4 - 8 - 4 - 8 Lighting Cycles

[ruskimax]

Mind. Blown ...

 

[s_tempest]

FWIW a similar idea came up last summer.
The OP never really followed up on how things turned out long term.
My $0.02 were - I ran a split light schedule for almost 3 years in my nano tank, mainly because I wanted to see the tank lit more and I had long hours away at work, and because it was my first reef tank and I didn’t use resources like the forums to tell me what to do. And I felt that I had success in that tank.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/d...ly-increase-growth.608648/page-7#post-6455292

 

[Pancake]

I dont know what to tell you other than the Univ Study concluded that a coral has absorbed the maximum amt of light it needs at 4hrs.

Im certainly not selling anyone on changing their lighting sched.

Im currently doing
Midnight to 6am OFF
6am to Noon ON
Noon to 6pm OFF
6pm to Midnight ON

So im practicing 6-6-6-6 light sched



.

Nice! How long have you been doing this? My schedule is very similar to your and I’d be interested to know long term effect also could you go deeper into your light schedule and type of light?

 

[Bleigh]

Interesting. I've been messing around with my par and lights today.

 

[Pancake]

FWIW a similar idea came up last summer.
The OP never really followed up on how things turned out long term.
My $0.02 were - I ran a split light schedule for almost 3 years in my nano tank, mainly because I wanted to see the tank lit more and I had long hours away at work, and because it was my first reef tank and I didn’t use resources like the forums to tell me what to do. And I felt that I had success in that tank.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/d...ly-increase-growth.608648/page-7#post-6455292

Nice 3 years you say! Just saw your photo of nano with 3 year split schedule.

FWIW a similar idea came up last summer.
The OP never really followed up on how things turned out long term.
My $0.02 were - I ran a split light schedule for almost 3 years in my nano tank, mainly because I wanted to see the tank lit more and I had long hours away at work, and because it was my first reef tank and I didn’t use resources like the forums to tell me what to do. And I felt that I had success in that tank.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/d...ly-increase-growth.608648/page-7#post-6455292

3 years you say! Nice Ai Prime with what% what was your schedule? This is mine at 10 months. My philosophy is to do what the live stock tells me. Not to be apologetic but the rockscape is not my taste but what “they” tell me to do. Lol I have a few “recoverying sps” I got for free so don’t let it color your opinions.... or let it. lol

 

[s_tempest]

beautiful tank - don’t undersell yourself!
i don’t recall the exact lighting schedule, but it was something like ramp on 4-5, lights on 5-10, ramp down 10-11 (am & pm). At full on, lights were at/near 100% for uv, violet, royal blue & blue, 25% others. Sorry I can say exactly, but since that Prime has been unplugged its schedules aren’t available for me to view.

 

[Pancake]

beautiful tank - don’t undersell yourself!
i don’t recall the exact lighting schedule, but it was something like ramp on 4-5, lights on 5-10, ramp down 10-11 (am & pm). At full on, lights were at/near 100% for uv, violet, royal blue & blue, 25% others. Sorry I can say exactly, but since that Prime has been unplugged its schedules aren’t available for me to view.

Thanks for the encouragement s_tempest! I am very proud of them.

 

[Jaebster]

When everyone is running their split light schedules, do you have a ramp up/down as well?

No tank has to have ramping up and down. It's more of an esthetic thing that's pleasing to our eyes. In the old days, people running purely MH weren't able to ramp up or down. It was either on or off (given about 3 minutes to get to full intensity).

 

[Pancake]

No tank has to have ramping up and down. It's more of an esthetic thing that's pleasing to our eyes. In the old days, people running purely MH weren't able to ramp up or down. It was either on or off (given about 3 minutes to get to full intensity).

Wow is this true? I mean I get that that’s how people use to do things, but is it good for the Corals or fish? Seems to me that abrupt light changes would be bad. Logically speaking, abrupt sensations of any kind are usually not associated with positive affects for living organisms. Seems to me that just because that’s what was done due to equipment constraints does not necessarily mean that that’s actually what’s optimal for health of living things.

