LETTER
notes from DANIEL KNOP
More light. These were supposedly Goethe’s last words—a wish shared by us reef aquarists, as in years past it has been difficult to provide nough light for corals. But at pres- ent a minor revolution is taking place in aquarium lighting as LED lamps become ever more popular.
Until a few years ago we were accustomed to viewing
light diodes as indicator lights, mainly dots of red and
green on all sorts of electronic equipment. We would
have shaken our heads in disbelief if anyone had proph-
become available—small, square groups of the tiniest
LED elements. Already their light output can rival that
of metal halide lamps and will be increased even further
by lighting technologists in the years to come.
Two years of progress: two LED flashlights for comparison.
esied back then that one day we would use such lights
to illuminate our homes or even light-hungry shallow-water corals in marine aquaria. And then along came
power LEDs, which really can illuminate an object such
that their light reaches our eyes indirectly by reflection.
Initially they were a sensation, but soon became everyday, even though their light output still left a lot to be
desired. More recently, however, high-power LEDs have
LED technology looks set to redraw the maps, not only
in many areas of our everyday lives but also in the field of
reef-aquarium lighting, and for this reason CORAL has
decided to take a closer look at LED technology.
