Help with timing lights for SPS coral tank

[Nana Chloropsis]

I have noticed that many people use a timer or three to simulate sun-up, daytime and sundown. Why?

How do you do this? Do you overlap? How long do you set each for?

I have MH, VHO and LED moonlights. Right now I am setting just the MH to go on for 10 hours, and then the moonlight on a separate timer for another hour. This light-thing is confusing to me! Thanks for any help.

 

[Faciosity]

I leave my led lunar lights on at night, turn the actinic on around 11 am, turn the MH on about an hour later, turn the mh off around 11 pm, and turn the actinic off about an 1/2 hour later. Lunars all night and actinic before and after daylight to simulate dusk/dawn.

 

[mcoomer]

I don't have moonlights, so my tank is dark at night. I set my VHO's to come on at 0900, metal halides on at 1300. In the evening I turn off the metal halides at 2100, VHO'S off at 2200. Frankly, I don't know that there is any benefit for the corals. I simply like the transitions. I plan on adding moonlights and controlling them for a true lunar cycle but haven't done it yet.

Mike

 

[Faciosity]

blue LEDs shimmering at night looks really cool! Makes the green corals really glow!

 

[trido]

I used to run my VHO's for 13 hours a day and then turn my MH on from 6-10 hours in the middle depending on the wattage and K rating. To put it simply.

The reason people do it htis way is for one, its less stressful on the fish to slowly wake up and then wind down, and two, corals dont need 12 hours of noon type sunlight. They also ramp up and then back down with their photosynthesis.

 

[DonW]

Their really is no reason. I think it was Anthony Calfo that claimed moon lights were even stressful. Alot of folks just like having two stage lighting. For me having halides in my living room while I watched tv was irritating but still wanted to see in the tank a little. Ive even gone as far as having the lighting elevate to reduce par with the sun up and down. Obviously their was no benefit what so ever but it was cool.

Don

 

[BCT182]

I agree with DonW, My fixture has moonlights built in and the brightness is adjustable. Even with them dimmed down to 5% I still noticed that after about two weeks, the corals were opening up less during the day, bleaching and overall not very healty looking. I turned them off entirely and things improved in relativity short time. I also noticed that at 5% brightness the fish still seemed to stay up all night. It wasn't until I turned them down to 2% brightness that the fish would finally rest.

When I had halides, I ran VHO's for an hour before, and an hour after the halides photoperiod. I was only running my halides for 5hrs per day. Your right on the money for only running moonlights for one hour. I would do this also, if my current fixture would allow it.

 

[Nana Chloropsis]

For someone who doesn't have built in timers, what do you use? Am I needing to go out and buy 6 timers for my 2 tanks?

I do like the blue shimmer the LEDs give at night, I have them on while I sit by the tank working on the computer, and yes, the COLORS...way cool. I am going to do a test now to see if a longer moonlight phase has any positive/negative effect on the corals.

I had never thought about noontime light all day stressing the fish, so interesting, thanks!

 

[Faciosity]

My fish and corals have had no obvious negative affects from the moonlights or the changes in lighting. I keep my MH bulbs burning quite long, but they are only 250s, and hang almost 2 feet above the tank.