How Long Should I?

brokendeck

brokendeck

Active Member
How long should I run my tank light and sump light for? Give me examples of times I could run them. I want my tank light to be on when Im home from work. I get off at 4 and im home by 4:30 p.m.
What I have in my tank.
Fish: 2 Clowns
Inverts: Snails, Hermits, Peppermint Shrimp and 2 Anemones.
Coral: 3 different Zoos, Candy Coral and some other type of coral.
I want some ideas, so I can set my timers on my lights. I dont wanna run either light to long. Thats why im asking.
 
bizzmoneyb

bizzmoneyb

Member
i run my lights about 10 hours a day.. from around 12pm - 10pm.
dont have a light on my sump yet but i think some people run them 24 hours. i heard its good to do on an opposite schedule as your tank, so i guess run them at night?
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
I run my sump light from 7 p.m. til 10 a.m.
My actinics come on at 6:30 a.m......( I have 3 250w metal halides)...Light 1 (center) comes on at 1 p.m. light 2 & 3, come on at 1:30....light 2 & 3 go out at 8 p.m. Light 1 goes out at 8:30...actinics go out at 10 p.m.....Moonlights are on 9:55 p.m. til 6:35 a.m.
 
brokendeck

brokendeck

Active Member
Originally Posted by TeresaQ
http:///forum/post/3031296
I keep my sump lights on 24 hr, helps with ph.
Ive noticed over the past few days my sump is real dirty. The LR in there has a brown coating on it, like diatoms. My sand looks the same way. My cheato(I think this is how you spell it) is turning brown. Can someone tell me if im doing something wrong.
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by Brokendeck
http:///forum/post/3031311
Ive noticed over the past few days my sump is real dirty. The LR in there has a brown coating on it, like diatoms. My sand looks the same way. My cheato(I think this is how you spell it) is turning brown. Can someone tell me if im doing something wrong.
Do you have any type of cuc in the sump? That will help with the algae...as far as the chaeto
.....sorry
Do you have any flow in there....chaeto needs light and flow...or you can turn it yourself
 
brokendeck

brokendeck

Active Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3031318
Do you have any type of cuc in the sump? That will help with the algae...as far as the chaeto
.....sorry
Do you have any flow in there....chaeto needs light and flow...or you can turn it yourself
I have a 20 gallon custom sump. I dont have any cuc in my sump. I didnt think my sump area with the chaeto and LR was big enough for them. I have no flow in there besides the water lowing from the skimmer to the return pump. What could I use for a little bit of flow down there?
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by Brokendeck
http:///forum/post/3031324
I have a 20 gallon custom sump. I dont have any cuc in my sump. I didnt think my sump area with the chaeto and LR was big enough for them. I have no flow in there besides the water lowing from the skimmer to the return pump. What could I use for a little bit of flow down there?
Well the only flow I have in my sump is the protein skimmer to the return pump too...You can put a few snails in there...It won't hurt them, and it will help the algae issue...IDK about brown chaeto...I bet Spanko will know..maybe he'll tell you in the a.m.
I'm done for tonight though....I'll check back tomorrow
 
brokendeck

brokendeck

Active Member
Originally Posted by meowzer
http:///forum/post/3031329
Well the only flow I have in my sump is the protein skimmer to the return pump too...You can put a few snails in there...It won't hurt them, and it will help the algae issue...IDK about brown chaeto...I bet Spanko will know..maybe he'll tell you in the a.m.
I'm done for tonight though....I'll check back tomorrow

Alrighty, Im going to my LFS tomorrow and ill pick up a few snails for the sump and tank. Have a good night. Time for me to go to bed in a few mins as well.
 
premilove

premilove

Active Member
as far as brown chaeto goes..
try turning it..is the chaeto green underneath? if it is, then it is still alive..check out coral keepers 180 gal thread..what he did to keep his chaeto constantly turning was pretty neat
 
brokendeck

brokendeck

Active Member
Originally Posted by premilove
http:///forum/post/3031348
do you have heat issues with your tank?
I have no heat issues at all. Its always the temp I have it set at. I have my tank temp at 79, and sometimes it will go up to 79.5 but I dont think that going up .5 will really hurt anything when you can have your tank temp up to 82.
 
premilove

premilove

Active Member
then run your halides/day lights for 6-10 hours based on your preference. i run my halides for 6-8 hours..before and after my halides are on, my actinics run for an hour - 2 hours..then moonlights are on for the remainder of the 24 hours.
for me it is tough. i have a 150 watt jbj nc, with no chiller, so temp really needs to be monitored especially during the summer. These past few days were brutal.. my tank actually got up to 86 degrees, it was bad. I froze RO/DI water and stuck it in my mini fuge to cool it down...im currently bidding on a chiller..
 
brokendeck

brokendeck

Active Member
Originally Posted by premilove
http:///forum/post/3031356
then run your halides/day lights for 6-10 hours based on your preference. i run my halides for 6-8 hours..before and after my halides are on, my actinics run for an hour - 2 hours..then moonlights are on for the remainder of the 24 hours.
for me it is tough. i have a 150 watt jbj nc, with no chiller, so temp really needs to be monitored especially during the summer. These past few days were brutal.. my tank actually got up to 86 degrees, it was bad. I froze RO/DI water and stuck it in my mini fuge to cool it down...im currently bidding on a chiller..
Dang that temp is really high. What exactly is actinics? Blue lights maybe? I hope you win the chiller.
 
premilove

premilove

Active Member
yessir. i think i read your thread, are you the one wearing 2 different shirts when adding sand/salt/water to your tank? didnt you have some sort of light fixture that included daylight, actinics, and moonlights?
 
brokendeck

brokendeck

Active Member
The 2 shirts is correct, but we don't have that type of light. We have a WavePoint T5 4X54. It has 3 blue bulbs and 1 white. We are considering getting moonlights or LED lights to add to it.
 
premilove

premilove

Active Member
i am not too familiar with that fixture but i am assuming you can operate the blue bulbs with a different switch? if so, then turn them on 1-2 hours before and after your MH. your anemone must love your t-5's. IMO id keep the daylights on for 6-8 hours. feed your anemone a piece of krill or small piece of shrimp to get him nice and strong. a happy anemone will stay in place and not move all over your other frags, which has happened to me in the past. i lost my 3 polyp spiderman zoas
 
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