Lighting Cycle

pepper89 · Dec 24, 2022

Hi, setting up a new reef tank for the first time, and I have been "geeking out" a little too hard on equipment and specks. Though I think it's helped, it gets confusing at points. LOL. I am planning a setup that is a 30-gallon display tank, with a 10-gallon refugium/sump. The tank will house some clownfish and mainly just some simple beginner corals. Nothing too fancy or expensive or complicated to take care of. I plan on having a little macroalgae design in my head to grow out in the refugium.

I have been planning on setting up the refugium lights to be on when the display tank is off, and vice versa. I got a good deal on matching LED lights that ramp that fit the exact size of my tanks but has a lot of customization. So I'm also just nervous I am not giving them enough spectrum/too much spectrum, and the different needs for both the refugium and the display.

I don't know the PAR yet, but I plan on testing that before I get my corals at different times in the lighting that I have stamped. I'm hoping to keep it around 50-100ish (though hoping to aim closers to 75) near the sand, with it getting closer to 150 or so near the top during the max lighting period of the day. I'm not sure if that is reasonable, so we will see. Though, I do have a good idea of how to do that. I created an elaborate spreadsheet that, when I finally set a schedule, will help me know what % to adjust things to in each to help me figure out PAR exactly when I get the meter rented. lol.

Anyways, I guess my question has to do with the schedule I have planned now, and knowing if it's even possible, or if anyone has any recommendations on how I might want to adjust it. I went ahead and inserted pictures of the light cycle in question. The first two are for the display tank, and the last two are for the refugium (why I increased the Red/White/etc.)

I liked this schedule one, but I'll be honest, it's more for cosmetic reasons. There is the slightest bit more blue light in the early cycle when the lights ramp up, and a little more violet in the evening cycle when the lights ramp down, giving it a more realistic sunrise/sunset. The blue light is on for at least 6 hours at full intensity and the same for the violet light. They are offset by half an hour on either side and are on together for four right at the peak of the cycle. They are entirely off in the display tank for at least 8 hours, and it has a nice gradual 5-and-a-half-hour ramp-up.

TLDR; made a light schedule with an LED, new to reef keeping, and don't want to **** it up. Check out screenshots for Display tank pictures (first two) and Refugium (last two) for advice.

Also Will having the blue and violet lights increase being ever slightly offset create issues? Will there be an issue with leaving the cyans/reds down for longer and having a more drastic peak be bad? Just in general, do you see anything that you wouldn't do?

Sorry, just confused, and there is a lot of information when buying and checking out new stuff. It's so overwhelming.

HankstankXXL750 · Dec 24, 2022

The photo period is probably ok. Have to look at total light time as if you run too long you could end up with excess algae. I personally run more white as I like a more natural look, but some corals look really cool under extreme blues.

Running the refugium in an off cycle is really helpful to keep pH stable.

pepper89 · Dec 25, 2022

HankstankXXXL750 said:
The photo period is probably ok. Have to look at total light time as if you run too long you could end up with excess algae. I personally run more white as I like a more natural look, but some corals look really cool under extreme blues.

Running the refugium in an off cycle is really helpful to keep pH stable.

Thank you so much, and that does make sense that total time would matter, too, especially for algae growth. I guess does that photoperiod in the refugium and the photoperiod in the tank total together? or are they separate in terms of photoperiod? Like would having a long lighting cycle in my refugium create algae problems in my tank.

I added a snip of my spreadsheet, it might help show what I am expecting to be light cycle period in each tank. Though now that I'm looking at it, I am realising that I have almost 16 hours of light in the display tank. Dusk/Moonlight though are 4 hours of that, so really only 12 hours with significant amount of light, but probably do have 8 hours where it's decently high. Then with my refugium have 19 total hours of light, though with 4 hours also being set to a dusk/moonlight that I could easily cut out of the refugium, since it really wouldn't really be needed. Though there is easily a 10-12 hour photoperiod set there, since it's the polar opposite of my other tank.... So I might need to make some adjustments if they stack. lol.

HankstankXXL750 · Dec 25, 2022

Light only grows algae where it makes contact, so your refugium light shouldn’t grow algae in your tank. Some people run their fuge 24/7. Because my tanks are in basement and even though I have my skimmers drawing air from outside I saw pH swings so I run them opposite. My reef has a 5 1/2 hr at peak, I have long ramp up and down so my total time is long. I don’t have algae problems, but have a strong clean up crew.

pepper89 · Dec 25, 2022

HankstankXXXL750 said:
Light only grows algae where it makes contact, so your refugium light shouldn’t grow algae in your tank. Some people run their fuge 24/7. Because my tanks are in basement and even though I have my skimmers drawing air from outside I saw pH swings so I run them opposite. My reef has a 5 1/2 hr at peak, I have long ramp up and down so my total time is long. I don’t have algae problems, but have a strong clean up crew.

Thank you so much! That is a huge help. I'll check it out, and I forget that I could also keep a decent little cleanup crew if I end up having slight algae.