SPS Lighting Hours

[dan-in-gr]

Hi, I have a 90 SPS only with a Giesemann dual 250 MH 20K and 4 T5 actinics, and have running the MH for 6 hours per day and the actinic T5's 10 hours per day. What do you guys run for number of hours per day with MH and T5's, should I up the hours for MH? What gives you the best growth?

 

[jarrett shark]

7 hrs mh and 12 hrs actinics

 

[Dog boy Dave]

6x400 watt halides, on at 10 am off at 10 pm or so.

 

[BowieReefer84]

6x400 watt halides, on at 10 am off at 10 pm or so.

WOW, 12 hours? I have heard corals only need 5 hours a day. I run my lights 6. What is the benefit of such a long light period? I know I am on the short side, but thought 8 was sort of standard.

 

[urbaneks]

I'm slowing ramping my MH lighting cycle up to 5 hours. I've done a great deal of research here and on other forums and it seems that 5 to 6 hours is more than enough for SPS growth. Anything more than 6 hours is overkill and a drain on your electrical bill. One ramped up my lighting will be 9 total hours. 2 hours of actinic T5's followed by 5 hours of MH with actinics and then 2 more hours with just the T5's.

 

[Alex T.]

^^^+1. My 400 watt Radiums are on for 5 hours per day. Anything more and I seem to have problems with color and decreased growth. The rest of the 10 hour photoperiod is all VHO actinic. You want just enough and no more.

 

[reefinder]

Its all personal preference and each tank reacts different to your photo periods, I would not mock anyone's light period especially someone like Dog Boy who has been running successful tanks as long as he has. My photo period is nine hours on full t5 ati and additional 4 hours of supplemental. and i get great color and growth!

 

[BowieReefer84]

Its all personal preference and each tank reacts different to your photo periods, I would not mock anyone's light period especially someone like Dog Boy who has been running successful tanks as long as he has. My photo period is nine hours on full t5 ati and additional 4 hours of supplemental. and i get great color and growth!

Not mocking, just suprised. If my tank was doing well with 12 hours I would do the same thing. I was also thinking wow, because I don't think I could afford that electic bill myself:lmao:

 

[ed4]

T5's: On at 1:00PM, off at 10:30PM
MH's: On at 3:30PM, off at 9:30 PM

 

[Ostentum]

500w of MH (2x250) for 12hrs would only cost $16 a month to run down here, rates are $0.09 a kwh.

I run 8 hrs of MH 2x250 10k XMs and 12 hrs of 2x110w VHO super actinic which is about $18 a month.

Will not change a thing since my Tyree PM is growing 1/2" to 1" a month.

 

[REEF SMAC]

(4) 400MH eight hours (4) plasmas twelve hours.
The plasmas dim. They go from 50%-100% on, over a 2 hour period. They run 100% for eight hours. Then dim 100%-50% for the last 2 hour period.

Seems to work fine.

 

[Radar1]

Currently running my 250 Halide for 4 hours a day and my 4 T5's for 12 hours.

 

[Alex T.]

Like everyone else has stated, it always depends on the tank. All our SPS corals can be acclimated to almost any lighting regimen as long as it's intense enough for SPS corals to photosynthesize.

The thing I try to accomplish is enough of a response to generate growth and coloration while not overheating my tank in the summer months. I've found a delicate balance between 5 - 5 1/2 hours per day of 400 watt Radiums supplemented with VHO actinic which are on for 10 hours. I'm sure that I could probably work the halide photoperiod up to 7 or 8 hours but every time I go past 6 hours it seems to have a negative effect on polyp extension and corals seem a little lighter in coloration. I attribute high flow rate and clean water to my SPS corals' health a lot more than the lighting though.

 

[LifeAquatic]

Lighting

Lighting

I do 6 1/2 hrs of metal halide and t-5 together with good results. No need to run actinics 8, 10,12 hrs a day.

 

[allsps40]

MH 6 hours a day.

 

[dan-in-gr]

Hi Guys, thanks for the input, I have running my Mh for 5.5 hours and the 4 T5's for 10 hrs, I am going to go with 5.5 hours and 8 hours for T5's with them on 1.5 hours before and same after.

What do you think.

 

[MarcoPolo]

I agree that each tank is different, and furthermore, the living creatures within in - including our SPS - will likely adapt to the specific conditions. That said, is there an optimal photoperiod range for Mh and T5 which can be assumed reasonable for most tanks? Is 6 to 8 hours more that adequate for Mh? And T5 +1 to +2 hours before and after the Mh? Does anyone have some 'empirical data' to share on this topic?

 

[aniceplace]

You also need to consider the type of reflector. When I switched my reflectors to the Elites I had to reduce my photo period from 8 hours to 5 hours; at 8 hours I was bleaching corals and burning away all the corraline.