How long is too long, to run your lights?

[120reefkeeper]

I run MH with T-5 , peak time with all lights on is 7 hours.

8am T-5 on /8pm off
9:30am one MH on/ off at 5:30pm
10:30am other MH on/ off 6:30pm


Starting at 10:30 am until 5:30pm peak time all lights are on / 7hours.

Total photo period 12 hours.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Does everyones opinions changes based on whether the light is LED, T5, or MH?

It doesn't matter to me.....and by the way, I'm running all LED's. What I attempt to do is to mimic a natural day, with four hours of all lights on as my mid-day. My entire photo period is 12 hours, which is the length of daylight for the tropics.....where most corals are found.

 

[Rick.45cal]

I estimated my DLI on my sandbed at approximately 13.5 Mol/day and an average around most of my acros at 19.8 Mol/day... give or take.

My photoperiod is from 9am to 9pm

 

[Jizu Puentes]

8AM XHO Blue Reef Brite on
8:30 Blue E5 on
9AM 4x 80w ATI Sunpower on
7PM 4x 80w ATI Sunpower off
7:30 PM Blue E5 off
8 PM Reef Brite off

So total 12 hours with max intensity being 10 hours

 

[AJsTank]

I ramp up with 14K, then 100% for 7 hours, then ramp down with 14K and then heavy blues right before bed. I use 4 - Radion Gen 4 Pros

 

[Susan Edwards]

I don't have the option to start low and ramp up and then down. Lights are either on or off on my red sea max c250. I usually turn on the lights in my office before they come on, and there is light from the window in the room. I run about 9 to 9, should go back to 10 to 9. I do have moonlights that come one when tank lights go off

 

[mucky1957]

I have 24 time settings on my igalaxy led's. They start at 1% royal blue at 7.30am and go back to 1% royal blue at 11.30pm. Ramp up to 80% whites at 11am and the lights start to go down again from 6pm onwards.

 

[srad750c]

Do you run moonlights? If so how long? Is this considered to be a part of photo period? What color or K? I use an Ai Prime HD with royal blue set at 1% for moon light. What is the opinion on this?

 

[Sal Amadeo]

Should I cover the red and green lights on LEDs

 

[Sal Amadeo]

Should I block out the red and green lights on my LEDs

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Should I block out the red and green lights on my LEDs

No. It’s not needed. The amount of red supplied is usually the right amount needed by corals. If you’re having alge problems covering the red will slow the growth a bit while you work out the root cause.
Sometimes the root cause is just that you got a weird alge.

 

[Sal Amadeo]

Thanks for your input

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Thanks for your input

You’re welcome !

 

[Redsearescued]

Just changed our red sea over from t5 to led. I think I have my timing right for daylight. But, I can manually adjust the colors. No idea what percentage I should run each of them during the day. Any help?

 

[TexasTodd]

I estimated my DLI on my sandbed at approximately 13.5 Mol/day and an average around most of my acros at 19.8 Mol/day... give or take.

My photoperiod is from 9am to 9pm

What is the formula for calculating this?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I try to duplicate the natural ocean schedule. We go to the carribean Every year and the peak is 7-8a until about 2-3p. I follow with reduced whites and intense blues with a bit of purple and green.
My lights begin with reefbrites @ 7a and ends with Kessil AP 700's ramped down at 10:40p

 

[Jesterrace]

How long do you run your lights (full intensity) each day?

I turn my full spectrum on my tank before I got to work, and they stay on for about 8-9 hours, then when I get home I switch them to blue lights for about another 1-2 hours before it's lights out... Is this to long?

An hour of ramp up and an hour of ramp down and 6 hours of peak in between.

 

[ectoaesthetics]

Yeah, I've alway run 10-12. Even when everyone else in the hobby cut back to the 8 hr window (was SUPER popular for a while). I tried it, my growth slowed, I upped it again.

 

[TexasTodd]

My viewing is number 1. Number 2 is growth.
I run 15 hours (6a.m. to 9p.m.) but only 8-10 at max.

 

[ChrisW]

Yea so whats the deal w/ the "moon light"? I have a simple solarmax t5 fixture that came w/ the tank. Better lights are coming but not in the immediate future. So I recently changed the bulbs and now the blue actinic "moon light" is sooooo bright, seems brighter than the day light. should that one be on all nite? I'm beginning to think its too much for the tank. I turn the day lights on at about 830am and shut them off @730p, then switch to the blue light. But is that ok? is there a benefit to the moon light? or is it purely for the look? And if so how long should that blue moon light run?
thanks for the help