lighting schedule

[parrotchute]

Any reason I shouldn't be running my 14 hour lighting cycle? I have my lights at max intensity for that long, and as long as I'm not getting nuisance algae, I'm assuming it is just more energy for the corals to grow?

 

[bjohanson1234]

Most people only run for 12 hours max. I beleive the theory is that at the equator, the day and night lengths are pretty much equal.

 

[yote]

I really dont see any problem with that,as long as the algae stays under control.
12 hours would be closer to natural,but I doubt that 2 extra is going to hurt anything.

 

[Rcpilot]

Why 14hrs though? You trying to get high coral growth? If yes, then switch your bulbs too. I'd move closer to white and yellow if you want lots of growth really fast. 10K bulbs and lower down to 6500k bulbs. Any 800k or 7500k bulbs would also work.

They would lose all kinds of color and basically brown out. It takes between 2 - 4 months under good new bulbs to color them up. Switch over gradually to lights in the 12K - 20K range. 460nm is pretty close to 20k.

 

[parrotchute]

I have LEDs, so switching bulbs doesn't work. I work 10 hour days, and I like to be able to have everything awake before and after I get home for feeding & observation, so that tends to drive the longer 'on' time.

I figure the 14 hours will give an added boost growth wise - reefs south of the equator can easily get 14 hours of direct sunlight in the summer...

 

[XxKnuckleheadxX]

im sure the corals can take in so much light then thats it.? all the growth actually happends at night.

 

[Bifferwine]

Knucklehead is right that the cellular growth occurs when it's dark. If you kept your lights on 24 hours a day, for example, your corals may survive, but they will never grow.

 

[scu95821]

What about lights at night?
Do we need em?

 

[XxKnuckleheadxX]

nope not needed...

 

[yote]

What about lights at night?
Do we need em?

Nope.But the moon lights do look cool.