BOB_I please respond

[Bob I]

Originally Posted by reef_raf

Light provides the carbs for the coral thru photosynthesis.

This could become a good discussion. I must correct you on a very important point. The end products of photosynthesis are Glucose, Oxygen, and water. Respiration then converts the glucose to a large number of products, some of which are carbohydrates. However, photosynthetic sugars are also used in the production of amino acids for proteins.
Simply put, light and the ensuing photosynthesis also produce proteins.
The above statements are not mine but were paraphrased from a plant biology textbook.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by martym

The more I feed the better they are doing.

It's good that you give thought to this and don't blindly follow the light only crowd, but be careful that the statement above doesn't get you in trouble with the algae gods.

[Aquattro]

Thank you Bob. Yes, I'm aware of the photosynthetic process and it's products. Translating all that though says light = carbs. For the most part, sugar is produced by light. Amino acids are provided, for the most part, by external nutrients (proteins).

[Bob I]

Originally Posted by reef_raf

Thank you Bob. Yes, I'm aware of the photosynthetic process and it's products. Translating all that though says light = carbs. For the most part, sugar is produced by light. Amino acids are provided, for the most part, by external nutrients (proteins).

Please read my statement again carefully. It states light=glucose, which is also converted to amino acids which are the building blocks of proteins. I basically said the terrestrial plants get ALL their NUTRITION from photosynthesis. Now corals on the other hand are not terrestrial and receive some of their nutrition from other sources than photosynthesis. I do not claim to know in what proportion. That would be something for someone more educated than me to tell us definitively.
As I said it is a good discussion, but who really has all the answers

[Aquattro]

I have all the answers, I just don't want to give them all out right now!! Ya, that's it!!

Seriously though, Eric's 4 part paper really touches most, if not all of this topic.

[MitchM]

Originally Posted by martym

..But the first people who kept reefs didn't have MH or anything even close to what we have now and they managed to get this wonderful hobby going. Had of they not had success we wouldn't be enjoy the fruits of their labour...

One small thing to add - it used to be considered impossible to keep SPS corals until MH lights were introduced into the hobby.

Mitch