How many hours is needed?

[jbird0420]

How many hours in the day shall I run my lights? I try to duplicate the natural day and night. I run my (2) T12 Actinics for 12 hours and I also run my (2) 250w MH 6 hours as well. Of course the MHs run during the period that the Actinic are on. After the Actinics go off, the moon lights come on. I would like to get some feedback from you guys to see if I'm over or under doing it. My first Reef tank with Corals!!!!

 

[gatorwpb]

That sounds fine, but you could up the hrs on the MHs.
I run actinics for 12 hrs and 2x150w MH for 10hrs. Many people do MHs for 8hrs, which is 2 hrs of act only on each side of the MHs.

 

[nrr15]

Thats what i run mine at but, if its a new tank alot of light just grows more algea. You didnt say how old the tank was, what type of bulb in the MH?

 

[gweezpie]

I ran 10 actinics an 8 MHs and then some moon.

 

[jbird0420]

The tank was just setup up 2 weeks back, but I moved all the original water, Live sand, and live rock. So theres no new water to cycle. There Hamilton MH's 250wx2, run by an Icecap ballast. I sure the bulbs need to be replaced, for optimum performance. Not sure the type of MH bulbs though!

 

[mr_x]

if you are referring to single ended bulbs, i'd stay away from hamilton 14k's. i have them over my tank and they make everything look a bit washed out.
my lighting schedule is 12 hours total. actinics on for 3 in the morning, and 3 in the evening, overlapping the 8 hours of halide by 1 hour.
incase that sounds confusing-
actinics come on
2 hours later halides come on
1 hour later actinics go off
and then the opposite happens in the evening.
i don't count the moonlights as "lighting".