24/7 lighting on coral

[alsez]

I have coral in my refugium and run the lights 12 on 12 off. If I run the lights 24/7 what would happen to the coral?

[organism]

pretty much the same thing that would happen to you under 24/7 lighting, corals need that off time to let the zooxanthellae algae do its thing :)

[jefathome]

They would go on a Psycho killing spree?

What a coincidence!! ;)

[CaptainPicard]

What does the zooxanthellae do at night?
I thought it feeds during the day?

[organism]

I believe that after a certain amount of time (5-7 hours under halides or so), the zooxanthellae will stop accepting light, and it will have negative effects on the coral. Also, there's the bleaching issues that would doubtless result from 24/7 lighting, just doesn't seem like a good idea at all in a well kept reef environment

[Mrs.kbmdale]

Besides all mentioned above, you do not need to run lights on your refugium 24/7, just run them like you have been... 12 on, 12 off, but run them the opposite of your main lights...IOW, main lights or on, fuge lights are off. Main lights are off, fuge lights are on. HTH.... BTW, why is the coral in your fuge and not in the main tank?

Good Luck and Happy Reefing!
Brianna:rollface:

[Galilean]

I've tried keeping lights on some tanks and refugiums 24/7. Most plants and algae grow much faster. The fastest growing micro-algae tends to take over and smother everything in the long term unless there are also huge numbers of isopods. Star polyps, zoanthids, and pulsing xenias did about a well as normally. Aptasia and other small anenomes also do very well in 24/7 lighting. Typical high light things like leather corals, birdsnest, acropora, etc all bleached. Fish and motile invertabrates behave normally for the most part. They simply hide when they want to sleep and generaly maintain the circadian rhythm they had in the first place unless feeding times are also altered.