals, the larger polyped Montastraea cavernosa, M. annularis and Menadrina meandrites. They found zooplankton to provide 20-80 times the carbon and 112-460 times the nitrogen previously shown for Acropora palmata. Finally, Fanny et al. (2002) investigated the role of zooplankton consumption on the metabolism of the small-polyped coral, Stylophora pistillata under 3 different conditions of light (80, 200, 300 µmoles m-2 s-1) and 2 feeding regimes (Artemia and natural plankton). They found that regardless of light, fed corals had higher chlorophyll a concentrations, higher protein levels, and had photosynthesis rates 2-10 times higher than those deprived of food. This group also measured calcification rates, both in the dark and in light, and found that calcification, as is well known to be the case, is enhanced by light. However, for the first time it was shown that feeding results in calcification rates 50-75% higher than in control corals (not fed). It was also found that feeding does not affect the light-enhancement process of photosynthesis on calcification. To make these results completely understandable, if corals can feed on zooplankton, they will calcify 50-75% faster irrespective of light levels provided."

Which is why I think lighting data that they are pulling from a live reef might not apply 100% to what we are discussing in our tanks.

 

[Unarce]

Great information, JB. Reiteratively affirming that lighting is really just a part of it.

I'm curious how much growth I'd get if I stopped feeding daily.

Thanks again.