Also reef aquariums don't provide the large amount of
plankton available in the ocean, and trying to imitate
that much, can spoil the water easily.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Wayne Sallee wrote on 2/25/2006 11:42 AM:
Lighting is not over rated for reef tanks.

When corals loose theier symbiotic algae, they are weekend by the loss
of food that this algae was providing them.

The corals you saw living in low light were probably low light corals,
not the type of coras that we keep.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Jaime R-S wrote on 2/25/2006 11:05 AM:

Hi;
You did hit the point. Live rock exists even at 200 foot depths
where light is dim.
Ilumination is one of the most over-rated fixtures of a sal****er
aquarium. A very expensive over-rated fixture.
Live rock doesn't need much light, even if the algae dies the rock
stays alive as long as the animals within are being fed.
Hard coral is another story. These types of anthozoans have an
algae incorporated within as a simbiont. If the algae is not doing
its part of the conditions get unbearable, the polyp will expell the
zooxanthella and will be able to live without it for periods of time.
The drawback about not having the algae in the symbiosis is the loss
of colours, the main reason for having corals in a reef aquarium.
I grew up in the Caribbean, I haven't seen coral reefs like those
anywhere else other than Australia and the IndoPacific, the probable
birth place of coral reefs. The majority of the time the water
visibility is not great and coral reefs manage to survive with little
and poor light at depths of up to 100 feet.

jrs
"TheRock" wrote in message
news:kGZLf.2274$UN1.1116@trndny08...

Rock doesn't need light...algae does.
Is live rock really live ?

I believe it just accommodates, beneficial bacteria, worms, pods,
misc micro fauna and algae.
So I guess if your make your sump a refugium style sump then yes to
the light. 10,000K

right ?

"Harry Ohanian" wrote in message
. ..

If I put L.R. in my sump do I need lighting for it to stay alive?