Average lighting cycle amoung swf forum members

reefstar22

reefstar22

Member
Hello all,
I have been a long time saltwater reef/fish enthusiast. Over time I have become complacent and not paid as much time to my tank as I should have. - Over the past 6 months I have completely forgot to review my lighting cycle as its on timers.
Push come to shove I was running my lights almost 18 HOURS a day. :(
- Happens when you work 2 jobs and are rarely home.
Red slime/alege ..etc
re calibrated the lighting yesterday in hopes to correct the issue.
1st set of Compacts are now
8am - 8pm
2nd set
10am - 6pm
Halids - 400watt 14k
1pm - 5pm
anywho... been a couple days...corals are perking back up as well as seeing a drop in growth.
**********************************
What should I expect now that the lighting cycle has changed?
Should I watch for a water change?
What is your lighting cycle?
 
reefstar22

reefstar22

Member
Are you

[hr]
kidding me? - 7 hours since this post and not one response?
- I'm sorry, but this forum is a complete joke. - I've attempted 1 to many times for contact.
Each and every post is about a new fish tank..or new ideas....
but the second there is a discussion with a legitimate concern there is either A) No one qualified to answer or B) Unwilling to assist.
My question is: Why is this forum even active? - Shouldn't this just be a comments page for fish tanks?
Sorry, but this is a complete joke.
Come visit : ********** where you can actually find DISCUSSIONS.
 
viper_930

viper_930

Active Member
I believe it's actually been 4 hours and 58 minutes.
Anyways, I can't really say what's going to happen in the near future with your tank's lighting schedule as I don't know what has happened in the near past. I run my lights for 10 hours if that helps any.
 
veni vidi vici

veni vidi vici

Active Member
Originally Posted by Reefstar22
http:///forum/post/2632176
What should I expect now that the lighting cycle has changed?
Should I watch for a water change?
A lower electric bill.

I run my light schedule for 12 hour total period.Actinics on 2 hours before halides, 8 hours of halides ,and 2 hours of actinic.Then lunars for the remainder.
I wouldnt worry about water changes other than routine ones.Unless your water params are telling you differently.
 
nordy

nordy

Active Member
I run my T5's from about 11 am to 8pm, with a 15min startup/shutdown cycle of only actinics. When I first giot my new lights, I had them on from 7am to 10pm
Way too much time and had algae issues.
 
candycane

candycane

Active Member
I find out WHERE the majority of my "stuff" comes from in the tank, go to the weather website and find out when sunrise and sunset are in that country and then adjust for actual full day sun that is hitting and set my timers at that.
 
gatorwpb

gatorwpb

Active Member
Originally Posted by candycane
http:///forum/post/2632992
I find out WHERE the majority of my "stuff" comes from in the tank, go to the weather website and find out when sunrise and sunset are in that country and then adjust for actual full day sun that is hitting and set my timers at that.
Thats crazy candy cane. but from everything Ive read from you, its not surprising!

Back OT, I doubt youll notice any dramatic change except for a reduction in algae. The other thing to worry about is whether you need to replace your bulbs, as they have been running for significantly longer periods of time than normal and therefore their lifespan would be shorter. Old bulbs can result in algal blooms too.
If you are overly concerned, then check your parameters to see if any of the algal die off results in nutrient spike, but I dont think it would be detectable. if it is, do a couple of WCs.
FWIW - I run my MHs for 10hrs and actinics for 12hrs.
 
veni vidi vici

veni vidi vici

Active Member
Originally Posted by ViPeR_930
http:///forum/post/2632702
I believe it's actually been 4 hours and 58 minutes.
Anyways, I can't really say what's going to happen in the near future with your tank's lighting schedule as I don't know what has happened in the near past. I run my lights for 10 hours if that helps any.
Have you run your light cycle longer or shorter Viper to find this 10 hr cycle?Im not trying to hijack this thread but it dosent sound as if Reefstar22 is comming back.Ive seen your coral and i would glady follow any advice you had.
TIA
 
viper_930

viper_930

Active Member
Nope, I have not experimented with longer/shorter photoperiods at all. I just used the set it and forget it method.
 
oceana

oceana

Active Member
i run mine for 12 hours a day.
actinics on at 7
halide one on at 10
halide 2 on at 11
halide 3 at 12
halide 4-6 at 1
halide 1 off at 2
halide 2 off at 3
halide 3 off at 4
halide 4-6 off at 5
actinics off at 7
moon lights on
rinse and repeat
as a side note: keep in mind you had a nasty post like that because you did not get an answer fast enough and not a single person called you out on it or attacked you. try that in another forum and let me know how it goes. This is a great place with a no crap peacful enviroment and everyone is here to make friends and learn together. Sometimes patience is needed but good advice always comes along
 
N

nereef

Guest
twelve hours of actinic from 1:30 pm to 1:30 am (like to see my tank after the bars)
6 hours of daylight from 3 to 9
both are 2x65watt pc on my 90gal
all ten posters in this thread seem helpful to me...
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
White LED's on at 11:00 am
150 Watt MH on at 12:00 pm
150 Watt MH off at 9:00 pm
White LED's off at 10:00 pm
Blu Led's on at 10:00 pm, off at 11:00 am
 
T

tizzo

Guest
Originally Posted by Reefstar22
http:///forum/post/2632645
but the second there is a discussion with a legitimate concern there is either A) No one qualified to answer or B) Unwilling to assist.
Ironic... I was under the impression that every posters questions were ligitmate concerns for that person.
You have algae and think it's your light schedule. Seems you asked and answered your own question which leaves a lot of us, postless.
Had you said, "Why am I having all this algae" You woulda got more responses.
But what you asked was.
What should I expect now that the lighting cycle has changed?
Should I watch for a water change?

We cannot know that with what little info you provided.
As you have read, many people run 12 hour light schedules without the algae blooms. So my advice to you is to look into other causes of algae.
What should you expect with the lighting cycle changed?...This.
anywho... been a couple days...corals are perking back up as well as seeing a drop in growth.

Should you watch for a water change?
I am afraid I do not know what you are asking.
 
candycane

candycane

Active Member
Originally Posted by GatorWPB
http:///forum/post/2633100
Thats crazy candy cane. but from everything Ive read from you, its not surprising!

Back OT, I doubt youll notice any dramatic change except for a reduction in algae. The other thing to worry about is whether you need to replace your bulbs, as they have been running for significantly longer periods of time than normal and therefore their lifespan would be shorter. Old bulbs can result in algal blooms too.
If you are overly concerned, then check your parameters to see if any of the algal die off results in nutrient spike, but I dont think it would be detectable. if it is, do a couple of WCs.
FWIW - I run my MHs for 10hrs and actinics for 12hrs.
LOL, I don't see why. If you have a tank that is primarily stocked with livestock from the Fiji islands, whether it be captive bred, raised off shore, or growing wild there - shouldn't I think that the lighting that they were receiving where they came from should be the same?
Minus the fact that when most places say "sunrise" they mean from the time the sun actually hits the horizon. It doesn't fully engulf the water until it has hit a certain point after sunrise (whether that be 1 hour and 12 minutes or 47 minutes). I dunno, just fun to run off of that stuff to me. Try to keep the eviroment as natural as possible, LOL.
 
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