Please HELP me w/ my MH lights!

[reef dude]

hey guys i just got in my MH Lights 2 175 watts(5,500K) and 2 40 watt NO actinic blues. How long should each bulb be on for? 2,3,4,5 hours???? if the halides turn off i am just left with dim blue lights, not very pretty(well it is at night)

 

[drew_tt]

I have the same set up as you... 90 gal w/ 2 X 40W bulbs, and I will be adding a pair of MH pendants... probably 250W...
I will make both 40W bulbs actinic, and the MH come with 7500K... so later on I will upgrade to the 10000K...
I plan on leaving the actinics on all day/night, as I know this barely/will not affect almost all/all organisms...? or am I confused on this? I plan on having the MH on for 6-8 hours... I think under 6 is pretty low, but I am worried about the evaporation...
anyway, keep me posted on how your system does as Im interested b/c Im doing the same thing
Good luck
Drew

 

[reef dude]

ok man, good luck

 

[jester]

I would get a few timers and set them up like this.
in the morning 30 min to 1 hour before halides go on turn on antics. This simulates dawn.
next all will be on.
simulate dusk by turning off halides and leaving antics on for 30 min to 1 hour.
moon lights are optional after halides are off.
check out this site
<a href="http://www.reefmaniac.com" target="_blank">www.reefmaniac.com</a>

 

[reef dude]

ok but my light switches are on the ballast, only 2 switches, one for the MH and one for the NO flourescents. Now lets say i put them on a timer, wont the buttons that turn on the lights still have to be pushed. or do you just leave them constantly in the "on" position and have the timer control it somehow? Because wont you have to manually push the buttons to get everything goin?

 

[byrself]

that's right reefdude. the timer controls the voltage before it gets to the ballast. leave the switches on and the timer does the rest.

 

[reef dude]

ok but in the morning before the halides go on and at night after the halides turn off, the actinic blues are on. They make the tank really dark! any way to change that? 50/50 bulbs maybe???

 

[reef dude]

I am assuming that the timers plug directly into the wall and then the plugs plug into them, which then go into the ballast?

 

[dirtybilge]

Forget the 50/50 bulbs the blue atintics are very good for your live rock and any corals you'll have keep the blues on for 10-12 hours a day and the MH's on 10-8 hours and you'll be set. There are seperate ballist for each set of light MH's and tubes. Each plug goes in a seperate timer them plug the timers into a wall.
ED

 

[jester]

yeah, forget the 50/50. It's supposed to be dark in the morning and dusk.