When do you run your lights?

EWC88 · #1 08/13/2007, 12:24 PM

Hey guys/girls....I was wondering when do you run your lights? During the day or at night?

I see in some pictures of people's tanks that some have them off in day and on at night while some run them during day and LED's on at night

Shooter7 · #2 08/13/2007, 12:30 PM

I run them typically when is most convenient for me to be around. I have them start up about an hour before I get home from work in the afternoon and they don't shut off until late evening so that I can view or work in the tank during that time. I have the actinics come on about an hour and a half before the main lights just for the heck of it. My corals anticipate lights on/off. For example, my candy canes start extending their polyps about 5 minutes before the lights go off.

youngreefer33 · #3 08/13/2007, 12:42 PM

I generally run my fluorescents on a twelve hour shift, starting and ending conveniently for feeding during the week. 8 am to 8 pm works pretty well. The halides run a five hour shift in the middle of the day. Think of it as the sun being the brightest around noon. I do 11 am to 4 pm. Build up to the halides, don't just have them suddenly come on since it can be stressful for the fish. Moonlights can be run anytime after the others are out over night. Just find a schedule that works best for you.

Good luck!

zyglow · #4 08/13/2007, 12:46 PM

I have my lights on timers. I run my actinics from 8 AM till 8:30 PM, my metal halide from 10 AM till 7 PM, and 2 blue LEDS from 8:30 PM till 8 AM.

Mavrk · #5 08/13/2007, 01:43 PM

This really is a personal choice. The only thing to consider is the actual amount of time to have them on. My light schedule is as follows:

9:30 AM - Actinics ON (sump 6500K off)
10:30 AM - 10kK ON
8:30 PM - 10kK OFF
9:30 PM - Actinics OFF (sump 6500K on)

I don't think I can explain Daylight Savings Time to the tank, so I may change this by an hour when the time changes.

The sump lights illuminate the stand and the back of the display at night. If I get moon lights, they will be on during this time as well (actually I could leave them always on, and it will make no difference).

AquaReeferMan · #6 08/13/2007, 02:37 PM

My actinics run from 10am to 10pm.
My HQIs run from 1pm to 9pm.
My moon lights run 24/7
My fuge light runs 24/7

Mavrk · #7 08/13/2007, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AquaReeferMan
My actinics run from 10am to 10pm.
My HQIs run from 1pm to 9pm.
My moon lights run 24/7
My fuge light runs 24/7

Hmm, hadn't thought about running fuge lights 24/7. I can't think of any reason that would be a problem. Does that have any negative affects?

trdofwrkin · #8 08/13/2007, 04:56 PM

my actinics 2 pm to 1 am
my t5's 3pm to 12 midnite
my moon lights 24/7
my refugium 12 midnite to 2 pm

MalHavoc · #9 08/13/2007, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mavrk
Hmm, hadn't thought about running fuge lights 24/7. I can't think of any reason that would be a problem. Does that have any negative affects?

Some people run their fuge lights 24/7 to prevent caulerpa algae from going asexual and releasing all sorts of badness into the water.

EWC88 · #10 08/14/2007, 09:16 AM

For MH lights, should you run them less then every other light? or are people just doing that cause they like the blue act. lights better?

pikachusalad · #11 08/14/2007, 11:01 AM

I run my actinics 3pm-11pm (8 hours), and my MH from 4pm-10pm (6 hours).

The hour on each end with the MH off is because in nature the sun isn't at it's brightest all day, and it kind of gets things used to light before blasting them with the MHs...

I also (based on some posts I've read) leave all the lights off for 2 days each month (there was a tropical storm those days

)

Though, it is ridiculous to think this accurately simulates a "natural" cycle, the critters I have seem to ... not hate it.

joeychitwood · #12 08/14/2007, 11:23 AM

I have a single 250 watt Giesemann 14K pendant which I run from 0800 to 2100 daily. I raise and lower the light as needed to control water temp changes from summer to winter.

1F2FRFBF · #13 08/14/2007, 12:20 PM

I'm trying to follow natural daylight hours here. The actinics usually come on about an hour or two before and an hour or two after the MH. I also have a "fuge" tank in front of a south-facing window - it has some chaeto, xenia, zooanthids and half a dozen nassarius snails, and the only light it gets is daylight. Everything's OK so far.