Photo Period Question

[stingnyc]

I'm looking to change my photo period since I'm adding another set of T5's to my tank. This is the following lighting I have to work with:

2 x 250w AB 10k's
3 x 54W Actinic/Blue Plus T5 HO Fluorescent
1 x 54W Pure Actinic 03 T5 HO Fluorescent

What are your suggestions? I'm currently running my MH's for about 5-6 hrs and my atinics for 10hrs.

 

[ShaunW]

Steve,
I do the MH for 5-6 hours and VHOs for about 8-9 hours. This is mostly for electricity reasons during the summer. I will increase by about a hour during the winter.

You don't need much more than that to fully stimulate optimal photosynthesis. In fact you can get away with much less light (photoperiod). I am sure that you could get the MHs down to 3-4 hours a day, and actinics for 7ish hours.

 

[spykes]

so atinics from 8 am to 12 am is way to long huh?

 

[ShaunW]

so atinics from 8 am to 12 am is way to long huh?

Thats insane!!!!!

How would you feel if we left you out on a beach at the equator without any clothes on and no sunscreen lotion? :tongue1:

 

[cali_reef]

My MH are on for about 5 1/2 hours during the weekday and a few more on the weekends when I am home, VHO actinics are on a total of 5 hours a day (2.5 hours before the MH and 2 hours after the MH with 30 min over lap when the MH comes on). The tank is pretty much in the dark during other times.

 

[jhale]

so atinics from 8 am to 12 am is way to long huh?

it's fine to look at the tank, but the coral don't need it.

I'm going to experiment with dropping my MH period down lower, I'm at six hours now, I'm going to take it down to two slowly and see what happens.

there is also a huge difference in the light output of my bulbs when my one 250 turns off the remaining two 175's look totally dim in comparison.
I may swap them out for 250's after all, but decrease the photo period.
it's a shame though I love looking at the tank with all that light on it.

 

[spykes]

so what time should the VHO come on and what time should the MH come on?

 

[jhale]

Thats insane!!!!!

How would you feel if we left you out on a beach at the equator without any clothes on and no sunscreen lotion? :tongue1:

eventually your skin would adjust to the constant sun, and you would die from skin cancer, but you would look great with a fabulous tan before that happened. (i.e color, hint )

 

[Deanos]

so what time should the VHO come on and what time should the MH come on?

All fish and most coral left their watches in the ocean :joke:; i.e. they have no sense of time. Schedule your photoperiod to suit your purposes: off-peak hours or when you're home to enjoy for examples.

 

[jackson6745]

Steve I think the reason why most of us get into SPS is to have all the pretty colors etc... I would use your corals color (at your current nutrient level) as a guage of how long to set your MH photoperiod. If corals are too dark and the color is leaning towards brown slowly increase the photoperiod, corals too light slowly shorten the photoperiod.

Keep in mind your colors will change as your nutrient level changes i.e. more or less fish, feedings, decaying matter.

Since we have pretty similar setups we should be somewhere near the same photoperiod I guess I have my MH on for about 3hrs and actinics on for 9hrs..

 

[pecan2phat]

Steve,
I kind of adopted daylight savings time as a indicator of when to change my lighting:

April thru October - VHOs 12pm to 12am (12 hours), MH 2pm to 10pm (8 hours)

October thru April - VHOs 1pm to 11pm (10 hours), MH 3pm to 9pm (6 hours)