black out period

[alfani]

I read a thread on RC that people turn off the lights for 3 days a month to simulate cloudy/rainly days and also makes the water clearer and reduces the algae

over all it shows positive results


it kinda make sense that in nature not everyday is bright and ==sunny day. have anyone try it?

i thinking of reduce half my lights once a week and ihave an off day once a month

 

[Awibrandy]

How about you turn them off when it is cloudy, or rainy outside? I don't know that I want to do this. I miss seeing my babies when the lights are out as it is.

 

[fritz]

I know of a guy that keeps his halides off every Wednesday. He had a TOTM so I'd say it works.

Disclaimer:
TOTM havers are usually ON POINT when it comes to husbandry. So to comment on weather or not (insert any one item here) had any effect on their tank is kind of impossible. More often it is the combination of EVERYTHING rather then any individual act.

Sum of all parts and what not......

 

[alfani]

How about you turn them off when it is cloudy, or rainy outside? I don't know that I want to do this. I miss seeing my babies when the lights are out as it is.

you can just keep the actinic lights on and turn the rest off, still would see most of your babies

also save on electric

 

[Awibrandy]

you can just keep the actinic lights on and turn the rest off, still would see most of your babies

also save on electric

I thought you ment all lights out. Sounds good, but I would still do it by following nature it self.:approve:

 

[alfani]

I thought you ment all lights out. Sounds good, but I would still do it by following nature it self.:approve:

yes the guy says all lights out for 3 days straight once a month

that might be a little bit too much, i would try cutting half the lights once a week and a complete black out once a month

black out period still would have normal sunlights from windows and house lights so not a total black out

 

[loismustdie]

On a cloudy, rainy day, you would probably want your halides on. It will brighten up your house and mentally, Improve your mood. Also, on cloudy days, it's cooler. Perfect time to have the lights humming. On days that were very hot, I wasn't afraid to knock off a halide or 2 and on really bad days, I didn't turn them on at all. (a lot of guys on the site do this with no problems)
Keeping lights off for a few days at a time (2 to 3 days every month) will help people combating algae like diatoms and cyano.
I think comparing lights out to a cloudy day on a reef is a weak argument, but our corals aren't used to the same exact light every day on the reef, so why not shut some lights once in a while?

 

[PalmTree]

Its not a bad idea. I might give it a shot but its a pain having to go into th eRK2 to turn everything off. I'm just too lazy!

 

[Craig]

Its not a bad idea. I might give it a shot but its a pain having to go into th eRK2 to turn everything off. I'm just too lazy!

Pull a few plugs :scratchch




This blackout idea sounds great. Will definately give it a try this summer during the hottest days. Anyone do a complete blackout and tape newspaper around the tank to block 100% of the light?

 

[Deanos]

I'd imagine corals would be happier with pristine water conditions and sufficient flow than a few days of stormy weather, i.e. no light. :scratch:

 

[daisy]

Awesome thread - speaks directly to my desire to imitate the reef at all times.

but we have to think about where our animals come from. caribbean species get cloudy/stormy days from time to time. red sea species get far fewer cloudy/stormy days, even in the winter! ...just food for thought.

we also should keep in mind that as fragile as we consider the animals in our care, evolutionarily speaking, these are old animals and can survive / have survived hurricanes --- in a hurricane, it gets dark and the water clarity changes, and although a lot of debris gets tossed up, the water quality usually quickly returns - so it seems to me muted darkness would not be bad for a day or two or even three -- but i wouldn't go with total black-out, as that happens so very rarely in nature during the day. Even at night it's not usually completely dark!

 

[Deanos]

Daisy, the debate doesn't seem to be, if muted darkness would be bad, but, would it help. My tank experiences upwards of 16 hours of relative darkness daily, I don't see how my corals would benefit from an extra 8 hours a few times a month.

 

[loismustdie]

I checked out the thread. First, he does this every 2 months. Not every month.
second, he is skimmerless and does this to keep algae from getting a good foot hold (Dean, you mentioned water quality?)
third, this guy has an exceptional tank and speaks volumes of his knowledge and husbandry. (Fred, didn't you say something similar about TOTM guys?)
Again, this is no magic bullet. If you look at my post (#7), I mentioned where people do this to fight algae. Most of those who posted on the thread do it for exactly that reason. If they had better water quality, they probably wouldn't have algae issues in the first place.
I go without lights occasionally to fight heat. Really not a big deal. I don't think it's a big deal to shut them down occasionally to fight algae if you need to. It beats letting the algae take over, but as usual, finding the root of the cause is the best remedy.
I don't think going 3 days without lights every 2 months hurts anything. Saves you a little on juice and heat. Kills off algae.
Dean, you should make your signature "It's the water quality, stupid!"