Best lighting schedule?

sleephinx · Jul 10, 2022

hello guys, what is the best time to turn on the lights? i mean how many hours in a day? Thank you so much

t5Nitro · Jul 10, 2022

I like an 11-12 hour photoperiod.

sleephinx · Jul 10, 2022

t5Nitro said:
I like an 11-12 hour photoperiod.

how long is the maximum light on? without sunrise and sunset mode

Dkmoo · Jul 10, 2022

Start with 2 hr fast ramp up to 70% of your peak, then 2hrs slow ramp up to peak, 4 hrs of peak, then the reverse ramp down.

t5Nitro · Jul 10, 2022

When I had 8 bulb T5 lamps I had 6 bulbs on for 10 hours and all 8 on for 8 of those 10 hours. LED bar was on for a bit before and after the main light.

sleephinx · Jul 11, 2022

Dkmoo said:
Start with 2 hr fast ramp up to 70% of your peak, then 2hrs slow ramp up to peak, 4 hrs of peak, then the reverse ramp down.

ok thanks

sleephinx · Jul 11, 2022

t5Nitro said:
When I had 8 bulb T5 lamps I had 6 bulbs on for 10 hours and all 8 on for 8 of those 10 hours. LED bar was on for a bit before and after the main light.

okay dude thanks

rknapp · Jul 11, 2022

I am not sure there is such a thing as a BEST schedule. I have seen schedules from 10 to 14 hours and all seem to work to grow coral effectively. You have to have your PAR levels correct for the coral you want to keep. Then my view is pick some schedule and DON‘T MESS WITH IT. Your corals will eventually adapt to it as long as your general intensity is remotely close to what they need (softie, LPS or SPS). My personal schedule is 12 hours, 4 hr ramps on either end, 4 hours at max. The ramps are not even, with 60% of the ramp happening in the first/last 90 minutes. It was based upon a chart the attempted to show sun intensity at the equator I worked on many years ago. Is it best, I can’t say that, but it works. But so do lots of other schedules. Use that info as you see fit.