Proper Light Turn on Sequence

[dadstank]

i have a dumb late night question about how to set up my light timers. i am running:

2 T12 fluorescent (1 = 24" 1 = 48")
2 Coralife compacts (1 = 9w blue 1 = 10,000K)
1 250w metal halide overhead

before my flourescent ballast shut down for good (it is going to be replaced tomorrow), i was having the flours come on first. the compacts would come on 30min later, and the metal halide another 15min later. to shut down i have been doing the reverse time delays.

in my head this simulates an actual sunrise/sunset. is my thought process wrong?

 

[ChrisRD]

Personally I don't think simulating a true sunrise/sunset makes any difference to your corals. A gradual on/off process, however, may be easier on the nerves of the fish. At any rate, what you're doing sounds fine to me...

JMO

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds fine to me. I also do not think it matters that much to the corals. I will run mine (when I finish my tank)

VHO on
MH1 on
MH2 on
MH1 off
MH2 off
VHO off

Looking for abour 12 hours VHO and 6 hours each MH with some stagger between the MH's. It's more for controling the temp than any sunrise/sunset simulation attempt.