Running Metal Halides 12 hrs a day

[ThePurple12]

I have 2 250w metal halides over the center of my 125g. I’ve been running them for 12 hours a day for months. I know most other people only run them for 8 hours or so, then use low light for the rest of the time, but I never questioned myself running them for 12 hours.

Recently my magnifica anemone and the bubble tips haven’t been doing well during the day, but they consistently look much better at night. This has been going on for a few weeks. I tested pH, and it stays the same (8.1) throughout the day/night.

All parameters are great. I’m running carbon. I feed the mag a chunk of shrimp every week or so.

Is 12 hours of metal halides blasting on the tank too much?

 

[Jonify]

8 hours is the recommendation for max intensity. That said, if you're running a lower PAR program, you're probably fine (do you know the PAR of that setting right now?). If you want to have the light on for longer, and you're pushing a lot of PAR at peak, consider drastically reducing or ramping up/down the lights outside of that 8-hour peak period. 12 hours is the max recommended light cycle, but about 8 hours is the max recommended peak light setting.

 

[A. grandis]

I have 2 250w metal halides over the center of my 125g. I’ve been running them for 12 hours a day for months. I know most other people only run them for 8 hours or so, then use low light for the rest of the time, but I never questioned myself running them for 12 hours.

Recently my magnifica anemone and the bubble tips haven’t been doing well during the day, but they consistently look much better at night. This has been going on for a few weeks. I tested pH, and it stays the same (8.1) throughout the day/night.

All parameters are great. I’m running carbon. I feed the mag a chunk of shrimp every week or so.

Is 12 hours of metal halides blasting on the tank too much?

Define "not doing doing well"...
pH 8.1 is ok, but duing the day it normally would be around 8.2 - 8.3 in a system running 2 X 250W halides for 12 hours. Check your monitor/probe. Test your pH with another meter/test kit.
As we all know, non of us here can determinate what's going on with your anemone with the limited info you just posted.
Sounds like you think at least part of the problem is the 12 hour photoperiod. If that is part of the problem, but you changed something else in the system lately, could be that the photoperiod is just aggravating the real problem and isn't the main reason for it. If you don't have anything in mind and think the photoperiod is the only thing that needs to be change, please go ahead.
Things to keep in mind:
1- Not all the organisms will do always great with the photoperiod we choose and sometimes adjustments need to be done.
2 - If the anemone is under the 12 hour photoperiod for many months, most likely the 12 hours isn't the reason why it isn't doing great now.
3 - There is no need for 500W of halides ON for 12 hours over a 125gal though.
4 - Depending on the brand, how many kelvins your bulbs are, and the ballast used, you could be offering too much to light the system. Sometimes corals and anemones will react negatively when too much intensity (as PAR) is offered during the photoperiod (DLI).
5 - Do not blame light without first searching for what anemones would react to other things, like excess of foods, chemicals in the water, fishes, irritators, temperature, etc..
6 - Make sure the temperature is in check. I like to keep it around 78°F.
You need to gather all info and balance them to decide what to do.

There is no need to feed your anemone chunks of shrimps every week or so when you have the best artificial lighting system in the world! Sorry, I couldn't resist!

Hope you find out the solution for the problem soon.
Post more info here, so people could try to help you out.

 

[TerraFerma]

It depends how high and spread out you have them. With normal heights and spread yes 12 hours is a bit much. Get some sort of T5 or LED thing to illuminate you tank for viewing when the MH isn't on.

 

[Bpb]

12 hours is a lot. I’m guessing you don’t exactly have them 18-20” off the water either for reduced par? If you’re hitting the tank with 12 hours of 500+ par it’s just way more than is needed. Tridacna clams would probably eat it up and ask for more, but anything else is likely going into photoinhibition.

 

[ThePurple12]

12 hours is a lot. I’m guessing you don’t exactly have them 18-20” off the water either for reduced par? If you’re hitting the tank with 12 hours of 500+ par it’s just way more than is needed. Tridacna clams would probably eat it up and ask for more, but anything else is likely going into photoinhibition.

Exactly what I was thinking.

Define "not doing doing well"...
pH 8.1 is ok, but duing the day it normally would be around 8.2 - 8.3 in a system running 2 X 250W halides for 12 hours. Check your monitor/probe. Test your pH with another meter/test kit.
As we all know, non of us here can determinate what's going on with your anemone with the limited info you just posted.
Sounds like you think at least part of the problem is the 12 hour photoperiod. If that is part of the problem, but you changed something else in the system lately, could be that the photoperiod is just aggravating the real problem and isn't the main reason for it. If you don't have anything in mind and think the photoperiod is the only thing that needs to be change, please go ahead.
Things to keep in mind:
1- Not all the organisms will do always great with the photoperiod we choose and sometimes adjustments need to be done.
2 - If the anemone is under the 12 hour photoperiod for many months, most likely the 12 hours isn't the reason why it isn't doing great now.
3 - There is no need for 500W of halides ON for 12 hours over a 125gal though.
4 - Depending on the brand, how many kelvins your bulbs are, and the ballast used, you could be offering too much to light the system. Sometimes corals and anemones will react negatively when too much intensity (as PAR) is offered during the photoperiod (DLI).
5 - Do not blame light without first searching for what anemones would react to other things, like excess of foods, chemicals in the water, fishes, irritators, temperature, etc..
6 - Make sure the temperature is in check. I like to keep it around 78°F.
You need to gather all info and balance them to decide what to do.

