is it beneficial to my tank to always have my lunars on?

[Cheeser]

i just got the true lumen blue actinic led light. (just one.)
u can link up to 6 on the same transformer. i probly wanna get 2 more so i can have equal light across the tank. the one just illuminates the center but has a real nice shimmering glow. i normally turn em on when i get home. and theyre on a couple hours along with my GLO 48" t5. after a couple hours i turn off the t5 and just have on the blue leds. usually until i go to bed. and i turn on leds only when i get up in the morning. and the t5 usually as im leaving for work. i know i need a timer...im working on that.
but anyways...would it be better if i just leave the actinic leds on all day to supplement the t5?
ill still turn em off when i go to bed, so my tank gets a bit of dark. or does it not really make a difference?
or should i leave em on 24/7?

 

[wontonflip]

I've heard that lunar lights are strictly for aesthetic reasons...no benefit, no harm. But maybe someone has a differeing opinion. Most of us don't have lunars ;)

 

[AdeptMrSniffles]

You should leave them on along with your t5 fixture. The actinic will help with fluorescence in your coral, if you have any.

 

[little_fish]

+1 wonton

 

[Cheeser]

would a flourescent help at all?
i was really just looking for something that might supplement until i can afford a better fixture. i eventually wanna get the marineland reef capable led fixture.
i dont have corals yet but i plan on it.

 

[R3verb]

I have heard the same thing, astehtic purposes. One thing you may want to consider is that fish are creatures of habit so using lunars at the same time every day may help with fish that get stressed when things don't happen at the same time. I have noticed that, since getting a lighting system with a timer, my fish seem to "go to bed" every night around the same time (right at around 11 when the lights ramp down from a bright blue to the lunar cycle on my AI Sols). My fish are healthy so I couldn't tell you if it's helping them but it certainly isn't hurting them and it does make my coral glow so aesthetically, it's awesome.

 

[Live Rock]

Actually, I've heard that lunar lights may reduce some "nocturnal aggression" between fishes.

 

[Cheeser]

i can see how that works. i guess i was wondering more about whether or not it would accelerate coraline algae growth for my live rock and to help seed dry rock. but i guess not. just for looks.
i guess ill pass on getting a supplemental florescent fixture and save my money for the fixture i really want.

alot of people i know using metal halides also use blue florescents along with the metal halide. thats what got me curious.

 

[little_fish]

Na, it wont do anything for the live rock and I highly doubt it will do much for the coralline either.

 

[beeguiles]

I leave my blue leds on all night long. For my marineland they come on at noonish and off at eightish. Then i turn on the blue leds for the rest of the night. Same with my t5 and blue leds.

 

[NanoReefer]

i constantly run my 1 lunar led. my blue leds come on at 11 and run to 10. whites from 12-9. so theres always a little light in my tank. i think its mainly for looks tho...