Light ramping no benefit?

[atoll]

Does anybody know of any research article suggesting corals couldn't care less if lights are ramped up and down during the day
I have read they dont many times but have never read any article giving any evidence of such.
Thanks.

 

[PicassoClown04]

Hi! I havent read an article on it but I do have some experience that Id like to share.

I have a pair of AI Prime HDs over my 20 gallon long tank. They have a ramp mode that I didnt really figure out until about 3-4 months into using the lights. I saw the difference almost immediately. Before I knew there was a ramp setting my fish became frenzied when the lights suddenly blacked out, I actually had two fish jump out of the tank and die because they were scared from the lights turning out. The corals were very confused and shriveled up pretty bad like they were shocked. My LPS did not extend very good feeders and I didnt even really know that they had real feeder tentacles until after the ramp was discovered.

After turning on the ramp setting, bedtime is much easier. My little clowns make their way to whatever they choose to sleep in for the night, the angel goes into his corner, and the shrimp gets upside down in his little cave. The corals slowly start closing up while the LPS begin expanding and extending feeder tentacles en masse. I notice my SPS polyps are much fluffier now at night and my scolys open wide for food. Im able to properly feed my corals at night now, I've noticed massive increases in growth rates and color. My oldest scoly now looks more like an acanthophyllia because its so fat and my acans have doubled their colony size in just a few months whereas I didnt notice any growth before the ramp setting. Everything seems more natural and healthier, I would definitely never go back to immediate lights out.

 

[Patientman]

Never read anything supporting it … but it just makes sense. The sun doesn't pop up … or disappear all at once in nature … and aren't we all trying to duplicate nature in our aquariums?

 

[atoll]

Never read anything supporting it … but it just makes sense. The sun doesn't pop up … or disappear all at once in nature … and aren't we all trying to duplicate nature in our aquariums?

Yes however, I have read on a number of occasions that corals are indifferent to ramping up and down of light. I have no idea why or where I have read that.

I do ramp my lights and try as much as is reasonably possible to simulate conditions on the reef with my aquarium in fact it's my philosophy to reef keeping. I just thought somebody would be able to confirm if it is right or wrong and if right perhaps lead me to some experiments or papers on the issue.

 

[New&no clue]

I, too, have read that corals don't benefit from a ramp up and down phase. However, I think the fish benefit from it, which is only a personal experience; when I turn my lights off, all of them hide immediately.

 

[saltcats]

Hi! I havent read an article on it but I do have some experience that Id like to share.

I have a pair of AI Prime HDs over my 20 gallon long tank. They have a ramp mode that I didnt really figure out until about 3-4 months into using the lights. I saw the difference almost immediately. Before I knew there was a ramp setting my fish became frenzied when the lights suddenly blacked out, I actually had two fish jump out of the tank and die because they were scared from the lights turning out. The corals were very confused and shriveled up pretty bad like they were shocked. My LPS did not extend very good feeders and I didnt even really know that they had real feeder tentacles until after the ramp was discovered.

After turning on the ramp setting, bedtime is much easier. My little clowns make their way to whatever they choose to sleep in for the night, the angel goes into his corner, and the shrimp gets upside down in his little cave. The corals slowly start closing up while the LPS begin expanding and extending feeder tentacles en masse. I notice my SPS polyps are much fluffier now at night and my scolys open wide for food. Im able to properly feed my corals at night now, I've noticed massive increases in growth rates and color. My oldest scoly now looks more like an acanthophyllia because its so fat and my acans have doubled their colony size in just a few months whereas I didnt notice any growth before the ramp setting. Everything seems more natural and healthier, I would definitely never go back to immediate lights out.

I agree with this - I know many people say the fish don't care about ramping and I'm sure that does hold true for many tanks! But I can definitely say my (currently only freshwater) fish definitely spook at the light coming on or off, even though it's been the same fish with the same light for 11 years now!

 

[User1]

I don't know. This is outside of my wheelhouse but I'd defer to people who do that line of work as it relates to coral spawning. So tagging the great six demon bag carrying smart guy @Thales as maybe he can shed some light on it.

The way I see it is that mother natures clock does effect tides and oceans and the freaky things that come out at night and spawn. How that relates to what we keep (wild caught vs aquaculture vs sharing and caring friends who frag) I know not. Having my rose bubble tips spawn as do my snails from time to time I can't say if it is related or not. I ask and they don't answer. Go figure. (really, I have asked them).

I don't know, I've got nothing.

Edit: I do ramp up starting at 0500 and ramp down sometime in the afternoon. I found it works best for my tank, system, biotype, or whatever. No calls from PETA so I believe we're good.

 

[piranhaman00]

I ramp on my fish only tank but coral tank its on and off.

 

[Hincapiej4]

"Nothing good happens fast..."

