Originally posted by whiterose
How many hours of light is sufficient for a reef tank containing soft corals and some fish? Also I have heard that it's a good idea to put each light on a separate timer. What is the suggested way to set up each timer? I heard one light should go on one hour before the other and one hour after. Should the blue light be turned on first or the 10,000 K? Any thoughts?
Normally people have their main lights (your 10k's) on for around 8 hours each day. With the atinics (your blue lights) coming on a half hour to an hour before, staying on during those 8 hours, and for an additional half hour to an hour after your main lights go out. That will stimulate a sunrise and sunset in your aquarium, allowing everything to acclimate to the light of the new day, your main lights.
