Exact photo period for reef tank

[nanomania]

Hey guys, iv been running my reef tank at only 6hrs of photo period since 3mnths and currently have only softies, and all are doing good.

Im asking this coz i yesterday added a gbta and would like to know if thats ok for it.

Also iv come across few blogs where people run only 6hrs of lighting and have had success.

 

[BluewaterLa]

What type of lights are you using ?
6 hours depending on intensity can be just fine for most corals.
Usually longer photo periods like 8-10 hours are better for ph values.
If you are using dim able or programable t-5 or LEDs you could incorporate a ramp up and down time to add to the photo period with only four to five hours at peak power.
Having a peak power of 4-6 hours is all the coral really can utilize from the light as photosynthesis has it limitations with high powered lights of today. Trying to force feed corals too much light or to long of a lighting schedule can and will have negative impact on them.

I would recommend extending your light schedule some.
Let us know a little more about your lights please, thanks

 

[nanomania]

What type of lights are you using ?
6 hours depending on intensity can be just fine for most corals.
Usually longer photo periods like 8-10 hours are better for ph values.
If you are using dim able or programable t-5 or LEDs you could incorporate a ramp up and down time to add to the photo period with only four to five hours at peak power.
Having a peak power of 4-6 hours is all the coral really can utilize from the light as photosynthesis has it limitations with high powered lights of today. Trying to force feed corals too much light or to long of a lighting schedule can and will have negative impact on them.

I would recommend extending your light schedule some.
Let us know a little more about your lights please, thanks

Mine is a diy 40w 15000k cob led, at 21" from the substrate and tank is 24x24x18. I feel my light is pretty intense as some dont do well if i place on top, they do better on substrate.

 

[Cory]

Id go with minumum 8 hours per day. Unless your feeding it every 4 days.

The coral reef has 12 hours per day.

 

[Paul B]

Your corals come from a place with almost a 12 hour photoperiod. That's what you should give them.

 

[Maritimer]

Twelve hours ... but is that twelve at peak intensity, or . . . ?

I'm no expert, but I give mine eight hours of whites, leaving the blues on a couple of hours before and after the "midday burst". (Admittedly, a great deal of this time is for my personal enjoyment - leaving for work just before the lights come on, and returning home just as they go off would kind of bum me out.)

~Bruce

 

[nanomania]

As my refugium is not covered, i have to keep lights shut at night, though i keep refuge lights on for 18.5hrs and tank 6hrs. But the light seems to be very bright.

 

[Russ265]

Your corals come from a place with almost a 12 hour photoperiod. That's what you should give them.

your a diver. show me what a coral reef looks like an hour after sunrise. or even 3.

...i will leave it at that

 

[Paul B]

My reef is 45 years old, I will leave it at that.

 

[nanomania]

My reef is 45 years old, I will leave it at that.

45yrs old reef tank.... wow.. share pics bro, if u dont mind. i think tar was used for building tanks in those days... silicone is pretty new right?

 

[Russ265]

My reef is 45 years old, I will leave it at that.

it looks it. albeit, not 45 years of growth.

to the op:
http://loesje.m.aslo.net/lo/toc/vol_48/issue_4/1388.pdf

or you can google photoinhibition.

 

[Paul B]

I don't remember when that picture was taken, but you are correct, it looked horrible, There were a few times when it looked like that, and worse. I also have some when it was covered in hair algae. There were times when I lost most of the corals and times when I lost most of the fish. The corals were from a stupid mistake by me when my town added zinc orthophosphate to the water just before I did a water change. Not pretty.

 

[Russ265]

I don't remember when that picture was taken, but you are correct, it looked horrible, There were a few times when it looked like that, and worse. I also have some when it was covered in hair algae. There were times when I lost most of the corals and times when I lost most of the fish. The corals were from a stupid mistake by me when my town added zinc orthophosphate to the water just before I did a water change. Not pretty.

paul. i bust on you because you dont share what we all care about in this hobby.
supermodels.

 

[Lowstorm]

I have about 10 hours peak intensity, 12-13 with lights on/off (Including moonlights, they're the first ones on, last ones off for an extra hour on each end)

There's others in my reef club that have theirs on for way less, like you-6 hours peak, but do go 10+ with their blues.

 

[Russ265]

I have about 10 hours peak intensity, 12-13 with lights on/off (Including moonlights, they're the first ones on, last ones off for an extra hour on each end)

There's others in my reef club that have theirs on for way less, like you-6 hours peak, but do go 10+ with their blues.

so... this can be done.
heck 18 hours can be done.

what is your max par output though? 200 1' below the surface? run 16 hours.

1800 par? dont think itll happen.

its really about the lighting intensity. if i take a death ray to my corals they will only withstand so many hours before they die.

if you take a flashlight, of course... run the 12 hour rule or go beyond.

if your peak par is 1200 and you are doing it for 12+ hours.... i want to know your other params because you are going in to something a bit more advanced than "keeping a reef".

my .02

 

[nanomania]

I dont have a par meter.. 

Well for my old tank, i use keep lights on for 8hrs, 1hr blue 6hrs white 1hr blue (blues would stay on all 8hrs) there were 10w x4 led floods. Now i went for single 40w diy led cob. I guess that should be more intense... i dont know whether im correct or no.

 

[Lowstorm]

I don't have a par reader either. But I do have corals that will tell me if its too much (bleached) or too little (bleaching in a different manner) My lights are LEDs and adjustable. My SPS are towards the top, LPS towards the bottom. I'm getting growth, and good polyp extension. And to me that's what matters, not chasing numbers.

 

[nanomania]

Currently i have zoas and gsp and gsp is doing awsm.. zoas are doing ok, my paly was bleaching though, thts i guess coz my alk dropped to 3 from 7, i dont know the reason. Im ramping up my alk slowly through my ato.

Here is my tank build thread, majority videos.
https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/244443/

 

[Russ265]

I don't have a par reader either. But I do have corals that will tell me if its too much (bleached) or too little (bleaching in a different manner) My lights are LEDs and adjustable. My SPS are towards the top, LPS towards the bottom. I'm getting growth, and good polyp extension. And to me that's what matters, not chasing numbers.

unfortunately those numbers you guessed by looking at corals didnt go away. Nutrient levels? adjustable led lighting type?

while i agree with this method, i doubt you have radion pros running 18+ hours a day.

To the op: try 12-18 hours like these guys suggest if you want, but if they start bleaching, you will have a 1-3 month road to recovery.

Start at 6 hours peak lighting. 2-3 hours of moonlight/blue ramp up is fine. If you need more, extend peak lighting from 6 to 7 or even 8 hours. After 8 (unless you have an underpowered lighting system) degredation occurs.

regardless of how successful someone is with their tank, they will always be different from our own. Nothing good happens fast in this hobby.

 

[nanomania]

So, is only peak hrs of lighting enough? I think years back people dint go for sunrise sunset effect.. but ya they did keep lights on for 8 to 10hrs i suppose.. i guess before mh, they used mercury vapour bulbs.. dono much though, i might be wrong..