Photoperiod Poll

lukinrats · 08/16/2008, 01:51 PM

Help me decide what a good photoperiod would be... I get anywhere from 400 Par up top to 250 Par on sand, so it does not matter to me if you have T5 or Metal Halide... Just want to know how long you leave Full lighting on, and how long you run half lights, or just actinics

Pictures of your results would be a +

Thanks
Nathan

Edit: If you do not run any sort of dawn to dusk cycle, then just reply with the overall hours your lighting is on

Thanks,
NathanS

stagefright13 · 08/16/2008, 02:02 PM

How about MH for 10-12 with no actinics available lol.

lukinrats · 08/16/2008, 02:04 PM

Whoops!! Can't edit the poll... This does not make sense... Why would they not let you edit a poll that you started in the first place?

crvz · 08/16/2008, 03:42 PM

I do about 8 hours a day, T5 bulbs, 4 on for the full 8 hours and 4 others on about 4 hours a day. It's plenty for my stony tank.

JustinReef · 08/16/2008, 04:17 PM

I just have a softy reef and keep my MH's on for 8 hours a day. Im debating 10 hours just for a longer viewing time but I don't know yet.

supervdl · 08/16/2008, 04:35 PM

I have 8 h MH plus 3 works fine

lukinrats · 08/16/2008, 05:43 PM

Ok, well so far it looks as though I need to tone mine down some... I have been running 6 x 54 watt for about 11-11.5 hours, this consists of 3 blue +, 1 super actinic, 1 aquablue, and 1 pro color... The other 2 run for 5 hours, and that is 1 x GE 3000k, and 1 x Aquascience Duo

I think this is turning out to be too much!

JustinReef · 08/16/2008, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lukinrats
Ok, well so far it looks as though I need to tone mine down some... I have been running 6 x 54 watt for about 11-11.5 hours, this consists of 3 blue +, 1 super actinic, 1 aquablue, and 1 pro color... The other 2 run for 5 hours, and that is 1 x GE 3000k, and 1 x Aquascience Duo

I think this is turning out to be too much!

Not if its working for you. Everyones tank will be different and if about 12 hours is working, why change it?

lukinrats · 08/16/2008, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by lukinrats

I think this is turning out to be too much!

Well it really is not working, this is why I ended my post with the sentence above

Thanks,
NathanS

sherm71tank · 08/16/2008, 06:37 PM

I run my photoperiod for 4 hours total. Just a few minutes between halides and actinics. I have 4X65 watt pc actinic and 2X250watt HQI 14K phoenix.

lukinrats · 08/16/2008, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sherm71tank
I run my photoperiod for 4 hours total. Just a few minutes between halides and actinics. I have 4X65 watt pc actinic and 2X250watt HQI 14K phoenix.

Wow... That sure does not seem like very much... You must just have them running from the time you get home from work, until you go to bed... Otherwise I would not be able to do that... Would not leave much time for you to enjoy the reef

sherm71tank · 08/16/2008, 11:17 PM

Well, that's pretty close to reality! The lights come on at 4:00pm, I get home at 4:20 the lights are out at 8:00pm. I have to get back up for work at 4:00 in the morning! Seriously though, since I went to the shorter photoperiod the only things that have suffered are, hmmm... there aren't any! My electric bill is lower, the tank runs cooler, less chances of problem algae, etc...!

lukinrats · 08/17/2008, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sherm71tank
Well, that's pretty close to reality! The lights come on at 4:00pm, I get home at 4:20 the lights are out at 8:00pm. I have to get back up for work at 4:00 in the morning! Seriously though, since I went to the shorter photoperiod the only things that have suffered are, hmmm... there aren't any! My electric bill is lower, the tank runs cooler, less chances of problem algae, etc...!

Ya, well that pretty much make a lot of sense... What lighting do you have?

NathanS

sherm71tank · 08/17/2008, 11:32 AM

It's an Odyssea fixture. I replaced the MH ballast with a PFO HQI ballast. 4X65watt pc actinic bulbs and 2X250watt 14K phoenix hqi.

sps1-2-b · 08/17/2008, 12:20 PM

MH for 8 hrs

lukinrats · 08/17/2008, 12:34 PM

I think, with the amount Par my fixture is putting out, that 6 hours of full lighting is my max... 8 hours with 4 or 6 bulbs going

NathanS

IndyReefMan · 08/18/2008, 11:20 AM

I run four T-5's (three fiji purple and one blue plus) for 11 hours, but the fixture does not have individual reflectors. I also have two 250W MH Iwasaki 14,000K and one 150W MH Ushio 10,000K on for 5.5 hours. This is perfect for my system. Any longer with the MH's and my LPS start to stress.

