Photoperiod Value

[MUCHO REEF]

As we all know, there are many contributing variables which will yield a happy, prosperous and striving polyp tank and the like. As it relates to polyps only, how important is maintaining a constant or varied photoperiod in the overall healthy, growth and appearance of your polyps?

1. Share your opinion on the above question.

2. What is your photoperiod, daylights and actinics?

3. How did you decide on this period?

4. Do you make seasonal changes in your photoperiod?

5. Type of lighting you use and why?

6. Feel free to share, ask and comment on this topic.


Everyone has an opinion, so if you're reading this, feel free to reply.

Mucho Reef

 

[650-IS350]

1. Share your opinion on the above question.
I want to keep my lighting as close to reality as much as possible to mimic nature in the tank.
2. What is your photoperiod, daylights and actinics? 10hrs attinic, 8 hrs MH, 3 hrs blue LED before attinics turn on, 2hrs White LED before attinics turn on. White LEDs turn on again 1 hr before attinics turn off at night and remain on for 2hrs, Blue LEDs turn on again 1 hr before attincs turn off at night and remain on for 3 hrs.
3. How did you decide on this period? want to get as close to natural lighting as possible.

4. Do you make seasonal changes in your photoperiod?not as much but shorten times by 1 hr

5. Type of lighting you use and why?
6 Blue LED 6 White LED, 2 420nm Attinics, 2 460 nm attinics, 20K mH 250watt. lighting system is 5" from waters surface and 2-3" off the tank.

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Anyone ?

 

[Jacuzzi]

1- I had to try several different photo periods to get the right fit as i mimics many others here without good results.
2- I have 4x39 watt T5's that go on at 12 noon and 2 x 150 watt halides that go on at 2pm, the T5's then go off at 3pm and go back on at 7pm. Halides go off at 8pm and then the T5's finally turn off at 10pm.
3- I decided on this period because I have had the best results as I tried many other variations longer and shorter.
4- No seasonal changes
5- T5's are 2x fiji purple and 2x aquablue halides are 150 watt 14k phoneix

 

[mfinn]

As we all know, there are many contributing variables which will yield a happy, prosperous and striving polyp tank and the like. As it relates to polyps only, how important is maintaining a constant or varied photoperiod in the overall healthy, growth and appearance of your polyps?

1. Share your opinion on the above question.

2. What is your photoperiod, daylights and actinics?

3. How did you decide on this period?

4. Do you make seasonal changes in your photoperiod?

5. Type of lighting you use and why?

6. Feel free to share, ask and comment on this topic.


Everyone has an opinion, so if you're reading this, feel free to reply.

Mucho Reef

Having used timers on my tanks since my freshwater days, I have always had a pretty constant light period, that I don't change.
I have my actinics come on about a hour before the main lights and off a hour after the main lights.
Actinics= 10 hours
mh's=8 hours
I have a 250 watt mh, 20k Radium and 2x75 watt VHO 454 bulbs on my zoanthid tank. The combination of the 20k radium and the 454 VHO really brings out great colors.

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Polyps are found at varying depths; therefore some will prefer brighter lighting as shallow dwellers and some have a preference for lower light as they are found at deeper depths. I have experimented with moderate photoperiod decreases and increases during seasonal changes and have found no benefits nor detriments to the changes of polyps placed high or low in my tank.

My goal is and has always been consistency with my photoperiod with one exception. Every 14th day, I will black out my entire tank. By that I mean this, I will leave the room and the tank near pitch black for one or two days. I will keep everything else constant and unchanged in my tank. On the 2nd day if I go with a one day black out, or on the 3rd day if I go with a 2 day black out, I will begin my photoperiod with one added hour of actinics thereby replacing the first hour of daylights. It is on this day when I have witnessed theeeee best expansion ever in the majority of the polyps in my tank. Do I have a theory? Yes, can I prove it? No, but it is amazing to watch. A few others have tried this with the same results, some haven't.

