Lighting at Night

[Shep]

Hey,

So normally I just turn my lights completely off at night but when I was at my LFS yesterday the guy was telling me for a reef tank that I should leave my blue LEDs on for the corals. I always thought that this would be a bad idea because it would give algae more light to grow. Should I leave them on or turn them off....or does it not really matter? As always thanks for the help.

Tom

 

[bronson]

guy at lfs probably meant keep blues on just say a couple of hours after you turn your day light of and a couple of hours on before your daylight to emulate dusk and dawn like so also aint a shock to your tank inhabitants

 

[salt_for_brains]

I run a dawn/daytime/dusk and then bring moonlights on after lights out. Some corals feed at night with their sweeper tentacles and you have other critters that only come out at night.
Maybe he was just talking about some LED moonlights?

 

[Steveg229]

Can you keep led moonlights on all night?? I have mine programmed to shut off after about 2 hours....

 

[salt_for_brains]

IMO, yes as long as they are not so bright your live stock is still active. When my lights go out and the moon lights kick on there is no fish to be found.
But you do not have to leave the moon lights on all night.

 

[Shep]

So are moonlights just dimmer blue LEDs? My lights do not have moon lights but I can dim them, would that work?

 

[Sakura2282]

+1 @salt_for_brains IMO You really don't have to keep your moon lights on all night. I just do the dawn/daytime/dusk and after that all my lights are off. I know some reefers keep the moon lights on all night but, I do think this is really a matter of preference.

So are moonlights just dimmer blue LEDs? My lights do not have moon lights but I can dim them, would that work?

I will say yes, they are. And If you can dim them enough so your fish don't remain active.

 

[Shep]

So my future corals would be fine at night with no lights on?

 

[salt_for_brains]

So my future corals would be fine at night with no lights on?

Absolutely:thumbsup:

 

[Shep]

Thanks!