View Poll Results: What photoperiod do you use?
Actinics or half lighting 6 hrs +/- 1hr + full lighting for 4hrs +/- 1hr	4	8.00%
Actinics or half lighting 8 hrs +/- 1hr + full lighting for 6hrs +/- 1hr	11	22.00%
Actinics or half lighting 10 hrs +/- 1hr + full lighting for 8hrs +/- 1hr	13	26.00%
Actinics or half lighting 12 hrs +/- 1hr + full lighting for 10hrs +/- 1hr	22	44.00%
Voters: 50. You may not vote on this poll

08/16/2008, 01:51 PM	#1
lukinrats Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Laurel, Mississippi Posts: 1,256	Photoperiod Poll Help me decide what a good photoperiod would be... I get anywhere from 400 Par up top to 250 Par on sand, so it does not matter to me if you have T5 or Metal Halide... Just want to know how long you leave Full lighting on, and how long you run half lights, or just actinics Pictures of your results would be a + Thanks Nathan Edit: If you do not run any sort of dawn to dusk cycle, then just reply with the overall hours your lighting is on Thanks, NathanS Last edited by lukinrats; 08/16/2008 at 02:05 PM.

08/16/2008, 03:42 PM	#4
crvz Team RC Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: houstonia Posts: 7,989	I do about 8 hours a day, T5 bulbs, 4 on for the full 8 hours and 4 others on about 4 hours a day. It's plenty for my stony tank. __________________ -Chris- You don't win friends with salad. "Look! They're trying to learn for free!" ... "Use your phony guns as clubs!" Current Tank Info: rectangluar? wet?

08/16/2008, 04:35 PM	#6
supervdl Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: NE PA Posts: 1,315	I have 8 h MH plus 3 works fine __________________ My tank thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1167897 Current Tank Info: 135 gal mixed reef with Radions and Zeovit; 210 gal SPS reef being set up

08/16/2008, 02:02 PM	#2
stagefright13 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Hatboro, PA USA Posts: 899	How about MH for 10-12 with no actinics available lol.

08/16/2008, 02:04 PM	#3
lukinrats Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Laurel, Mississippi Posts: 1,256	Whoops!! Can't edit the poll... This does not make sense... Why would they not let you edit a poll that you started in the first place?

08/16/2008, 04:17 PM	#5
JustinReef Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 3,715	I just have a softy reef and keep my MH's on for 8 hours a day. Im debating 10 hours just for a longer viewing time but I don't know yet.

08/16/2008, 05:43 PM	#7
lukinrats Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Laurel, Mississippi Posts: 1,256	Ok, well so far it looks as though I need to tone mine down some... I have been running 6 x 54 watt for about 11-11.5 hours, this consists of 3 blue +, 1 super actinic, 1 aquablue, and 1 pro color... The other 2 run for 5 hours, and that is 1 x GE 3000k, and 1 x Aquascience Duo I think this is turning out to be too much!

08/16/2008, 06:37 PM	#10
sherm71tank Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 3,670	I run my photoperiod for 4 hours total. Just a few minutes between halides and actinics. I have 4X65 watt pc actinic and 2X250watt HQI 14K phoenix.

08/16/2008, 11:17 PM	#12
sherm71tank Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 3,670	Well, that's pretty close to reality! The lights come on at 4:00pm, I get home at 4:20 the lights are out at 8:00pm. I have to get back up for work at 4:00 in the morning! Seriously though, since I went to the shorter photoperiod the only things that have suffered are, hmmm... there aren't any! My electric bill is lower, the tank runs cooler, less chances of problem algae, etc...!

08/17/2008, 11:32 AM	#14
sherm71tank Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 3,670	It's an Odyssea fixture. I replaced the MH ballast with a PFO HQI ballast. 4X65watt pc actinic bulbs and 2X250watt 14K phoenix hqi.

08/17/2008, 12:20 PM	#15
sps1-2-b Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Anaheim, CA Posts: 1,248	MH for 8 hrs

08/17/2008, 12:34 PM	#16
lukinrats Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Laurel, Mississippi Posts: 1,256	I think, with the amount Par my fixture is putting out, that 6 hours of full lighting is my max... 8 hours with 4 or 6 bulbs going NathanS

08/18/2008, 11:20 AM	#17
IndyReefMan Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Indianapolis, IN Posts: 477	I run four T-5's (three fiji purple and one blue plus) for 11 hours, but the fixture does not have individual reflectors. I also have two 250W MH Iwasaki 14,000K and one 150W MH Ushio 10,000K on for 5.5 hours. This is perfect for my system. Any longer with the MH's and my LPS start to stress.