Lighting schedule?

Hockey0000325 · 12/22/2009, 03:35 PM

Hey guys i am writing because i am finally looking to get some life into my aquarium. I am looking to see what a good lighting schedule would be for metal halides and vho actinics? Any ideas?

Sisterlimonpot · 12/22/2009, 03:36 PM

What do you have in your tank?

Hockey0000325 · 12/22/2009, 03:38 PM

I am actually putting my CUC in tonight and then my Clarkii Clows prob in a few days. but I will wind up having a wide range of corals from SPS to LPS and a Clam

johnc43113 · 12/22/2009, 03:43 PM

I don't have any SPS yet but I run 9 hours of halide and 11 hours of atinic.

Atinic 8-7
Halide 9-6

der_wille_zur_macht · 12/22/2009, 03:45 PM

IMHO lighting should be to imitate a natural photoperiod, regardless of livestock. If your lights are "too much" for your livestock, then get weaker lights - don't cut the photoperiod.

I aim for a natural photoperiod. Since most tanks have actinics (or other supplemental light) on separate power supplies as the main lights, something like 10 - 12 hours for supplemental and 8 - 10 hours for main lights usually works fine.

thegrun · 12/22/2009, 04:02 PM

Actinics 10am-10pm
MH 1pm-8pm
Moonlights 6am-10am & 10pm-12 midnight
Refugium Light 8pm-1pm (opposite MH schedule)

smirkis · 12/22/2009, 04:27 PM

i work all day, so i would hate for my lights to turn off before i get home lol

actinics from 12-1030pm
day/fiji from 1-9pm
fuge light from 7am-11pm (i hate fuge lights on at night, tanks in my room)

Hockey0000325 · 12/22/2009, 07:55 PM

thank you guys for your help I also get home from work at 7:00 so I would like to have my lights on for a bit! i will prob go 10:30-10:30 actinics, 12:00-8:00 MH, and I still gotta buy some moonlights! Do you guys find moonlights of great importance or are they just for effect?

Myteemouse · 12/22/2009, 08:01 PM

ACT 1030am - 830 pm
MH 1130 am- 530 pm

jbardwel · 12/22/2009, 08:47 PM

some authors of books like reef secrets nilsen and fossa say that you want intense light for shorter periods to imitate high sun. High sun is pretty dang bright though so I would say light it up 12 hours if algae is a problem cut back an hour or more

12/22/2009, 03:35 PM	#1
Hockey0000325 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Rochester Posts: 268	Lighting schedule? Hey guys i am writing because i am finally looking to get some life into my aquarium. I am looking to see what a good lighting schedule would be for metal halides and vho actinics? Any ideas?

12/22/2009, 03:36 PM	#2
Sisterlimonpot R.C. Fraternity President Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Litchfeild Park AZ Posts: 11,490 Blog Entries: 2	What do you have in your tank? __________________ Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress

12/22/2009, 03:45 PM	#5
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	IMHO lighting should be to imitate a natural photoperiod, regardless of livestock. If your lights are "too much" for your livestock, then get weaker lights - don't cut the photoperiod. I aim for a natural photoperiod. Since most tanks have actinics (or other supplemental light) on separate power supplies as the main lights, something like 10 - 12 hours for supplemental and 8 - 10 hours for main lights usually works fine. __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)

12/22/2009, 08:01 PM	#9
Myteemouse Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 53	ACT 1030am - 830 pm MH 1130 am- 530 pm __________________ POWER PIG HELLO, I'M BURNING Gotta get it right sometime 125 penninsula 9 months old SPS LPS ZOO's lots of fish.

12/22/2009, 08:47 PM	#10
jbardwel Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 104	lights some authors of books like reef secrets nilsen and fossa say that you want intense light for shorter periods to imitate high sun. High sun is pretty dang bright though so I would say light it up 12 hours if algae is a problem cut back an hour or more __________________ Jim

12/22/2009, 03:38 PM	#3
Hockey0000325 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Rochester Posts: 268	I am actually putting my CUC in tonight and then my Clarkii Clows prob in a few days. but I will wind up having a wide range of corals from SPS to LPS and a Clam

12/22/2009, 03:43 PM	#4
johnc43113 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Circleville, OH Posts: 109	I don't have any SPS yet but I run 9 hours of halide and 11 hours of atinic. Atinic 8-7 Halide 9-6

12/22/2009, 04:02 PM	#6
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	Actinics 10am-10pm MH 1pm-8pm Moonlights 6am-10am & 10pm-12 midnight Refugium Light 8pm-1pm (opposite MH schedule)

12/22/2009, 04:27 PM	#7
smirkis Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: San Diego, 805 n 54 Posts: 40	i work all day, so i would hate for my lights to turn off before i get home lol actinics from 12-1030pm day/fiji from 1-9pm fuge light from 7am-11pm (i hate fuge lights on at night, tanks in my room)

12/22/2009, 07:55 PM	#8
Hockey0000325 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Rochester Posts: 268	thank you guys for your help I also get home from work at 7:00 so I would like to have my lights on for a bit! i will prob go 10:30-10:30 actinics, 12:00-8:00 MH, and I still gotta buy some moonlights! Do you guys find moonlights of great importance or are they just for effect?