Peoples light cycles

[dcforester1]

I was wondering what people keep there lights on?

I have a Current light with PC, and 2 150w halides. I was running them from 11am to 10pm. I have a mixed reef with a Maxima clam. Someone told me I was wasting electricity running both lights together. The PC are 420/460. So now I am running the PC from 11am-1pm, the Halides come on from1pm-6pm, and then the PC back on from 6pm-11pm.

All my coral seems to be growing fine, the clam seems fine, but some SPS doesnt look so good. Actually a frag of LJ Acro is turning all white, and I think it is beyond repair. I had some other issues going on in my tank as well so I cannot blame it on the lighting.

I am also wondering if this is to drastic a change to do all at once, or should I do it slowly of time? Everything was basiclly getting 11hrs of both lights. To now getting 5hrs of halides, 7hrs of PC.

Could the whitning/bleaching of the LJ be from to much light? I had it up high in the tank, and about 12in from my halides.

Any help, or suggs would be greatly appreciated,
Derek

 

[spaceship]

I run my pcs 4x65w all day from 1pm to 11pm
I also run my halides 2x175w 2pm to 10pm
I also run my fuge light 65w pc as long as the halides...
I have not bleached anyting due to light...maby try moving the coral down closer to the bottom. Was the eletric bill really that diffrent...

 

[stingythingy45]

I run the 2 -250 watt halides from 2:00 pm. till 10:00 pm.
Mixed reef with a T. Crocea clam,all are thriving.
I have a Larry J. purple tip right on top of the rock and it's growing like crazy.
Mybe the light cycle is a bit too long that you're running,Derek.

 

[lisa foster]

I run my 3x 250 watt metal halides for 8 hours. 9-6. Maybe only running them for 5 hours is not long enough for sps.

 

[Rone]

T5 4am to 11am then 3pm to 9pm

 

[afboundguy]

T5's - blue plus noon till 10pm daylights 1-9pm

 

[stingythingy45]

What brand/K value are the halide bulbs?
I would at least shoot for 7-8 hrs. of halide.

 

[jtmac]

I run My blues from 9am till 8pm my 2x175w MH from 10-7 and my CF from 11am-2pm. The reason I run the CF from 11am-2pm is the sun is at its peak around then so You would think more direct light for those times. Suppose I could do with out but then again everything is doing well by fix what aint broke

 

[DoctaQ]

wow, ronne how has the split light cycle worked for you? im interested in trying myself, how does it compare?

 

[JayM]

30 minutes of actinic, 10HRs of MH, then about 30 mins of MH. Lights come on about 10:30AM. 4 clams, mixed reef, everything is doing OK,

LOA fuge light runs 24/7. Cheato is growing out of the top of the tank

 

[kimk]

With all these hours of lighting running, does anyone care to share what their electric bill costs them?? I run a simple fowler tank with just 4 T5s. I have always wondered what reefers call a "healthy" electric bill. Does running halides really bump it way up?
I pay about $125/mo.

Totally understand if no one cares to share. I was just curious.

Kim

 

[Reef Arch]

Blues from 11 am to 11 pm halides ((2)150w 10k ushio) 3-10 pm not sure about the electric as I have electric heat which skews the numbers a bit... 24 hr fuge light

 

[dcforester1]

I run my pcs 4x65w all day from 1pm to 11pm
I also run my halides 2x175w 2pm to 10pm
I also run my fuge light 65w pc as long as the halides...
I have not bleached anyting due to light...maby try moving the coral down closer to the bottom. Was the eletric bill really that diffrent...

I dont know if the electric bill is any different, it has only been 2days. I would think it would be alittle different, I am using the halides for half the time, and the pc for 4hrs less.

I run the 2 -250 watt halides from 2:00 pm. till 10:00 pm.
Mixed reef with a T. Crocea clam,all are thriving.
I have a Larry J. purple tip right on top of the rock and it's growing like crazy.
Mybe the light cycle is a bit too long that you're running,Derek.

Thanks Bob, thats what I was thinking. I got the coral from Greg H out of his display. I thought he had alot more light than I was using, but now I am not sure. I am going to shoot him a PM.
My maxima is on the bottom, he looks happy so I am going to leave him.

I run my 3x 250 watt metal halides for 8 hours. 9-6. Maybe only running them for 5 hours is not long enough for sps.

I am only running the halides for 5hrs now. I was running them for 10hrs.

What brand/K value are the halide bulbs?
I would at least shoot for 7-8 hrs. of halide.

I am running 14K Ushios, and I am going to bump the time up. I think it is to much of a swing going from 10hrs, to 5hrs.

With all these hours of lighting running, does anyone care to share what their electric bill costs them?? I run a simple fowler tank with just 4 T5s. I have always wondered what reefers call a "healthy" electric bill. Does running halides really bump it way up?
I pay about $125/mo.

Totally understand if no one cares to share. I was just curious.


Kim

My bill is about $250/mo., I was at about $100/mo. So I am guessing the electric is costing about $150/mo


Thanks Derek

 

[JayM]

my calculations between pumps, heaters, power heads, skimmer and 1150watts of lighting, it is adding about $150/mth to my electric bill as well. This is down from my old house, becuase my fish room is now heated from my furnace, so I am not getting much call for heat when 1150watts of lighting is all running in the same room.

 

[stingythingy45]

Thanks Bob, thats what I was thinking. I got the coral from Greg H out of his display. I thought he had alot more light than I was using, but now I am not sure. I am going to shoot him a PM.
My maxima is on the bottom, he looks happy so I am going to leave him.








Thanks Derek

Just keep in mind that clams take a while to show and problems when light is the issue.I had to build a cage out of eggcrate to protect my clam from the hippo tang.I'm sure it's getting less light,but has showed no negative reactions yet.
Also,you mentioned other issues with the tank?
I bleached a birds nest once dosing too much alk supplement.

 

[jackthestrat]

When I ran my 250w halide rig I only ran for 6 hours a day. More than sufficient growth.

Now, with the T5s, I run 12pm-9.

M

 

[dcforester1]

Does the PC light aid in the growth of corals and the clam? They are 420/460.

 

[kevinpratt823]

Actinics from 8:30 AM-11 PM, Halides from 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM. I tried shutting actinics off when halides came on and I didn't like the extra shading this caused. Electric bill last month: $450::

 

[Joel A]

T5's here... blues on from 11:30 A.M to 9:30 P.M. Daylights are on from Noon to 5:30.

It's been theorized that corals are more colorful and grow faster when you don't light the tank for so many hours. If my set-up where metal halide the equivalent to what i'm doing would be 5.5 hours of Metal Halide lighting and then 10 hours total of actinic. The actinic is just for viewing purposes really.

Think about it... corals aren't exposed to 10 hours of intense full spectrum lighting in the wild.. more like a few hours of very intense lighting, then it slowly fades off. If they don't receive 10 hours of direct intense lighting in the wild, why should they in our aquarium?

 

[Joel A]

That said though.. Your current lighting schedule of 5 hours of halides and PC's on for a while before and after seems perfectly fine to me, Derek.