Poll: Do you ramp your display lights up and down?

[mitch91175]

LED / T 5 s. 5 hour ramp up / down with my Hydras...2 B+ come on 3 hours into the ramp up , an hour later 2 C+ come on.An hour later the LEDs peak for 4 hours...then reverse the T 5s - an hour after peak the 2C + go off, another hour later the 2 B+ go off ,then 3 more hours for the LEDS ramping down.

We have similar setups for lighting.

 

[mitch91175]

BTW, someone usually (and invariably) will state that ramping up/down is 'for the hobbyist, and the animals don't care'. Typically it is from somebody who has never tried it. While I would agree that light ramping is hardly the difference between success and failure, the fish absolutely notice. It is also true that many of the LED fixtures do a lousy job of properly ramping. I used the v1 reefbreeders fixtures for a while and they didn't get anywhere close to a full ramp up or down; likewise for the Kessil spots. Both shut off at around 12% (even if the controller says differently). But if you have a fixture, like the Gen4 Radion, that will dim down completely to darkness, the observable behavior changes in the fish is quite fascinating.

Yeah I can definitely say that my fish wake up and get a little motion going then at a certain time start their daily routines.

 

[madweazl]

Non-stop. On the Kessils, intensity ramps from off to a max of 80% over six hours and then drops back to off over the following six hours for a 12 hour photo-period. I ramp color from 0% to 60% over two hours where it remains for eight hours until dropping back to 0%. The T5s are on for eight hours and I don't dim them (though I may start).

 

[JimmyV]

Blues lights on at noon
Whites on at 1:30pm
Whites off at 7:30pm
Blues off at 9:00pm.

 

[User1]

I have my DIY multi-channel LED's ramp up and down with a supplemental bar turn on around noon. Someone already said it but the fish do know so I think it helps. I've also used location settings on my controller to use sunrise/set features along with storms and clouds. It is one of those things that everyone is still trying to see what the impact is to a tank in the long run. Before we had on/off, then timers, then some basic control features, now we can dim or more. Seems like a natural progression to me.

 

[Pntbll687]

T5's come on and off a outlet timer on my nano.

LED on my large system. Blue on at 8am, whites at 10, and reverse the order when going off at 8 and 10pm.

I keep it simple. Do I like a nice surprise rise and sunset on some lights, sure do!! But 90% of the time I'm not home.e to enjoy it, so I don't bother with it.