how long is minimal for lighting period mh

[deansreef]

Whats is the minimal amount of time I can keep my halides on for my reef has just some soft corals in it w 2x175 watt mh and 2x 40 watt actintic 55 gallon Thanks Dean

 

[sonny]

Since you're trying to simulate light on the reef, you should run them a minimum of 6 hours, and I'd recommend 8 hours. The tropical areas where most reefs grow have long days. They can have 12-14 hours of sunlight. One big difference is that due to clouds, schools of fish, and water conditions (like plankton blooms), the intensity changes more in the wild than it will in your tank. You can put the actinic lights on a different timer, and have them come on 1-2 hours before the halides, and go off 1-2 hours after the halides go off. One thing you can do to make it more enjoyable to you is to have them on while you're at home. They can come on at 2pm and go off at 10pm, assuming you're on first shift!
Sonny