No Lights for 3 Days Every Couple of Months Works Wonders! - Page 8

pncpon · #**176** 04/24/2007, 08:13 PM

might have to try love the bubble!!!!

lemonsx4 · #**177** 04/24/2007, 10:16 PM

I'm a believer also. Had cyno began to take hold and it is all gone!!!! Great advise Thank you, now part of my monthly maintance.

coraladdict · #**178** 04/24/2007, 10:28 PM

I had cyano , turned the lights out for three days and now they're all gone.

Aquabucket · #**179** 04/25/2007, 11:48 AM

Great news guys! So far everyone has soon good results. I hope the trend continues!

glaudds · #**180** 04/25/2007, 10:43 PM

I'm a believer. I recently had a couple of small recurring patches of cyano in my 8 year old tank. I only did a two day blackout and the patches are gone..this was over the weekend the the cyano has not returned.

Thanks, Aquabucket, for the heads up on this great and easy tip.

BigDaddy · #**181** 04/25/2007, 10:53 PM

Funny, I do the exact same thing, and it was after a dino bloom 3.5 years ago. I have had the same results.

dustin323 · #**182** 04/25/2007, 11:46 PM

I was recommended to this on another thread I had started for a slight cyano & hair algae problem. Not huge, but I want to knock it out before it gets any bigger. Tomorrow is my third day, & I can definaet;y tell some of the cyano patches are deminishing. I'll let ya'll know the final results the day after tomorrow.

rhysiboy · #**183** 04/26/2007, 03:00 PM

With this teknique do you think it would be ok to do if you have caulerpa and chaetomorpha in the tank as i dont want to stress the algaes and risk them going sexual on me or whatever the shizzle. I dont have any corals as such only a few hithciking polyps so if they do go sexual they shouldnt do too much damage right?

Aquabucket · #**184** 04/26/2007, 03:12 PM

The chaetomorpha will be fine. I guess there is a chance the caulerpa could go sexual but since you have only a few polyps in the tank I would not worry about it.

kenny77 · #**185** 04/26/2007, 03:22 PM

wow very nice tank. I use to do this because cyano. My tank was in the living room right below the skylight. it receive some indirect sun light during the day. so when ever I desided to turn off the light and only use the actinic the coral will still open. Don't know why but the only times I saw my SPS polyps coming out was when the tank receive the indirect light from the skylight.

It worket great. cyano was out. and what ever was left I siphon it out. since cyano tends to shrink when not receiving light. this is the best time to siphon it.

chris wright · #**186** 04/26/2007, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kenny77

It worket great. cyano was out. and what ever was left I siphon it out. since cyano tends to shrink when not receiving light. this is the best time to siphon it.

Yep, I found that if I did a water change and gravel vaccum early in the morning, it was easier and I didnt suck out as much sand. I have done it in the afternoon, what a nightmare

chrisguy · #**187** 04/26/2007, 09:19 PM

In the past I have randomly not run my MH lighting for all or part of a day. Manually shutting them off for the day. I kept my VHO lighting (50/50 & actinic) on their normal schedule. Never had an issue, obviously as it was a minimal change compared to 3 days of no lights.

I would like to incorporate a "dark day" into a regular schedule. Does anyone know of a controller that allows you to program "events" on a weekly or monthly cycle, vs the normal 24 hour daily cycle??

Abynum1 · #**188** 04/26/2007, 10:50 PM

I don't know about a controller, but the digital timers I got from Home Depot, will let you do that.

outy · #**189** 04/26/2007, 11:08 PM

i have a slight HA problem im on day 2 of darkness

ill post results at the end

Aquabucket · #**190** 04/27/2007, 06:32 AM

If you found this thread to be helpful and informative please vote for it for thread of the month.

Vote Here!

I would be a bit disappointed if it lost out to one of the other threads dealing with equipment. Being one with a limited budget for this hobby I was never much of an equipment junkie like so many others here. Besides this thread could actually have a positive impact on the environment by having large numbers of hobbyists cutting back on their lighting schedules. I hope all of you show your support and vote.

Thanks!
~Spike

tcottle · #**191** 04/27/2007, 06:37 AM

Voted. Wish I lived in Chicago so I could vote multiple times

I have been having a terrible cyano problem for the last 5 months. I have increased the flow in the tank, changed the sand bed, and cooked my rock (1/2 at a time) with no improvement. I has been 7 days since it turned the lights back on and I am cyano free. I left the light off for three days

RCS · #**192** 04/27/2007, 08:45 AM

You know Spike, I have to admit I never put two and two together....but ever since cutting down my photoperiod from ~12 hours a day to 8 hours a day, I have noticed an appreciable decline in algae. I think I may try the 2-3 day period without lights. In addition to saving on the power bill, it should have the tank clear for the club meeting in a few weeks.

davidryder · #**193** 04/27/2007, 08:48 AM

This should be made a stickie

Aquabucket · #**194** 04/27/2007, 09:04 AM

You might want to give it a try Fred! Try a day or two and see how it goes.

Quote:

Originally posted by davidryder
This should be made a stickie

Hopefully it will be if it makes thread of the month!

In a week or so I am going to start a new thread with the intention of organizing a coordinated world-wide lights out day. Each person participating will be asked to post their lighting specs and photo period. After the lights out day is completed I will tally all the hours and watts to get a grand total of the electricity we all saved. I think it will be cool to see how many of us working together can accomplish.

davidryder · #**195** 04/27/2007, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Aquabucket
You might want to give it a try Fred! Try a day or two and see how it goes.

Hopefully it will be if it makes thread of the month!

In a week or so I am going to start a new thread with the intention of organizing a coordinated world-wide lights out day. Each person participating will be asked to post their lighting specs and photo period. After the lights out day is completed I will tally all the hours and watts to get a grand total of the electricity we all saved. I think it will be cool to see how many of us working together can accomplish.

Now that's freaking awesome.

chrisguy · #**196** 04/27/2007, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Abynum1
I don't know about a controller, but the digital timers I got from Home Depot, will let you do that.

Any chance you can provide some details on the timers?? I was at one of the Local HD's today and saw several that could do weekly events, but not monthly.

Thanks!!

chrisqueenz · #**197** 04/27/2007, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by cristhiam
Ok I'm going for it the HA is already weak since I've been doing water changes and removing by hand, this is a good time for me to do it since I'll be home on the weekend and have some what more control over it. I'll post the outcome.

I am in the exact same position!!! I will post my before and after pics on this post also... (If nobody minds)

3 days with no light, whould the outcome be the same with 4 days or is that pushing it?

RParker · #**198** 04/27/2007, 11:15 AM

I'm on the end of my second day. I do have to keep a close eye on my skimmer intake ( hob ) as the HA is losening and floating about the tank and clogging it. Seems to be working. I have a serious HA problem, keeping my fingers crossed.

dustin323 · #**199** 04/27/2007, 11:31 AM

Well today was the first day back on. Cyano is gone, however the hair algae still remains for the most part. However it did start to deminish a bit. So overall it was a great quick & easy cyano fix. As far as no light impacting the corals.....well I actually think they look better today than previously.

Aquabucket, great idea.

Abynum1 · #**200** 04/27/2007, 11:36 AM

chrisguy,
The ones I have will let you do a lights out weekly but not monthly.