Recently, we shared the RGB Panorama Pro LED System from Ecoxotic. And even more recently, Ecoxotic has shared a video of these lights which happens to coincide with the official release of the LEDs to aquarium hobbyists. Besides the obvious use of RGB LED technology, this new module features a remote control that allows hobbyist increase or decrease light levels, fade the lights in or out, and turn the module on and off. Additionally, this new Ecoxotic Module has 16 different color offerings allowing it to emit whites, yellows, oranges, reds, blues, greens and purples. The light will retail for approximately $90, with the power supply running an additional $37 and the compatible reflector at $17.
Since the announcement of the RGB Panorama, several people have asked what the benefits were to using a green or red light over the aquarium. The simple use of green light over a reef aquarium has no direct benefit other than aesthetic and to dial in the desired spectrum, but to fully understand why it’s being implemented, we have to look at the RGB color model. According to this concept, using the primary colors of red, green, and blue together, a trichromatic white is the resulting light emitted. It is the inclusion of all of these colors that results in a white light and this white has peaks in the wavelength that are similar to that of what chlorophyll absorbs, which is the primary compound used in photosynthesis.
The other colors experienced with this module are the result of using one of those three primary colors or combining two of them to created a blended color. For example, combining blue and green results in yellow. Again, using a single color or a combination of colors that doesn’t result in white or blue light being emitted has no real benefit over a reef aquarium other than aesthetic. Sure, these colors will provide some energy for photosynthesis, but their use is primarily to enhance the look of the aquarium and its inhabitants, as well as dial in the color spectrum the hobbyist desires.
