how long do you run your t5 lights for?

jerl77 · Jul 27, 2010

how long do you run your t5 lights for?
was read someware if you cut back the lighting time you get better color
anybody here about this?

condor · Jul 27, 2010

8 on the day and 10 on actinic, you could go as low as 7 but any less than that is not long enough and unnatural

Pete polyp · Dec 28, 2014

On my LPS tank actinic on for 8 hours and blue+ on for 3 hours. (3Ã—actinic and 3Ã—blue+) On my sps tank blue + is on for 12 hours and daytime is on for 10 hours (3Ã—blue+ and 1Ã—blue+, 1Ã—purple+, 1Ã—coral+)

Rob&Gab · Dec 28, 2014

8bulb at I fixture.

"Daylights" 3blue+ / 2 purple + / 1 redsea reef spec 15k bluewhite. Those run from 11am till 5pm

then the blues

1 reefspec 22k actinic / 1 ati actinic stay on till about 10pm.

I'm gonna start cuttingbacktill maybe 9 or 8:30ppm

And reef bright comes on after 5pm stays on till 10pm as well.

Pete polyp · Dec 28, 2014

Rob&Gab said:
8bulb at I fixture.

"Daylights" 3blue+ / 2 purple + / 1 redsea reef spec 15k bluewhite. Those run from 11am till 5pm

then the blues

1 reefspec 22k actinic / 1 ati actinic stay on till about 10pm.

I'm gonna start cuttingbacktill maybe 9 or 8:30ppm

And reef bright comes on after 5pm stays on till 10pm as well.

How does that 22k compare to the blue+? I have thought about giving them a shot

Rob&Gab · Dec 29, 2014

Pete polyp said:
How does that 22k compare to the blue+? I have thought about giving them a shot

Gives it a much nicer deep blue then IMO the fake blue of the at I ACTINIC. But I run both at I actinic and reefspec22k gives it a really nice look not really blue blue. But a crisp look and you can see all the coral colors perfectly with out that flood of blue.

Greenstreet.1 · Dec 29, 2014

From 12noon to 4pm then off for an hour then back on till 9:30pm but I also run ai sol blues

BENT STIX · Dec 29, 2014

9am reef bright blue strips on.
11am 2x blue +
12pm 2x blue + 2 Aqua blue special 1 atinic and 1 purple plus on
6pm the above off
8pm 2 blue + off
10pm reef bright strips off.

fungia_fiend · Dec 29, 2014

ATI Sunpower 6x39w (only T5s):

9am-11am: Actinic
11am-9pm: Everything
9pm-11pm: Actinic

So 10 and 14 hours.

DFW · Dec 29, 2014

--- 16 royal blue epistar LEDs: 8 AM - 9 PM
--- 4 ATI T5s (2 coral plus, 1 blue plus, 1 purple plus): 10 AM - 7 PM
--- 14 royal blue LEDs (mix of cree & luxeon): 1130 AM - 530 PM

This is an all acropora, millipora, stylophora tank. I have changed the lighting schedule lately thinking that might be why things look a little bleached. And I am thinking about replacing the purple plus with another blue plus - too much pink.

--- 16 royal blue epistar LEDs: 8 AM - 9 PM
--- 4 ATI T5s (2 coral plus, 1 blue plus, 1 purple plus): 1030 AM - 630 PM
--- 14 royal blue LEDs (mix of cree & luxeon): 1200 AM - 500 PM

Ep3n3wp · Dec 29, 2014

I have a 48" 6 bulb fixture and have my blues (2 Blue+) come on at 11:11am and off at 9:45pm and then my day lights (3 Blue+ 1 Coral+) come on at 12:12pm and turn off at 9:15pm

Kyuss414 · Dec 29, 2014

I run blue+ & actinic 11 hours and another blue+ and purple+ 6 hours. It's a 4x80w fixture, only softies in the tank.

JMSKI333 · Dec 30, 2014

It would be nice to know what kind of tanks people are running with these lighting cycles.

My tank from my APEX:

48" Reefbrit LED blue
If Time 09:00 to 22:30 Then ON

Actinics: Blue+ and Purple +
If Time 11:00 to 21:30 Then ON

Daylights: 3x Blue + and 1x Coral+
If Time 13:30 to 19:00 Then ON

I have been messing with it a lot trying to get the best colors. My corals seem a little bleached and my LPS are more colorful in the shade. My tank is an SPS dominate 90g with a 6x54 ATI sunpower.

brad419 · Jan 13, 2015

Have 4 48" blue 3-11. 2 250w halide 5-8

reefndude · Jan 13, 2015

6x80 sunpower
10:30 2 bulbs on
12:30 6 bulbs on
6:30 2 bulbs on
10:30 off

Mostly sps and zoas

bustayanky · Jan 14, 2015

I have a 8 bulb T5 fixture. I run the outer first 4 ATI Blue+ bulbs from 3pm-12am. Then the inner 4 bulbs (2 x ATI Blue +, 1 x Coral+, 1 x Purple+) from 4:30pm-10:30pm.