 

[Thales]

I don't know. This is outside of my wheelhouse but I'd defer to people who do that line of work as it relates to coral spawning. So tagging the great six demon bag carrying smart guy @Thales as maybe he can shed some light on it.

The way I see it is that mother natures clock does effect tides and oceans and the freaky things that come out at night and spawn. How that relates to what we keep (wild caught vs aquaculture vs sharing and caring friends who frag) I know not. Having my rose bubble tips spawn as do my snails from time to time I can't say if it is related or not. I ask and they don't answer. Go figure. (really, I have asked them).

I don't know, I've got nothing.

Edit: I do ramp up starting at 0500 and ramp down sometime in the afternoon. I found it works best for my tank, system, biotype, or whatever. No calls from PETA so I believe we're good.

Hahha! I love this.

I am not away of any direct research in the area of ramp up or instant on for corals. In spawning, we do a ramp because at this point we are trying to mimic the natural environment, so we mimic everything we can. I do a ramp on and off for my non spawning tanks too because it is easy, and when I have watched the lights go instant on or off I have seen fish freak out. It is so easy now to do ramps, that I just do them. Sorry I don't know of any research in this area

 

[User1]

Hahha! I love this.

I am not away of any direct research in the area of ramp up or instant on for corals. In spawning, we do a ramp because at this point we are trying to mimic the natural environment, so we mimic everything we can. I do a ramp on and off for my non spawning tanks too because it is easy, and when I have watched the lights go instant on or off I have seen fish freak out. It is so easy now to do ramps, that I just do them. Sorry I don't know of any research in this area

Yeah - I wasn't clear I guess. Sorry about that. I was looking at it from the spawning side of it and your labs which you summed up most excellent! I thought I remembered in one of the videos you talked about light control among other things. Maybe not directly I guess but that natural environment is what I remembers.

Hope all is well.

 

[User1]

Oh, I also forgot to add something as to why I ramp up and down. Again this is just what I see and I always hold the right to be incorrect on things Anyway one reason why I ramp up and down is for natural feeding.

I've noticed some fish are lazy and come out later in the morning and others are like the saying early bird gets the worm. Well my Copperband Butterfly is that bird who is up at lights on. Every day of the week it is the first fish I see moving about the tank. During this time he/she has full access to the slower hiding pods and worms.

I was thinking maybe it was a college kid who stays up all night and sleeps all day but that isn't the case. Up first and to bed last. Go figure. Maybe related to the whole ramp up and down but then probably not.

Sounds good though. Early fish gets the worm. Big bang and everything hides while everyone gets up.

 

[atoll]

My question is solely about corals benefiti7or not to lights ramping up and down Fish are a different issue. So is the, corals don't care either way, yet another one of our many reefing myths?

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Great discussion. Fish behavior is easier to observe in most cases than coral. I've noticed similar behavior as cited above in my own fish. It would be interesting to see research done on coral.

 

[A. grandis]

My question is solely about corals benefiti7or not to lights ramping up and down Fish are a different issue. So is the, corals don't care either way, yet another one of our many reefing myths?

Yes, it's a total myth. Corals do not care!

For those who worry about their fish... they get used to it very fast.
Room light is enough, if you really want to "help" your fishes that way.
I have some fishes in my system for 10+ years without ramping my lights at all and they are the most relaxed fishes in the world! I used to ramp T5s when I had the dimmable fixtures for couple of years, but that was over a fresh water tank. Guess what... plants don't care either. LOL!

 

[Df1577]

I don't think it will have much impact on your ability to grow coral if your lighting is sufficient. Although it might stress clams to suddenly go on or off since they seem quite reactive to light. Ramp up in the morning doesn't seem as important but ramp down definitely helps fish out a lot, sudden blackout freaks some fish out .

 

[trmiv]

Since I’ve got a decent amount of ambient light in the room in the morning and night I don’t think the fish or corals benefit from a ramp. I do ramp anyway though. I aslo have the sunrise/sunset feature set on my Red Sea Reefleds where it gradually ramps them from one side to the other. No benefit I’m sure, but I like the way it looks, and that’s what matters so it stays!

 

[Buckster]

Whether the ramping is advantageous for the fish & coral or not obviously has contradicting opinions. If not for the fish & corals, my wife and I enjoy the ramping!

 

[PranK]

For me, my larger fish would totally flip out when the lights came on, swimming super fast in different directions. The same happened at night but on a far less intense way. The fish are now always super calm and there is no freaking out with the lights coming on.

 

[mike werner]

Nope!!!I have 4 tanks and 3 frag tanks all on one system.Some ramp up and down some come on and go off instantly.There is no difference in any of them what so ever.I think it's a gimic we have all fallen for over the years.You would really have to do an experiment with your own tank to see and most wouldn't attempt it on their systems.