Light question

IShark · 11/16/2010, 10:51 AM

I was wondering how long do you run your lights and in what order?

Wolverine · 11/16/2010, 10:55 AM

It depends.
What kind of lights?
What are you keeping?

As examples, in our large tank that we took down over the summer, the small night LEDs stayed on all the time, the actinic T5's came on for about 12 hours a day, and the MH bulbs were on for about 10. The actinics came on an hour before the MH, and went off an hour after.

In our nano with a Solaris, it turns up over the course of about 30 minutes.

IShark · 11/16/2010, 12:36 PM

I have a 95 gal reef tank. I have 2 175W MH, 2 PC actinics, and blue LED moonlights.

seapug · 11/16/2010, 12:51 PM

T5 Actinics come on at 7 am and turn off at 10:30pm so I can have a chance to look at the tank before and after work. The halides come on at 8:30 am and turn off at 3:15 pm.

I used to run my halides for about 9 - 10 hours/day but cut it down to 7 this past summer and noticed no change whatsoever in the growth or coloration of anything in the tank.

Dustin1300 · 11/16/2010, 07:22 PM

I run a 12 hour light cycle with the Halides running 8 hours of the day. My T5s run the whole 12 hour cycle but are only two 54 watt T5s. Below is my light info

rdmcgraw · 11/16/2010, 07:51 PM

i run half my lights 9 hours and the other half 7 hours. ( all t-5)

IShark · 11/16/2010, 11:45 PM

i have 2 175w MH and soon getting 2 T5's actinics. I think I will run the T5's from 10am to 9pm and the MH's from 12pm to 8pm. I will keep my LED moonlights on 24/7.

Wolverine · 11/17/2010, 08:34 AM

Slightly off topic, but I have my lights come on later and turn off later than most people, so they're shutting off after midnight. A lot of people get stuck in the mode that the tank lights have to be on during the day. For most people, that means the lights are on when you're at work, and then shut off a few hours after you get home.

11/16/2010, 10:51 AM	#1
IShark Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Arlington Texas Posts: 188	Light question I was wondering how long do you run your lights and in what order?

11/16/2010, 10:55 AM	#2
Wolverine RC Mod Join Date: Nov 1999 Location: West Bloomfield, MI Posts: 17,732	It depends. What kind of lights? What are you keeping? As examples, in our large tank that we took down over the summer, the small night LEDs stayed on all the time, the actinic T5's came on for about 12 hours a day, and the MH bulbs were on for about 10. The actinics came on an hour before the MH, and went off an hour after. In our nano with a Solaris, it turns up over the course of about 30 minutes. __________________ Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. -Douglas Adams Current Tank Info: 14g, 29g nano reefs

11/16/2010, 07:22 PM	#5
Dustin1300 Reefaholic Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Carmel, IN Posts: 5,135	I run a 12 hour light cycle with the Halides running 8 hours of the day. My T5s run the whole 12 hour cycle but are only two 54 watt T5s. Below is my light info __________________ INDMAS President Check out my tank in the Large Tank Forums, "A Reefaholic's 1000+ Gallon Mixed Reef System Build"! Current Tank Info: 600 Gallon DT, 140 Gallon Grow Out Tank, 125 Gallon Sump, 90 Gallon Fuge, 200 Gallon Fish QT, 15 Gallon Frag QT

11/16/2010, 07:51 PM	#6
rdmcgraw Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Posts: 51	i run half my lights 9 hours and the other half 7 hours. ( all t-5) __________________ Proud Member of the Florida Panhandle Reefkeepers Society

11/17/2010, 08:34 AM	#8
Wolverine RC Mod Join Date: Nov 1999 Location: West Bloomfield, MI Posts: 17,732	Slightly off topic, but I have my lights come on later and turn off later than most people, so they're shutting off after midnight. A lot of people get stuck in the mode that the tank lights have to be on during the day. For most people, that means the lights are on when you're at work, and then shut off a few hours after you get home. __________________ Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. -Douglas Adams Current Tank Info: 14g, 29g nano reefs

11/16/2010, 12:36 PM	#3
IShark Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Arlington Texas Posts: 188	I have a 95 gal reef tank. I have 2 175W MH, 2 PC actinics, and blue LED moonlights.

11/16/2010, 12:51 PM	#4
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	T5 Actinics come on at 7 am and turn off at 10:30pm so I can have a chance to look at the tank before and after work. The halides come on at 8:30 am and turn off at 3:15 pm. I used to run my halides for about 9 - 10 hours/day but cut it down to 7 this past summer and noticed no change whatsoever in the growth or coloration of anything in the tank.

11/16/2010, 11:45 PM	#7
IShark Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Arlington Texas Posts: 188	i have 2 175w MH and soon getting 2 T5's actinics. I think I will run the T5's from 10am to 9pm and the MH's from 12pm to 8pm. I will keep my LED moonlights on 24/7.

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