How long do you leave your lights on???

Hypertek99 · Dec 25, 2007

Just wondering how long you guys leave your lights on for your zoanthid tank??? Does longer photoperiod promote growth???

Paintguru · Dec 25, 2007

I do ~8 hr for my MH + 1 or so on each side for VHO. I'm not sure if it matters or not, and I too have wondered how photoperiod length impacts growth rates.

Pitcom · Dec 25, 2007

I do about 11 hours on my tanks. I have some palys that got sucked up the return from my fuge and are growing in the fuge. They are under a 24hr 13wpc bulb and seem to be doing fine.

fishes2889 · Dec 25, 2007

8 hours of daylight, 12 hours of actinic....

Hypertek99 · Dec 25, 2007

Ok do you guys have a skimmer or not??? Any problems with algae with that long of photoperiod without skimmer???

fishes2889 · Dec 25, 2007

I left my skimmer off for about a month and didnt see any increase in algae growth, i barely have to scrape the glass. My tank is established enough to where i dont get any hair algae either.

J. Montgomery · Dec 25, 2007

I have three lights over my 55. The 250W XM 20k bulb in the center runs for 12hr, the 2 x 175W 14k Ushio bulbs on the left and right run for 6hr at midday.

surfn · Dec 25, 2007

i run my 250w MH for 8hrs a day on my sps tank, and thats it. i really need to get some actinics though.

Pitcom · Dec 25, 2007

My tank is skimmerless. I dont have any hair algae or anything like that in my tank whatsoever. What i do get though is that brown diatom dust algae on the glass. I need to use that maget brush every few days to wipe it off. I'm guessing if i had a skimmer this wouldnt happen? All i know is my next tank will have one. I'm looking at that refflo sequence 250.

revhtree · Dec 25, 2007

I run my MH's for about 8-9 hrs and my actinics for about 12hrs.

surfn · Dec 25, 2007

Pitcom said:
My tank is skimmerless. I dont have any hair algae or anything like that in my tank whatsoever. What i do get though is that brown diatom dust algae on the glass. I need to use that maget brush every few days to wipe it off. I'm guessing if i had a skimmer this wouldnt happen? All i know is my next tank will have one. I'm looking at that refflo sequence 250.

i have a skimmer and still get diatoms on the glass, always have.....