University level observation of MH vs. LED
This experiment is close to two weeks from being completed. As the results are still coming in, here is the update we do have based on observation.
From Professor Walter- St. Mary’s College of Maryland University
It is very clear that over all growth was enhanced by TMC Ocean blues. We are processing zooxantheallae counts, total protein analysis, total chlorophyll etc through stats now.An interesting aside: Late in the afternoon of the 19-21 (New moon) Most of the Galaxia under LED illumination spawned (several hundred colonies). The water was nearly opaque with gametes down current from the coral. Both the eggs and sperm were viable and fertilization resulted in viable embryos although I only followed the development of a few to the 8 and 16 cell stage.None of the 10 colonies under VHO’s and none of the 10 under Halide in this experiment spawned. None of the hundreds that did spawn on this occasion did so over all of the years that they were under halides or VHO’s
More will come of this experiment. This is exciting work done at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Hopefully, this study will give some real proof to what LEDs can do. Many people switch to LEDs from MH or other and they may see a difference. But very few people are running controlled tests such as this.
The most likely reason, this spawning reaction is happening for the corals under LEDs, is due to the more USEFUL light LEDs provide. Even more so for the TMC AquaRay LEDs, as they have the most ‘useful’ light per LEDs available to the hobby to date.
Marine Aquarium LED Study 