Poll: Lighting Cycles - How long do you run your lights

[Husky_1]

I know this has been covered a million times, but I was wondering how long people normally run their light cycles.

Mine are right now on for only about 8 hours from 1st actinic on, to last actinic off.

[REDDAWG43]

Come people....27 views at this time and only 7 votes.
I am curious as to what this avaerage too.

[isistius]

i run my actinics 14.5 hrs, and my daylights are on 9hrs (i think)

[Beach Bum 70]

same here 6 am-8

[Husky_1]

Looks like the 8-10 hours is ahead so far...with 56%

[illal]

8 hrs for me

[pedromatic]

Actinics about 11 hours. 10k about 8 hours. Moonlights are on all night.

[blackthunda77]

atinics n 10am to 12pm. daylights on from 12pm to 10pm. (MH lamp one on from 12-5 MH lamp two on from 3pm to 10 pm)

[45commando]

You almost need a poll for actinics & a poll for main lights.I run actinics for 10hrs & MH for 6hrs.HTH.

[Husky_1]

Yeah I agree, there are so many variations of this poll.....Not to mention a poll to see if increasing your lighting time has actually done anything for growth or if its just causing your electric bill to rise

[Bernie21]

Actinics...8, daylight...5. Any longer and I get massive growth!!! Of Algae!!!

[jeffbrig]

T5 blueplus - 12hrs
T5 aquablue - 10hrs
14k MH - 4 hrs

Interestingly, some of my corals hold better color with just 2 hrs of MH daily. Others look better running 4 today.

[WLDSHARK]

T5 11AM-5PM AND 9 PM-12 PM- 9HRS
MH - 10K 4PM-10PM - 6 HRS

[Husky_1]

Jeff, how is your overall growth with only 4 hours of MH. Have you noticed an increase, decrease, or about the same?

I am sure the aquablue helps with growth, as opposed to all actinic. I have am just starting to running an aquasun which is a 10k as one of my t5's.

[ReefWreak]

Actinic 12:30pm to 10:30pm, halides 1:00pm to 10pm

[bawla47]

i run mine for 7 hours, id run more, but im poor

[jeffbrig]

Originally posted by Husky_1
Jeff, how is your overall growth with only 4 hours of MH. Have you noticed an increase, decrease, or about the same?

I am sure the aquablue helps with growth, as opposed to all actinic. I have am just starting to running an aquasun which is a 10k as one of my t5's.

I wouldn't call it insane growth, but I am very happy with the growth and color I am getting from everything.

I believe my T5 setup has a lot to do with the success I'm having. The bulbs I'm runing are among the highest output available for T5 bulbs. On top of that, I have them in single lamp reflectors, and overdriven with icecap ballasts. With the open top canopy, the bulbs stay at their optimal temperature (95-100 deg), so their output is maximized.

[JFK_Jr]

I run a reverse lighting schedule...

Actinics 2PM - 2AM
MH 4pm - 1AM

1. No chiller needed cause I cool my reef with my central AC.

2. I'm not wasting AC while I'm at work.

3. I get to ENJOY watching my reef as much as I want.

4. I save $$$...

[ReefWreak]

Yeah I'm a big proponent of lighting your tank when you're home, rather than to coincide with the lighting schedule outside of your house. Better experience for you, and that's who gets to appreciate the tank.

The only arguement that I have from the other side of that fence is that I can see my fish are up and around when it's light out outside, since the room is comfortably lit with daylight by the time the lights come on, so they're waking up at 10-11am when it naturally gets light out, and then go to sleep when their lights go out around 1 or so. ::shrug::

[gasman059]

2pm -12 am actinics
3pm-11pm MH's

[paveking1]

6am to 8pm acintics ,solaris runs on dawn to dusk to night my halides run from 12pm to 6 pm, i like this i get great growth, Im always triming & fraging , but it helps pay for the electric bill . Bye the way about $700 a month in electric . OUCH>

[Husky_1]

Lighting when your home is preferable as well. As with Eric most of my fish are up about 9-10am when the room gets decent light from outside.
BTW her is my schedule
1st actinic 13:30- 21:30
10k t5 (was actinic until yesterday): 13:45 - 21:15
MH: 14:00 - 21:00

But based on the thread and the majority of people (73% combined right now) between 8-12 hours, I am probably going to increase everything to: 10 hour cycle
1st actinic 12:00 - 22:00
10k t5 (was actinic until yesterday): 12:30 - 21:30
MH: 13:30 - 21:00

[ReefWreak]

Those military/european times sound like controllerspeak to me. Did you get a new fancy controller without telling anyone?

[saltwaterfishlover]

all 6 t-5'a 645am-915pm

[Bernie21]

Yeah I run my light for when Im there, 4pm - 12am actinics. Daylights run from 5:30pm-10:30pm, this way every thing is nice and open when I come home, and winds down when I go to bed!!