How Many Hours Of Lighting?

[g13]

Hello everybody, this is the first time that I'm posting anything in this forum and I'm kind of new to this Saltwater Fish stuff. So, forgive my ignorance.
I just purchased a power compact lighting system. Actually, it's the custom sealife with moonlites and I wanted to connect the lighting system to a couple of timers. How long should I leave the daylight and actinic bulbs onn for? Also, the moonlites? If anyone has this same system or something like it can you please let me know what your time parameters are, your help would mean alot to me. Thanks

 

[bdhough]

Is it two bulbs?
How many plugs?
I have a coralife light with two plugs. I turn the blue light on for 11 hours and the white light for 9 hours. So they dual run for nine hours and then the blue's simulate dawn and dusk. I wouldn't run both of them for longer than 10 hours a day.
As far as the moonlights go turn them on right after the blues go off for the day. I've never run moonlights before but try and run them while you are awake or while its at least dark outside. You are on the right track though. Fish need a light cycle and youll see them "go to bed" eventually once they learn it. Your other critters will come out too when the lights go off. Wholedifferent tank then....

 

[g13]

Hey, thanks for the quick response. There is actually 3 plugs the daylight, blue light and the moonlights.

 

[bdhough]

Well plug it up how you want it on timers. How many watts is it and do you want to keep corals?

 

[jimmyn]

Depending on which CustomSeaLife model you got, don't forget to time the fan to be on as long as your bulbs are on. I run a 6 foot system that has 3 ballasts and a seperate plug for the fan.
Good Lucik

 

[g13]

The daylight and blue bulb are 96 watts each for a total of 192 watts. The moonlites are 1 watt each and I have three of them built into the lighting system. All three bulbs, daylight, blue and the moonlites have their own plug (1 plug for all the moonlights). As for the fan it always stays onn as long as the 96 watt bulbs are running. I do plan on getting some ricordea, polyps and some shrooms sometime soon. I plan on making it a reef tank since all i got in there are a pair of black and white percs, a black sailfin blenny and a six-line wrasse. Oh, and a bunch of different crabs.

 

[bdhough]

Sounds like you are on the right track. Keep in mind that putting corals in your tank adds a whole new dimension with doseings and proper water chemistry. Don't forget to buy your additives. You have plenty of light to do quite a few different corals. Time the moonlights to come on right after the blues go off. I would have them go out as i said as the sun rises and then have the blues start up again so that it maximizes your viewing time.

 

[hondo]

Most people (including me) seem to run the daylight bulbs 10 hours, and run the actinic maybe 11 hours coming on 1/2 hour before the daylight and off 1/2 hour after daylights to simulate dawn dusk. Of course this simulation is 100% for our asthetic purposes as the actinic is quite bright to fish and coral

 

[reb]

So far are you happy with this new light set up? I heard the fan on these lights are sort of loud. Is that true? I ask because I've spent the last two weeks deciding on if I should order this lighting set up.

 

[bdhough]

The light is great. The fans aren't that loud. The deal with them is they are sealed and held down but with your hand you can move the fan slightly, leading to a rattle potentially. Super glue down the edges and that won't be a problem. Don't not buy the light because of loudness. It won't be any louder than a clip on fan you may have to use. For the price its a great light.