I'm receiving a shipment of 20 lbs of LR fresh from the ocean tomorrow, and it should have lots of critters, coralline and macro, and encrusting corals. My question is:
Should I use any lighting at all to try and keep some of the life alive during the cycle period? The tank is bare, aside from 20 lbs of established LR. I have 2x150w HQI over a 48" tank, and I was thinking of starting off at a very conservative photoperiod of 3-4 hours. Would this be too much (or not enough) and cause uncontrolled growth of nuisance algae?
Also, I'm debating on what my final photoperiod will be once the corals are in. I've seen a general recommendation of between 6-10 hours. Keeping in mind there is no actinic supplementation, and the wattage of the bulbs, what would you recommend for a photoperiod once the tank is established?
Should I use any lighting at all to try and keep some of the life alive during the cycle period? The tank is bare, aside from 20 lbs of established LR. I have 2x150w HQI over a 48" tank, and I was thinking of starting off at a very conservative photoperiod of 3-4 hours. Would this be too much (or not enough) and cause uncontrolled growth of nuisance algae?
Also, I'm debating on what my final photoperiod will be once the corals are in. I've seen a general recommendation of between 6-10 hours. Keeping in mind there is no actinic supplementation, and the wattage of the bulbs, what would you recommend for a photoperiod once the tank is established?