light question

[jcegt87]

ok so i just got a brainfart and i confused myself probable by overthinking

so as some know i have the oddysey 72watt 4 bulb fixture, when i first got it one switch would turn on 2 actinics bulbs and another would turn on the other 2 -10k bulbs , well as soon as i turned it on i didnt like it (dont know why just didnt ) and i switched it out making each a 50/50

i been seeing videos and other forums were they have just the actinics running , and well to be honest it grew on me ...ssoooooo i reverted the bulb setup ..

now my question is , i been having a little issue with cyano .... if i run the actinics lets for .lets say, 12 hours and the 10k's for 8 hours will that help any or is it just the same ....

will i see any difference if i run the actinics longer than the 10k's in my tank overall ?

if i confused yall im sry but i hope i made some sense lol

also i been wondering do actinics count towards the Watts per gallon rule?

 

[jcegt87]

well guess was too dumb of a question ....oh well

 

[Northstar24]

The Actintics will make corals you have phosphorese more, but a photo period that long may acutally make your cyano issues worse.

There are a few things to look at when you have cyano

1)Nutrients - Phosphates and Nitrates. Phosphates are normally the limiting factor to cyano growth, elevated levels will make it easier for cyano to take hold
2)Flow - Stagnant areas or low flow will also make it easier for cyano to take hold
3) Lighting - Photoperiods that are too long or old bulbs. As Metal Halide / T5 / PC bulbs age, the light they give off starts to shift to the red spectrum, which is favored by nusiance algae like cyano

Most people have the actinics come on an hour or so before the main bulbs, and turn off an hour or so afterwards, it simulates the sunrise / sunset over the tank - and it also gives you viewing time to see the corals under the blue light, which makes them 'pop' more

 

[BL1]

Any light you use will add WPG to the tank but, some bulbs will be more effective then others. For instance, the ATI Blue Plus bulbs will put more usable light for your corals then the actinic bulbs.

 

[jcegt87]

thanks :D i guess i should cut down on the time lol