How long of a light period.

[N1Husker]

I have a question regarding the length of time the lights should be on and which lights. I have quite a few corals, mostly softies, mushrooms and polyps with a couple of LPS ( 2 acans and 1 duncan-2 heads with a third little one coming in. I have my 2 white 10,000k light bulbs on 6 hours a day and 2 blue atinics on for 9 hours a day. Is this sufficient or should I increase the white light an extra 2 hours. I read somewhere that you should have your lights on 8-10 hours a day, but I don't know if they mean the white lights or blue atinics or a combination of both. I have my blue atinics come on at 11 am and the white ones on at 12 noon, so both are on until 6 pm and the whites shut off and the blue atinics shut off at 9 pm when the blue moonlights come on. All of the lights are T5s and the corals are doing well and growing. Any opinions?

 

[mercenary-grunt]

if there growing dont worry about it. everything is more of guidelines. its what works for you. and your lights dont sound to far off from the dawn and dusk people that ramp. I say roll with it. if you like it.

Sent from my Galaxy S3 using Tapatalk 2.

 

[user 26995]

I agree. The time you have set on the lights should be sufficient for your coral. They are on when your around to enjoy the tank and everything is growing, and its working for you. You could go longer if you would like, but I wouldnt go too much longer.
I think my whites are on umm 7 hours and actinics are on for 2 hours before whites go on and 1.5 hours after whites go off.

 

[N1Husker]

Thanks I was wondering if I was doing everything I could for my little guys. They seem to be happy. My fish aren't, they think they should be fed every time I walk up to the tank, 24/7. I tell them thet are cute, I just don't want them fat and cute.

 

[kpiotrowski]

I suppose a pro to longer light cycle in your case may be that if you have algae grazing fish increasing light time would encourage more algal growth end hence more food for them...or could be the con also. those 10k are giving off a more useful spectrum than say 14k or 20k and therefore more effective. 7 hours of 10k may by compared to 9 or 10 hours of 20k ( as an example)

 

[N1Husker]

The only herbivore I have is a flame tail blenny and he kinda pokes around on the rocks, but doesn't really do much as far as algae. I only have a couple of very small areas of hair algae and it is not spreading so maybe he or my emerald crab keeps it mowed. Everyone else is a meat eater and I am at max fish load if not a little over. But who isn't. I have a 50 gallon tank, with a McCoskers Wrasse, mated pair of Bangaii Cardinals, the Flametail, one Ocelaris Clown, one Royal Gramma, and two Zebra Bar Gobies.