Lights On

tanyamikephil · 08/07/2016, 06:42 PM

Just wondered how long you guys leave the lights on in your tank? We were leaving ours on for 12hrs a day but were told that was to long.

djbon · 08/07/2016, 07:12 PM

I used to run my light 16 hours before. Now on 9 hours cycle and no changes on coral growth (more or less the same). I read somewhere that 4 hours full "sun" are more than adequate.

NAClFiSHy · 08/07/2016, 07:16 PM

mine are full blast maybe 6 but use dawn/dusk cycle with it.

Ron Reefman · 08/08/2016, 05:41 AM

The light you provide is to allow the zooxanthellae (algae) that lives inside your coral polyps the ability to do photosynthesis and grow which also feeds the coral itself. Most zooxanthellae needs an hour of bright light to get the process started, then photosynthesis will run for 4 to 6 hours. After that the process shuts down. That's due to millions of years of evolution where the reef only gets about 5 to 7 hours of BRIGHT light. Dawn, early morning, late afternoon and dusk are not bright enough due to the angle of the sun to the water surface.

However, you do no damage lighting your corals for 12 to 14 hours as long as the get a rest period of about 8 hours which can even be low light rather than dark.

homer1475 · 08/08/2016, 05:49 AM

The sun is up for roughly 12 hours a day, so are my lights.

I will admit that I ramp up and down like the sun, and only have 5 to 6 hours of full intensity lighting with the rest of the time making up the ramping up and down.

scooter31707 · 08/08/2016, 07:08 AM

run mines for 12 hours.

tanyamikephil · 08/08/2016, 07:55 AM

This is probably a stupid question but when you say 'full light' are you referring to turning up the white light full on?

homer1475 · 08/08/2016, 07:57 AM

I actually top out my blues at 55%, and my whites at 40%.

cincyjim · 08/08/2016, 08:07 AM

My blues come on at 10am, whites on at 12pm, whites off at 5pm, Moonlights on at 7pm, blues off at 7:15pm, Moonlights off at 7am.

hartin461 · 08/08/2016, 08:17 AM

12 hours for mine too. AI Sol Blues that start a ramp up 9 am and are full strength at noon.

From there they start to fade till 9pm into 3% till next morning.

hartin461 · 08/08/2016, 08:19 AM

double tap

NS Mike D · 08/08/2016, 01:43 PM

Everything on with a slow ramp up from 8am to 11am. Full lights 11am - 2pm then ramp down to 8pm. Moonlights on to 11pm.
At full power, my lights produce 175- 200 PAR at very top of the tank and about 75-100 for the lower corals.

It's a mixed reef tank and this seems to keep everyone happy.

MrHyde · 08/08/2016, 01:54 PM

My T5 Actinics are on for about 10 hours a day. The MH bulb is on for about 6.
I can keep pretty much anything I want with this lighting schedule.

Ebisan · 08/08/2016, 02:45 PM

9am to 9pm with 3 hour ramp up/down.

08/07/2016, 06:42 PM	#1
tanyamikephil Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 129	Lights On Just wondered how long you guys leave the lights on in your tank? We were leaving ours on for 12hrs a day but were told that was to long.

08/07/2016, 07:12 PM	#2
djbon Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, MY Posts: 813	I used to run my light 16 hours before. Now on 9 hours cycle and no changes on coral growth (more or less the same). I read somewhere that 4 hours full "sun" are more than adequate. __________________ 75 gallon DT, 5 gallon sump, DIY LED bar with moonlight, DIY Arduino controller Current Tank Info: 75 gallon/Arduino Controller

08/08/2016, 05:41 AM	#4
Ron Reefman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Cape Coral, FL Posts: 10,431	The light you provide is to allow the zooxanthellae (algae) that lives inside your coral polyps the ability to do photosynthesis and grow which also feeds the coral itself. Most zooxanthellae needs an hour of bright light to get the process started, then photosynthesis will run for 4 to 6 hours. After that the process shuts down. That's due to millions of years of evolution where the reef only gets about 5 to 7 hours of BRIGHT light. Dawn, early morning, late afternoon and dusk are not bright enough due to the angle of the sun to the water surface. However, you do no damage lighting your corals for 12 to 14 hours as long as the get a rest period of about 8 hours which can even be low light rather than dark. __________________ The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it. (Neil deGrasse Tyson) Visit my build thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2593017

08/08/2016, 05:49 AM	#5
homer1475 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 5,313	The sun is up for roughly 12 hours a day, so are my lights. I will admit that I ramp up and down like the sun, and only have 5 to 6 hours of full intensity lighting with the rest of the time making up the ramping up and down. __________________ 80G SCA Build: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2560256 Originally posted by der_wille_zur_macht: "He's just taking his lunch to work"

08/08/2016, 07:57 AM	#8
homer1475 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 5,313	I actually top out my blues at 55%, and my whites at 40%. __________________ 80G SCA Build: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2560256 Originally posted by der_wille_zur_macht: "He's just taking his lunch to work"

08/07/2016, 07:16 PM	#3
NAClFiSHy Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 61	mine are full blast maybe 6 but use dawn/dusk cycle with it.

08/08/2016, 07:08 AM	#6
scooter31707 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Virginia Posts: 4,971	run mines for 12 hours.

08/08/2016, 07:55 AM	#7
tanyamikephil Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 129	This is probably a stupid question but when you say 'full light' are you referring to turning up the white light full on?

08/08/2016, 08:07 AM	#9
cincyjim Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 1,147	My blues come on at 10am, whites on at 12pm, whites off at 5pm, Moonlights on at 7pm, blues off at 7:15pm, Moonlights off at 7am. __________________ Jim Current Tank Info: SCA 150G, 5 inch sand bed, 2 Tunze 6095s, ReefBreeders v2+ 50" with 2 all Blue Reefbrites, and Continuous Water Change System

08/08/2016, 08:17 AM	#10
hartin461 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: northeast Posts: 145	12 hours for mine too. AI Sol Blues that start a ramp up 9 am and are full strength at noon. From there they start to fade till 9pm into 3% till next morning.

08/08/2016, 08:19 AM	#11
hartin461 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: northeast Posts: 145	double tap Last edited by hartin461; 08/08/2016 at 08:21 AM. Reason: double post

08/08/2016, 01:43 PM	#12
NS Mike D Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Huntington, NY Posts: 391	Everything on with a slow ramp up from 8am to 11am. Full lights 11am - 2pm then ramp down to 8pm. Moonlights on to 11pm. At full power, my lights produce 175- 200 PAR at very top of the tank and about 75-100 for the lower corals. It's a mixed reef tank and this seems to keep everyone happy.

08/08/2016, 01:54 PM	#13
MrHyde Registered Member. Join Date: Jun 2016 Posts: 99	My T5 Actinics are on for about 10 hours a day. The MH bulb is on for about 6. I can keep pretty much anything I want with this lighting schedule.

08/08/2016, 02:45 PM	#14
Ebisan Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,141	9am to 9pm with 3 hour ramp up/down.