Lighting schedule

ccCapt

Reef Hacker
Just wondering what kind of schedule you are running your lights. I've always run a 12 hr schedule with actinics on 1st, an hr later the MH's come on and stay on for 10 hrs, then an hr later the actinics go off.

Lately I'm having problems with some corals and their colors getting almost pastel looking, especially purples. I talked to one of the reef lighting experts at our frag swap and he told me the reason for the lightening colors was lack of nutrients in the tank and too long of a photo period. I don't want to add nutrients to the system, so I'm changing the light schedule. Last weekend I dropped the times to actinics on, 1 hr later MH's for 7 hrs then 1 hr later actinics off for a total of 9 hrs. Time will tell if this makes any difference. I want DARK purples. :D
 
At the moment I'm trying to keep my light schedule to 8 hours of daylight.
My first set of blues come on at 11am, second set at 11:30am, and then the daylights at 12pm.
The daylight bulb goes off at 8pm, then the first set of blues at 8:30 and the second set at 9pm.

My new tank is getting a lot of light in that room so it's already starting to wake up and get some northern light at 7am.
 
I have always ran 12 hour schedules, because it allows for me to be able to feed in the morning and at night in 2 smaller feedings. But for algae reasons I'm thinking I should change it down and just make my fish deal with one feeding.
 
I assume you are all using timers for your lights. I am researching T5 HO units and like the idea of getting one with a timer on the unit. My question is: Is this a bad idea? What happens if/when the timer goes bad? Would I be better off using a separate timer? I'm trying to visualize this and it seems like alot more clutter at the electrical strip.
 
I used to use one of these Coralife Digital Power Centers
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But now I use a Reef Keeper Lite.
 
I run 4 VHO`s and have the 2 Super actinics coming on at 9AM and then the two 50/50 coming on at 10AM. Then I have the 50/50 coming off at 8PM and the actinics coming off at 9PM.
 
I assume you are all using timers for your lights. I am researching T5 HO units and like the idea of getting one with a timer on the unit. My question is: Is this a bad idea? What happens if/when the timer goes bad? Would I be better off using a separate timer? I'm trying to visualize this and it seems like alot more clutter at the electrical strip.


You are better off getting separate timers from the hardware store, IMO. They only cost a few bucks and are much more reliable than those CrapTastic Coralife power strips that I've tried!
 
I only run my halides 6 hours a day. I read on RC that sps can only consume calcium for that long. Any longer and you are not growing the coral. I do run my vho actinics for 10 hours. After the frag swap I plan on changing the vho to a 4 bulb t5 and running more of a viewing bulb setup.
 
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I run my actinics about 14 hours a day and the MH for 11 hours. I used a power strip timer about a year now and have had no issues.
 
I been running mine on 12 hours too.
I've seen where the colors faded out on corals.Usually when vodka and sugar dosing are being done.
But I never would have thought that 12 hours of light would be to much.
 
Carbon dosing.....vodka, sugar, etc, is done to attain a ULNS (Ultra Low Nutrient System). I seem to have attained that without using any carbon source and too much lighting would be the next thing to cause the pastel colors.

Sanjay gave me a great idea and he told me how he runs his lighting. He only runs MH's with no supplementation, so 1 MH comes on 1st, then the center MH and finally the 3rd. Then they shut down in opposite order...sort of like the sun rising and then setting. I'm looking into getting a Reefkeeper Lite to control the times for my actinics and the 3 MH's.
 
I can't speak for the SPS keepers out there.I've switched from 12hrs complete,actinics and daylights to 7 hours complete for my LPS tank.I notice no slow down in growth whatsoever.Save me a little on electric bill to boot.Maybe we all been thinking it wrong.Longer light period might not be the answer.
 
I only have two 14k halide bulbs and no actinics, but I have it set where one bulb comes on at noon, second bulb comes on around 3, then the first bulb goes off at 7 and they're all off at 10.

6 hours of just one bulb and 4 hours with both.
 
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