There is no need to feed your anemone chunks of shrimps every week or so when you have the best artificial lighting system in the world! Sorry, I couldn't resist!

Hope you find out the solution for the problem soon.
Post more info here, so people could try to help you out.

The anemone shrinks during the day. Not like a bacterial infection, it just stays small. At night, it looks better. I was thinking the light could be slowly affecting it over a long time, and it's finally showing up?

The SPS (except for the monti caps, which are farthest away from the metal halides!) aren't doing well either. Nitrates are around 5, I have to dose to keep them up. My phosphate kit is expired and the new one should be coming soon. Alkalinity is 8. I haven't changed anything that I can think of. Temp is about 80, but does vary by about 2 degrees.

I'll lower the photoperiod to 8 hours. I'm on a budget, so any recommendations for a cheap supplemental light for the rest of the 12 hours?

 

[Viking_Reefing]

The cheapest option would most likely be some retrofitted T5’s.
Personally I like the OR3’s led bars from orphek but they are a bit pricier.

 

[A. grandis]

Exactly what I was thinking.

The anemone shrinks during the day. Not like a bacterial infection, it just stays small. At night, it looks better. I was thinking the light could be slowly affecting it over a long time, and it's finally showing up?

The SPS (except for the monti caps, which are farthest away from the metal halides!) aren't doing well either. Nitrates are around 5, I have to dose to keep them up. My phosphate kit is expired and the new one should be coming soon. Alkalinity is 8. I haven't changed anything that I can think of. Temp is about 80, but does vary by about 2 degrees.

I'll lower the photoperiod to 8 hours. I'm on a budget, so any recommendations for a cheap supplemental light for the rest of the 12 hours?

There is no doubt photoinhibition is happening then.
No need supplementation having them for 7-8 hours, unless you really want.
I've got 4 X 55W T5s for 9 hours and 2 X 250W halides for 4-5 hours over my 75gal zoa system.
If you want supplementation get some Blue Plus T5 bulbs going there. Your halide hours could be around 5 to 6 hours a day using the T5s. You can turn off the T5s while the halides are on.

 

[ThePurple12]

Thanks for the info, I'll lower the photoperiod and also raise the halides. They're about 6 inches off the surface.

 

[nereefpat]

Any algae problems with running them that long?

 

[ThePurple12]

Yes! There's hair algae, dinos, diatoms, cyano, and some other unknown algae ;Facepalm

 

[A. grandis]

Check your nutrients too. Keep the water temp to max 78-79°F if you can.
What fixtures, bulbs and ballasts are you using? That is also important to decide the distance from water surface.
Bring the fixture initially to about 9-10" from water surface and photoperiod to 6-8 hours a day.
Post pics here when you have time.

 

[Magellan]

I am by no means as knowledgeable as some of the other members already posting in this thread, but could offer you some personal experience!

I have used a 150w MH over my tank for 2 years now, run it 8 hours a day, and supplement it with Reef Brite actinic strips. I run the LEDs at a reduced power for 12 hours, so there is a 2 hour ramp up and and ramp down period at either end of my peak photo period. This also provides me the best of both viewing worlds, as I get to see all the corals fluorescing at the end of the day under the blues. My tank does not have any algae issues, and I have been able to grow anything I want in my mixed reef.

 

[ThePurple12]

I don't know what brand the fixtures are. The bulbs are a 14k Phoenix and a 10k Coralvue. Here's a recent pic, taken after a HEAVY cleaning of algae. You can see how the nem looks shrunken, and it's even worse today.

 

[ThePurple12]

My tank's problems are all making sense now! Before I got the 250w halides I think in July, the SPS and anemones were all thriving and there wasn't nearly as much algae. After, things started going downhill. I even lost some acros, and the rest aren't growing at all.

 

[A. grandis]

Very good example to illustrate how a lower kelvin bulbs (right side) will contribute to a higher reproduction of algae comparing to a higher kelvin bulb (left side).
Bring the fixture up, that's too close.
Try 6 hours a day so the system can recover.
Those fixtures are small and designed to concentrate the light right below them. The higher they are placed the better chances you will have using them over that system.
Double ended bulbs have more punch, specially with those fixtures so close.
This is also great to show people that proper halide gear needs to be chosen for the right application.
Look like the LED fixture on the far right is also toasting there!!

 

[nereefpat]

Yes! There's hair algae, dinos, diatoms, cyano, and some other unknown algae ;Facepalm

I'm not surprised.

I think most of us that run lights for 8-10 hours a day would run into algae trouble if we ran them for 12.

 

[ThePurple12]

I'm not surprised.

I think most of us that run lights for 8-10 hours a day would run into algae trouble if we ran them for 12.

That's good to know

 

[X-37B]

Those look like hamilton reflectors.
I run one, de 150 watt 17.5k, over my frag tank at 8hrs.
14k phoenix 250's over my 120 for 8hrs a day, lumenbright reflectors.
Just hung an OR3 and run it 1hr before and 1hr after for viewing only.
Total time for OR3 is 4hrs.
They stay on for 1hr after light on and 1 hr before lights off.
Thats 10hrs total now.
250' are 14" off the surface.
150 is 18" off the surface but tank is 36x24x12.

 

[ThePurple12]

Nice tanks, I like how you did the rockwork around the frag rack. Gotta check out your build thread.

My 250s are now about 12" off the water, set to run from 11am-7pm. Next step is getting some T5s or something so I can see the tank for the rest of the day. What should their wattage be?