I usually run a 10 hour photoperiod beginning and ending with 1 hour of actinics only. On periodic occasions if I have company, I will increase the actinics by an hour or run the moonlights for an evening of electric fluorescent enjoyment. I settled on a 10 hour photoperiod based upon all that I have read, heard, observed and just my personal preference. I seldom run the actinics during the day and use them for pure aesthetic enjoyment thus preserving bulb life. 10 to 12 hours seems to be the norm by most reefers, again, we all have our own reasons for doing so.

Would love to hear what others are running as well as their opinions. Thanks for sharing guys/gals.

Mucho Reef

 

[MUCHO REEF]

Knock Knock, is this thing on ??

No opinions at all on photperiods?

 

[650-IS350]

I've heard of the once a month " PERIOD OF DARKNESS " treatment. I've heard/read that it helps with ridding of nuisance algae and help clarity of the tank.

 

[crew33]

I run my lights on a shorter light period. I have my t5 actinics on one hour before halides and one hour after halides for a total of 8 hours. I run my 2 x 250wt halides ( Pheonix 14k ) for a total of 6 hours which doesn't seem like much but I still get good growth out of my corals / zoas. I aslo have some led moon lights on for 1hr after the actinics go out. This time period works for me as I am home from work to enjoy my tank between those hours.

 

[Friday Night]

As we all know, there are many contributing variables which will yield a happy, prosperous and striving polyp tank and the like. As it relates to polyps only, how important is maintaining a constant or varied photoperiod in the overall healthy, growth and appearance of your polyps?

1. Share your opinion on the above question.

2. What is your photoperiod, daylights and actinics?

3. How did you decide on this period?

4. Do you make seasonal changes in your photoperiod?

5. Type of lighting you use and why?

6. Feel free to share, ask and comment on this topic.


Everyone has an opinion, so if you're reading this, feel free to reply.

Mucho Reef

2. 9 2 5 actinics only

3. To bright at night to much "blue" in the front room

4. No

5. 12 inch 12 watt Panorama led strip. why? best lighting fixture for my tank dimensions http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+10704+21600&pcatid=21600

6. Very nice topic as well as battery of questions.. looking forward to others answers as well.

 

[redfishsc]

I keep my photoperiod with the halide to around 7 hours.

My Cree XRE royal blues come on for 11 hours (2 hours before and after).

 

[Reef Bass]

1. Share your opinion on the above question.

I prefer a constant photoperiod. The natural photoperiod where tropical things live (near the equator) is a pretty constant 12 hours. Sure, not all zoanthids around the world live right on the equator, but that's the general environment.

2. What is your photoperiod, daylights and actinics?

I have 2 tanks with zoos in them, one running 8 hrs of T5 and the other with 11 hrs T5, one hr on each end of 9 hrs of MH. Zoos in tank with longer photoperiod look better, though there are variables between the tanks (size, depth, flow) so I doubt the lighting is the only cause.

3. How did you decide on this period?

The T5 tank is primarily lps so I was looking for less light than my MH lit sps tank. Also, I started getting much algae running the lps tank with 10 hrs of T5 so I cut back a bit while getting the algae under control.

4. Do you make seasonal changes in your photoperiod?

No.

5. Type of lighting you use and why?

T5 for lps tank. Wanted more even light coverage for a 48x24x12 flat than a single MH would provide and way less electrical consumption than 2 MHs. Plus the tank is shallow so intensity less of an issue. MHs for sps tank. I love the intensity and quality of light, and the shimmer! Tank depth (24") necessitated greater power.

6. Feel free to share, ask and comment on this topic.

Good topic. Thanks for driving it.

 

[MUCHO REEF]

redfishsc & crew33, thanks for sharing. Have you ever ran a longer photoperiod in the past on your tanks, or has this been your consistant PP always? Just curious.

Reef Bass, thanks. Were both systems established at the same time? I agree, nothing compares to the glitter lines created with MH and surface ripple.

Mucho Reef

PS. Anyone else care to share their PP?

 

[Reef Bass]

No, both systems were not established at the same time. The sps system is several years older. That may well account for some of the "betterness" of the zoos there. Plus the sps level flow I think has to contribute too.