BioCube 32 Lighting

[Matt Seiter]

Good morning.
I have started researching and learning about how lights affect my fish and corals. Just as a point of reference I still have not grasped the idea of what PAR is and how to calculate it. I found the below settings and have programmed my tank to them. What do you all think? My current set up is: BioCube 32, live sand, live rock, 1 clown and 2 snails. Tank finished cycle 2 weeks ago. Will be introducing a few starter corals probably Zoas in the next few weeks. Would eventually want an assortment of lps, sps, soft corals.

LC1 (daylights) - 11am - 7pm
LC2 (sunrise/sunset) - 10:30am - 7pm
LC3 (moon lights) - 7am - midnight

 

[vetteguy53081]

Bulbs make a difference and under the light shield you can add a blue 12” strip light bar

 

[MaxTremors]

Good morning.
I have started researching and learning about how lights affect my fish and corals. Just as a point of reference I still have not grasped the idea of what PAR is and how to calculate it. I found the below settings and have programmed my tank to them. What do you all think? My current set up is: BioCube 32, live sand, live rock, 1 clown and 2 snails. Tank finished cycle 2 weeks ago. Will be introducing a few starter corals probably Zoas in the next few weeks. Would eventually want an assortment of lps, sps, soft corals.

LC1 (daylights) - 11am - 7pm
LC2 (sunrise/sunset) - 10:30am - 7pm
LC3 (moon lights) - 7am - midnight

I think your schedule looks pretty good. If I could suggest a slight tweak (if it were my tank, this is the schedule I’d run).

LC3 (Moon Lights) 8:00am-10pm
LC2 (blues) 9:00am-9:00pm
LC1 (daylight) 10:30am-7:30pm

I like a full 12 hours of light (ramped up and ramped down, I have a Nanocube which allows for much more nuanced control), but if you don’t want a full 12hour light cycle, I would at least leave the blue lights (LC2) on for 30 minutes to 2 hours before and after the daylights are on (LC1). As you have it now, both daylights and blues are turning off at 7pm, so if you want to keep the same basic schedule you have now, I would at least change it so the daylights turn off at 6pm (or 6:30pm). Also, I would dial back the moonlights a little bit, so the tank gets at least 10 hours without any lights.

 

[Matt Seiter]

I think your schedule looks pretty good. If I could suggest a slight tweak (if it were my tank, this is the schedule I’d run).

LC3 (Moon Lights) 8:00am-10pm
LC2 (blues) 9:00am-9:00pm
LC1 (daylight) 10:30am-7:30pm

I like a full 12 hours of light (ramped up and ramped down, I have a Nanocube which allows for much more nuanced control), but if you don’t want a full 12hour light cycle, I would at least leave the blue lights (LC2) on for 30 minutes to 2 hours before and after the daylights are on (LC1). As you have it now, both daylights and blues are turning off at 7pm, so if you want to keep the same basic schedule you have now, I would at least change it so the daylights turn off at 6pm (or 6:30pm). Also, I would dial back the moonlights a little bit, so the tank gets at least 10 hours without any lights.

Thank you. It’s weird getting home from work late though and not seeing full lights.

 

[MaxTremors]

Thank you. It’s weird getting home from work late though and not seeing full lights.

You could use the same schedule and make it a couple hours later. Like have the schedule start at 10am and end at midnight.