Lighting schedule

[MrSculpin]

I have a 48" Current PC light on my tank.
It has 2 65w dual actinic lights and the 2 65w
daylight bulbs in it.
Separate plug ins.

I'd like to set it up on timers, but Im not sure
on what a good schedule is.
Do I have both the daylight and actinics on at the same
time? or separate? How long should the lights be on..
I've read 10 ~ 12 hours. Is that right?

 

[estanoche]

If you run your actinics while running your daylights you will get the benefit of the blue output into your visual color spectrum - so yea, run the actinics while you are running your daylights.

Lighting time depends on what you have, algae growth levels, etc... I've read some places (can't quote them, as I'm too lazy to find them) that anything over 10 hours is kinda a waste as the corals can only photosynthesize for so long before they need to go into their nighttime waste removal cycles.

I'd recommend running your actinics for 14 hours or so, and daylights for 10 - with a 2 hour "sunset" phase before and after just to give you more hours of viewing time in your tank

And remember that you don't need to set it to local daylight times, set your daylights to times you will be around to view em - I have mine coming on at noon and shutting off at 10 everday on my tank at home since I'm only home at night :badgrin:

 

[MrSculpin]

Lighting time depends on what you have, algae growth levels, etc... I've read some places (can't quote them, as I'm too lazy to find them) that anything over 10 hours is kinda a waste as the corals can only photosynthesize for so long before they need to go into their nighttime waste removal cycles.only home at night :badgrin:

Sounds like a good plan.
I think I have them on too long, dont really think about it.
I turn them on at 6 when I get up and unless I think about it, they are on till I go to bed around 11, so a long time.

I dont have alot of coral yet, just four kinds of zoa, some xenia and kenya tree and some green star polyps. Thats it besides fish.
I do have a bad algae problem but I think part is lights, part my water, flow ect.. I've been bugging Barbie about it
and she has been helping me to try and get it under control.

I was thinking about the lights since I have been looking at sumps, electrical, timers ect while Im trying to get my 75 going.

Thanks for the suggestion!