Yout light schedule?

[jake]

Just curious as to what kind of lighting schedule you guys keep. And why

[cloran]

Acthinic  10am-10pm
Metal Halide 11am-9pm
Why? don't know just the way i like it

[quicksilver]

crap I just use my MH from 7am till about 7pm

[jake]

Well with just 2 replies I guess everyone is running close to 12/12

I just hadn't set the time on my tank and finally got the timer. I put it 9-9 just wanted to see how far out of the mainstream I was if I was which I'm not.

[lazylivin]

Main Tank MH - 4:00pm - 12:00am
Sump PC - 12:00am - 4:00pm

[UDJustin]

i run my halides for 6 and a half hours i have my atinics turn on an hour and a half before and turn off an hour and a half after.

[Revaltion131]

Moonlights: Full time
Actinics: 9 am - 9 pm
MH: 10 am - 8 pm

The PC light for my pico and the light on my new 65 run on the same time as the MH on the main tank.

[JoeAyers]

Halides 3p to 11p cause that is when I'm home to view it.

[Baggerhog]

Halides 12pm-11:45pm
T5 actinics 11:45am-12am

just because

[quicksilver]

  just because got ya!!!

[UDflyer00]

I am running my lights from 12p-10p and a moonlight from 10p-12p.  I may increase the lighting a bit more in the morning as the wife is home, but in the beginning we had a bad algae problem so i cut it back to only 10 hours...

[UDJustin]

ten hours is kinda long my main lights are only on 6 and a half hours

[pontiac2002gtp]

my actinics on from 9 am to 9:30 pm
my aquablue plus from 9:30 am to 9 pm
my midday bulbs were from 11 am to 6 pm but my timer is out so now its whenever I turn them on and off.
my moonlight run when my lights are out
my fuge runs vho from 8 pm till 10 am

[joelbegt]

Run my T-5  from 2:30pm - 12-30Am

I'm always home late so i get to see everything with the lights on.  I'm thinking about shortening it up an hour or so.

[slandis3]

i run my halides from 10am to 8pm  my frag tank is on  6 hours on 6 hours off moon lights are reverse halide.

[UD Flyer]

"Yout light schedule?"

[Arcade_Guy]

"Yout light schedule?"

yeah what he said...

my lights run from 11 am to 11 pm, then fuge lights kick on during the night.

[UDJustin]

I imagine with a light schedule that long you will run into algae problems

[jake]

I run mine at pretty much that 9-9 and my algae isn't near an issue. Ran my 180 that way too.

[lightningfront]

I also run mine from 12 to 12 and do not have hardly any algae.

[UD Flyer]

Jake and lightningfrot: you both have relatively new tanks and a consistent 12 hour period will most likely lead to algae problems later down the road. If it doesn’t I am sure it is a rarity.

There are some good articles about how corals will only benefit from six hours of light a day, anything over 6 is overkill.  If I remember correctly Reef’ed up posted some of these articles on here.

[cyberwollf]

cant a lower PAR for longer period equal a higher PAR for shorter ?

[aquavista99]

"Yout light schedule?"

12 hours a day, 400 watt halides only X 3

[jake]

Ud, I ran my 180 that way for 2 years and never had algae issues. I might have to read that article though for sure. If I am wasting energy. I just know the corals grow so I am happy. I cant see how giving them less light will be more effective. Interesting though.

[UDJustin]

what the article states is that corals only use 6 hours of light everything else does nothing, not stating that as fact but that is what some books and articles have stated

[UD Flyer]

Jake and lightningfrot: you both have relatively new tanks and a consistent 12 hour period will most likely lead to algae problems later down the road. If it doesn’t I am sure it is a rarity.

There are some good articles about how corals will only benefit from six hours of light a day, anything over 6 is overkill.  If I remember correctly Reef’ed up posted some of these articles on here.

Im many cases (of my experience) 12 hours will lead to some sort of algea if preventative measures are not taken.

12 hours a day, 400 watt halides only X 3

This is A LOT. BUT, aquavista does have top notch everything; a great skimmer, fuge, additives and most importantly husbandry. I have never seen his tank in person, but I have seen the pictures (GREAT TANK). When these measures are NOT taken I believe a 12 hour lighting period will lead to nuisance algae.

And with this hobby, to each their own: not everything is going to be the same for one person as it is for another

[Arcade_Guy]

agreed with the "to each their own" comment. This is the first hobby that I've been a part of where opinions, methods, and results each vary so much.

personally, i have an algae problem at the moment (not extreme, just need to clean the glass every 2 days or so), but i do not contribute it to lighting. ( running 2 - 65 watt PCs, 1/2 and 1/2)

My photo period may be 12 hours, and even if the corals only need the lights for 6... my girlfriend and i both want to admire the tank for longer than 6 hours, especially working opposite shifts.

tho my tank isnt the MOST algae free, it's still not to a point where i'm in need of a fix. only a small amount.


to me, a photo period should give the photosynthetic organisms enough light to thrive, but also give you the proper amount of time to enjoy looking at it! something i do for at least an hour or three a day.

I guess we will see if my thoughts change on this in a few months being as my tank is quite new, but so far i'd rather enjoy my tank than worry about *possible* algae growth.

P.S. i also try my best to make my chaeto compete very heavily with any other algae, hence longer refugium photo periods than the tank.