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01/10/2010, 10:41 AM | #1 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Meadville, PA
Posts: 12
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Noob advice for lighting times
Hello All:
I have a basic question concerning the duration of lighting. I have 2 coralife metal halide fixures and 1 vho strip(actinic) on my reef tank. The tank is a 54 gal. What length of time should the actinic and halide lights be on? Thank you! |
01/10/2010, 10:48 AM | #2 |
R.C. Fraternity President
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I do an 7 hour white light and 9 hour actinic with the actinics overlapping by an hour on each end.
what are you planning on having in the tank?
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Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress |
01/10/2010, 10:57 AM | #3 |
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Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Meadville, PA
Posts: 12
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Contents of tank
I have 5 blue damsels, 1 lawnmower blenny in the tank. I have several small zooanthid frags and 1 torch. Looking to increase coral loads when tank is more established and I have more experience. The tank has been up since Oct 2009
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01/10/2010, 11:11 AM | #4 |
R.C. Fraternity President
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Well you definitely have the lights for it. What is your lighting period now?
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Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress |
01/10/2010, 11:14 AM | #5 |
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Blaine, Minnesota
Posts: 67
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I run 8 hours of all the light 10k + actinic, 2 hours before & after 10k, and moonlights at night. That way I can view the tank most of the time I'm awake.
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Oceanic 50 Gallon Current Tank Info: Oceanic 50 |
01/10/2010, 12:26 PM | #6 |
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Seaside Park, NJ
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Well this is how my tank is set up. Actinics(2 t-5) come on at 11am, my daylights(1 12k t-5, 1-75.25 uvl 10k) come on at noon, my daylights go off at 7pm, my actinics go off at 8pm, my moonlights come on from 8pm and go off at 4am. My tank is dark from 4am-11am.
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01/10/2010, 01:04 PM | #7 |
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 118
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Maybe reduce actinic time buy an hour on each end, otherwise if it's not broke don't fix it!
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01/10/2010, 02:59 PM | #8 |
Moved On
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Stockton, CA
Posts: 14,854
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I don't think you can go wrong trying to recreate the sun. I think sunrise is about 7 AM right now, sunset is about 5 PM. A good eight hours of direct lighting and you should be good.
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