How long do you guys/galz leave your lights on????

nitram

nitram

Member
I just bought me a new Light system as some of you may have read in a neither post but heres the thing, I have 3 150watt MH and 6 96watt PC and moon lights, also I have a light on my refugium. I bought me a timmer that I can put all my lights on a scedule and was wondering what would be the best scedule for my lights I know that I would cut my PC on first then later on I would cut on my MH, Then MH off then PC off then moonlights on. I have heard different sayings about the light on the refuge. (1) leave light on all the time. (2) cutt it on when you cutt your display off. (3) same time as your display. So what can you guys tell me about this and give me a scedule. Thanks
 
nitram

nitram

Member
Well this is what I think I will do.
vhos on at 8:00 am
Mh on at 10:00 am
mh off at 2:00 pm
vhos off 8:00 pm
moonlights on at 8:00 pm
Reuge on at 8:00pm
refuge off at 8:00 am
of cource this can change if you guys think this is a bad idea. I am trying to get the dawn to dusk thing going on here, but I am not sure how long I will need to keep the MH on for the corals to get the right ammount of light for them. The refuge thing is also a neither thing I am not sure about so all you people out there that have your lights on a scedule please tell me how you got yours setup.
 
mbowker

mbowker

Member
everything sounds good, however id leave the MH on until about an hour before the pc go off., you need more MH LIGHTING THAN YOU PLAN
 
midwest reefer

midwest reefer

Member
I used to run mine 12 hours a day until I started having bad algae. Then I did lots of research on how to get algae to go away and one thing it said to do was to cut the lights back to 6-8 hours a day.
So I cut back to 6 for a few weeks then up to 8 and eventually I got rid of my algae problem. I never put them back up to 12 hrs a day because I had no problems with 8, and I didnt want to risk having algae again(not that ligths were the only cause of algae, there was other factors as well).
 
nitram

nitram

Member

Originally posted by midwest reefer
I used to run mine 12 hours a day until I started having bad algae. Then I did lots of research on how to get algae to go away and one thing it said to do was to cut the lights back to 6-8 hours a day.
So I cut back to 6 for a few weeks then up to 8 and eventually I got rid of my algae problem. I never put them back up to 12 hrs a day because I had no problems with 8, and I didnt want to risk having algae again(not that ligths were the only cause of algae, there was other factors as well).
what type of corals and things do you have in your tank and did it affect there growth and health?
 
beckzilla

beckzilla

Member
8 hours a day for MH and Actinics. Moons come on at midnight when the regular (standard fluorescents) tank lights go off and i leave my fuge lights on 24/7. Had MH on 12 hours but almost fainted when the electric bill came. 8 hours is doing fine for me and i dont have to worry about algae.
 
nitram

nitram

Member
Had MH on 12 hours but almost fainted when the electric bill came
LOL I will hate that. how much do you think it raises your electric bill.
 
beckzilla

beckzilla

Member
It depends on the rates of your power company but my bill is high anyway because of all my electronic toys. mine went up about $40-50 a month. When my MH's come on i can use my electric meter for a powerful fan.
 
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