lighting schedule and summer heat

clownchic · 04/29/2007, 05:35 PM

Can a mixed 90 gallon reef thrive with the following lighting schedule? I am contemplating this due to the summer heat and humidity. The house is air conditioned but when the HQIs kick on it doesn't seem to help. I have already added a supplemental fan across the tank. Extra space is non-existent - no sump or adequate ventilation for a chiller near tank. Any help is greatly appreciated.

6:00 AM 2X96 watt actinics on
7:00 AM 2X250 watt 14K metal halides on

10:00 AM metal halides off
11:00 AM actinics off

7:00 PM actinics on
8:00 PM metal halides on

12:00 AM metal halides off
1:00 AM actinics off

bertoni · 04/29/2007, 08:59 PM

Well, that's a strange lighting schedule. I'd be tempted to try to keep the MH on for a single period. Can you light the tank at night? Is it in a room with windows?

clownchic · 04/29/2007, 09:14 PM

The room has windows but the tank is in the corner and doesn't get much "movement" around it. I actually thought I'd try a night schedule first after reading some posts.

How about:

5:30 PM - 7:00 AM Actinics
7:00 PM - 3:00 AM Metal Halide

???

bertoni · 04/29/2007, 09:15 PM

Sounds reasonable to me.

vessxpress1 · 04/29/2007, 09:16 PM

At what temps do you start having trouble keeping the temp down?

There's a thread going around in the discussion forum promoting the idea of shutting your lights off for 3 days every month. I did it and it didn't hurt a thing.

Maybe when it gets really hot out, you could leave your lights off for a day or two until the heat subsides a bit? That's what I plan on doing this summer.
It doesn't hurt to simulate a cloudy day and give the tank a break once in a while. There's still plenty of light from the room and windows to simulate cloudy days.

clownchic · 04/29/2007, 09:42 PM

I'll give the new schedule a try. Good to know that a couple of "cloudy days" is OK. I may have to do that when it gets really hot.

04/29/2007, 05:35 PM	#1
clownchic Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 429	lighting schedule and summer heat Can a mixed 90 gallon reef thrive with the following lighting schedule? I am contemplating this due to the summer heat and humidity. The house is air conditioned but when the HQIs kick on it doesn't seem to help. I have already added a supplemental fan across the tank. Extra space is non-existent - no sump or adequate ventilation for a chiller near tank. Any help is greatly appreciated. 6:00 AM 2X96 watt actinics on 7:00 AM 2X250 watt 14K metal halides on 10:00 AM metal halides off 11:00 AM actinics off 7:00 PM actinics on 8:00 PM metal halides on 12:00 AM metal halides off 1:00 AM actinics off __________________ It's all good. Current Tank Info: 25 gallon reef with clown, coral beauty & dragonet, soft corals. 90 gallon reef: a few SPS,many LPS,3 dispar anthias,2 XL chromis, pair of percula clowns,yellow tang,royal gramma copperband butterfly. Deltec 600MCE, 2X250 HQI, two 6000 Tunze str

04/29/2007, 08:59 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Well, that's a strange lighting schedule. I'd be tempted to try to keep the MH on for a single period. Can you light the tank at night? Is it in a room with windows? __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

04/29/2007, 09:14 PM	#3
clownchic Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 429	The room has windows but the tank is in the corner and doesn't get much "movement" around it. I actually thought I'd try a night schedule first after reading some posts. How about: 5:30 PM - 7:00 AM Actinics 7:00 PM - 3:00 AM Metal Halide ??? __________________ It's all good. Current Tank Info: 25 gallon reef with clown, coral beauty & dragonet, soft corals. 90 gallon reef: a few SPS,many LPS,3 dispar anthias,2 XL chromis, pair of percula clowns,yellow tang,royal gramma copperband butterfly. Deltec 600MCE, 2X250 HQI, two 6000 Tunze str

04/29/2007, 09:15 PM	#4
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Sounds reasonable to me. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

04/29/2007, 09:42 PM	#6
clownchic Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 429	I'll give the new schedule a try. Good to know that a couple of "cloudy days" is OK. I may have to do that when it gets really hot. __________________ It's all good. Current Tank Info: 25 gallon reef with clown, coral beauty & dragonet, soft corals. 90 gallon reef: a few SPS,many LPS,3 dispar anthias,2 XL chromis, pair of percula clowns,yellow tang,royal gramma copperband butterfly. Deltec 600MCE, 2X250 HQI, two 6000 Tunze str

04/29/2007, 09:16 PM	#5
vessxpress1 Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: NW IL Posts: 1,603	At what temps do you start having trouble keeping the temp down? There's a thread going around in the discussion forum promoting the idea of shutting your lights off for 3 days every month. I did it and it didn't hurt a thing. Maybe when it gets really hot out, you could leave your lights off for a day or two until the heat subsides a bit? That's what I plan on doing this summer. It doesn't hurt to simulate a cloudy day and give the tank a break once in a while. There's still plenty of light from the room and windows to simulate cloudy days.