I keeping my lights on too long?

[PirateLove]

I just googled a RC thread and started reading that most people keep there lights on for 7-9 hours. Is this right? I have one tank with a kessil 150 and it is on for 12 hours. My other tank has a black box/photon 32 and it is 30 blue and 10 white for eleven hours. Am I doing this wrong?

How long do you run yours for and does it include actinic/moonlights??

Thanks for any feedback.

 

[kuzuri]

I usually run my T5 Actinics for about 10 hours a day and the MH is on for about 6 hours. I'm able to keep pretty much anything with this lighting schedule.

 

[scooter31707]

I run mines 12 hours a day

 

[mcgyvr]

Someone better tell the Sun that its only allowed to be out for 7-9 hours now..
Sure it ramps up/down and so can your LED fixture..

I've always run mine for around 12+ hours.. Lets see if I remember.. Blues come on at 10am and shut off at 11pm.. White channel on at 10:30 and off at 10:30pm

 

[hann1bal]

Someone better tell the Sun that its only allowed to be out for 7-9 hours now..
Sure it ramps up/down and so can your LED fixture..

I've always run mine for around 12+ hours.. Lets see if I remember.. Blues come on at 10am and shut off at 11pm.. White channel on at 10:30 and off at 10:30pm

LOL - perfect post. There is NO right or wrong schedule (other than 24/7). Just keep it stable and have times your home to enjoy all phases. I run my lights about 12 hours with blue leds for another 2 or so. Fish/corals seem fine

 

[davehead86]

Longer photo period can produce higher algae issues if everything isn't under control.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[billdogg]

I have always run my lights on the same approximate schedule as the sun in the area most of our corals come from (near equatorial), so 12 on, 12 off.

 

[Ron Reefman]

8 hours is long enough and 16 hours is getting too long. 10 to 12 is perfectly OK.

Corals in the tropics are really only getting 'good' light from the sun for 6 to 8 hours (think 9 or 10am to 2 or 3pm). Before and after that the morning sun and afternoon sun is too low in the sky and the angle means coral that is 10' deep is getting sun that is traveling at a shallow angle and going through 20 to 25' of water which reduces the PAR to unuseable.

On the other hand, many people have run lights for up to 16 hours a day with little sign of damage.

 

[SeaCucumberFan]

My lights are:
Blue 9:00 to 21:00
White 12:00 to 6:00
All of in 21:00 to 9:00

But 10 hpurs all lights on works just fine for me