 

[Larry L]

Scientific studies say a coral maxes out absording light !AT! 4hrs. The 5th 6th..blah blah hr over 4hrs is diminishing returns on growing zooxanthellae (Univ study)

Do you have a link to this study? I suspect that the mention of 4 hours has more to do with photoinhibition, where after receiving a certain high amount of PAR over the course of the day the photosynthesis in the zooxanthellae shuts down. So the 4 hours thing is not a magic amount of time, it might have just been the time photoinhibition was reached under whatever intensity level was being studied. In a dimly lit tank you'd probably never reach photoinhibition even if you ran the lights all day.

 

[Jaebster]

Wow is this true? I mean I get that that’s how people use to do things, but is it good for the Corals or fish? Seems to me that abrupt light changes would be bad. Logically speaking, abrupt sensations of any kind are usually not associated with positive affects for living organisms. Seems to me that just because that’s what was done due to equipment constraints does not necessarily mean that that’s actually what’s optimal for health of living things.

As to the negative effects on the organisms I have no idea... and I'm sure I'm gonna stir up a lot of debate (please refrain from doing so) but I've seen the most beautiful tanks on pure MH with extreme colors, better than what I've so far seen on the majority of LED lit tanks. The fish, corals, etc were thriving and the reef system was successful. It could also have been the "eye-pleasing asthetics" with the more natural look in the shimmers on the sand. Of course the tanks were lit from morning to night and the natural ambient light of the room was already present when the tank lights turned on. From going 100% dark to 100% light in an instant may be stressful and harmful, if not at least uncomfortable to any organism.

 

[cedwards04]

This is an interesting concept. I wish someone would run a test and see if it is legit. Would be a great episode for brs investigates.

 

[The Aquatic Arsenal]

@Randy Holmes-Farley or @randyBRS do either of you have any thoughts on this or know of studies already conducted?

 

[Scrubber_steve]

This too

The Bouncy Light Intensity Method
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-bouncy-light-intensity-method.431239/

 

[HB AL]

I gotta admit I did not read any of the links or posts other than the op's 1st post detailing what the thread was about. In my opinion that odd light schedule would serve no purpose as far as faster growing, more colorful corals, healthier corals etc... if this was indeed something that actually made a difference then everyone including coral vendors would be running those lighting schedules. I'm gonna call this one a falsehood at best.;Yawn

 

[Larry L]

these Scientific graphs from a 3 year study.... shows the metabolism rate of soft coral starts to drop off after 4hrs of light absorption.

Looks to me like those graphs show the compositional makeup (protein vs carbs vs lipids) of freshy-released Xenia planulae at 0 through 16 days after being released.

Edit: Before you edited your post, it showed all four graphs that went with the corresponding (and now missing) caption, and the X-axis of the bottom two were clearly labeled in days, not hours.

 

[ZoWhat]

if this was indeed something that actually made a difference then everyone including coral vendors would be running those lighting schedules. I'm gonna call this one a falsehood at best.;Yawn

Do a deep Google search and you'll find certain coral farms do in fact have two lighting schedules within 24hrs.

But you've made your mind up. Its cool. Keep on keeping on your methodology

Im merely presenting some research i stumbled across and giving it a go for my own Husbandry. and not asking the whole industry to flip upside down changing to two lighting cycles

 

[HB AL]

Now if Adam from @Battlecorals told me this was his light schedule I would reprogram my lights immediately

 

[Larry L]

Stumbled across some web articles that corals grow faster if subject to 4hrs light ON, 8hrs OFF, 4hrs ON, 8hrs OFF over a 24hr period.

Do you have any links?

 

[HB AL]

Do a deep Google search and you'll find certain coral farms do in fact have two lighting schedules within 24hrs.

But you've made your mind up. Its cool. Keep on keeping on your methodology

Im merely presenting some research i stumbled actoss and givinf it a go fir my iwn Husbandry. and not asking the whole industty to flio upside down changing ti two lighting cyckes

What coral farms? I have no interest in doing some DEEP search to find out what 24 hour light schedule some random farm uses. Just come out and tell us who and what schedule, why the secrecy. We are all here to learn atleast I am.