I'm not a hater.
The kid is fantastic.That was one of those times you just can't pass up the opportunity for a good laugh.
How long is your light cycle?
- Thread starter chenwon54
- Start date
- Tagged users None
I'm not a hater.
The kid is fantastic.That was one of those times you just can't pass up the opportunity for a good laugh.
I'm not a hater.
That was one of those times you just can't pass up the opportunity for a good laugh.
I would have done the same......:wink:
Fishcrazy06
Reefing Addict
I didn't say 5 times I said every 5-10 minutes!!!! The other thing you need to keep in mind is every 3 months my lights are turned off for 3 consecutive days!! I have yet to see any diminish in my bulbs but in the near future I will be testing with a PAR meter there for I will know more for sure.
Fishcrazy06
Reefing Addict
The first time I did this too I was nervous as heck. But from there on out I have had no problem doing it. Seems like some of my duncans tend to open up more afterwards as do some of my zoas. I haven't noticed any side effects from doing this but I have noticed clearer sandbeds, glass, and water. I am a firm believer in doing this now. There is a HUGE thread on RC from a guy in our club whom started the thread on doing this.
my bad I didn't see the minutes. I did the black outs also when I had algae issues. It does help.
Its not PAR that is effected immediately, the blue spectrum is the first to decline. Many people like the addition of the blue spectrum into their aquarium so why would I want to cause it to expire quicker.
People have ran thier bulbs for 16 months and the PAR has been within 15% of the initial PAR, but the color shift is what was changed the most. When people talk about the life of the bulb, many people are referring to the color shift.
People have ran thier bulbs for 16 months and the PAR has been within 15% of the initial PAR, but the color shift is what was changed the most. When people talk about the life of the bulb, many people are referring to the color shift.
it really comes down to what your tank is stocked with, depth of tank, and how your corals look.I have read that corals only need 4 hrs of full lighting to reach photosynthesis, anything after that is non beneficial. What it boils down to..are your corals colorful enough and is growth optimal if all other parameters in your system are within optimal range? If all other system parameters are within good acceptable range than lighting is the one aspect that will determine coloration above all else imo
aharrow
Active Member
11-8 on 250 MH. On my frag tank I run a different cycle 3-9pm because the tank is in my office right next to my desk and the light spills onto my desk which can be distracting. I think 6 hours is sufficient. I run my display longer cause I love the 20k look and want to be able to enjoy it during the evening.
Whomever said this is speaking of things they knew very little about. I've heard similar comments on other forums and it's just mind boggling to me how people come up with this nonsense. The rate of photosynthesis it determined by intensity, not photoperiod...
CoralBandit
Well-Known Member
I do 6 MH and 2 hrs + & - actinic.
As per the comment about bulb life and it being turned on more or less: wouldnt it really depend on how long the bulb is ran for, the half life of the element being excited by the current would only significantly diminish while its on. I would suspect turning a "bulb" on and off would actually affect the ballast more than the bulb... just my two cents (im not an electrician but i got an A in physics II ahahhaha)
As per the comment about bulb life and it being turned on more or less: wouldnt it really depend on how long the bulb is ran for, the half life of the element being excited by the current would only significantly diminish while its on. I would suspect turning a "bulb" on and off would actually affect the ballast more than the bulb... just my two cents (im not an electrician but i got an A in physics II ahahhaha)
cloakerpoked
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2009
- Messages
- 553
- Reaction score
- 31
- Location
- Fort Mill, SC
- What state or country do you live in
- South Carolina
Photosynthesis is a more complicated process than simply something that occurs during the photoperiod non-stop. It is a two step process that first requires the capture of light energy to produce certain compounds. During the second stage, those compounds are used up to capture and reduce carbon dioxide which is converted into a carbohydrate. It is therefore possible for a coral to capture enough of the energy from photons during a certain period of time to produce enough of those compounds to fuel the growth of the symbiotic zooxanthelle (sp?) growing in the tissue of the coral itself. Corals themselves are not photosynthetic, but are rather animals dependent on exterior sources of energy...they are not plants. Since any reaction (oxidation or photosynthesis) is a limited reaction based on many factors, there is a definite law of diminishing returns involved (i.e. it's not a linear equation at all) and at some point (which can be debated all day, but actual evidence is largely anecdotal) you experience such a small return that you're wasting bulb life, and electricity.
I just love to see the stuff in my tank, that's why I run it 8 hours...not because I think it will give me better growth (or color) in my tank. From what I've observed of other people's tanks that run their lights for 5-6 hours, that's not the case at all.
I run t5ho 8x54 from 10:00am to 6:00pm with actinic an hour before full lights come on and after. 8 hours of light; 6 hours of full light
