 » 3reef Navigation | | | | » Forum Menu | | | | » Aquarium Ads | | | 
And here too!
|  | 
10-21-2004, 04:43 AM
|
#1 (permalink)
| | Spaghetti Worm
Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Denver, CO,Colorado
Posts: 178
Karma: 10
 |  How should I time my lighting?
I've read in several places that we need to give the fish in our tanks a full 12 hours of light as they are used to it, and it can cause stress if not done. I have my lights on a timer from 8 am to 8 pm, but the sun starts to rise before then (until daylight savings at least) and it's a room with several windows, and then at night, it's just out, no gradual change. Is this OK? Is the length of lighting that big of a deal? Any suggestions on how to use the rising and setting sun, but still get the correct lighting time in?
_________
55 gal glass tank, 2 power heads, wet/dry filter, protein skimmer, 50 lbs live rock, pair of tomato clowns, 1 royal gramma, 1 coral beauty angel, 1 six line wrasse, 1 peppermint shrimp, 1 skunk cleaner shrimp, 12 assorted snails (astrea/turbo), 15 assorted hermit crabs, green bubble tip anemone, red mushrooms, yellow polyps, 1 green leather, green star polyps, yellow toadstool | 
|  | | Reef Links |  | |
10-22-2004, 07:49 AM
|
#2 (permalink)
| | Spaghetti Worm
Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Denver, CO,Colorado
Posts: 178
Karma: 10
| Re: How should I time my lighting?
Any thoughts at all about this? | |
| | |
10-22-2004, 09:57 AM
|
#3 (permalink)
| | Eyelash Blennie
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Lakeland, Fl
Posts: 1,294
  
| Re: How should I time my lighting?
I'll bite  But, I'm afraid I don't have any suggestions...
I turn my actnics on when I wake up in the morning. One half hour to 1 hour later I or my wife turn on the main 10k lights.
I don't have a timer yet although it would make it a lot simpler, So as far as I am concerned you are two steps ahead of me. Nothing in my tank appears to be stressed out or put out with me for starting the lights at slightly different times each day. my 2 cents.
And yes the tank is in a room with 2 windows but it does not get direct sunlight.
Jim
_________
90 Gallon glass, 135#'s of rock and 2" sand. 2-250w 20k XM metal halides. 2-95 watt actinic VHO, 4 powerheads, Coralife skimmer. Maroon Gold Striped Clown, Blue Chromis, Kole Tang, Pygmy Angel, Serpent Star, Brittle Star,Gorgonians, Mushrooms, Yellow Polyps, Turbo Snails & Blue Legged Hermits. 20 gal sump with Caulerpa, Mag 7 return pump. | |
| | |
10-22-2004, 10:59 AM
|
#4 (permalink)
| | Spaghetti Worm
Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Denver, CO,Colorado
Posts: 178
Karma: 10
| Re: How should I time my lighting?
Diver, thanks for the input. Nothing in my tank seems too upset about things either, just wasn't sure about the long term effects. Don't want my fish to lose any beauty sleep because the light comes in too soon...
I don't have any sunlight that hits the tank directly, just lights the room pretty good. I'm probably just making a mountain out of a snail hill. | |
| | |
10-24-2004, 07:29 AM
|
#5 (permalink)
| | Flamingo Tongue
Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Chicago, IL,Illinois
Posts: 116
Karma: 1
| Re: How should I time my lighting?
I have 3 400w MH and I was thinking about turning one by one on in 30 minute intervals. Then do the same for turning them off. Nice sweeping that ... kinda .... mimics real life.
_________
125RR corner overflows&&3 400w MH lights&&AquaC EV180 with a Mag 7&&30 gallon sump with a Mag18&&30 gallon surge tank fuge with 2 revolutions&&Won Pro Heat 350W&&&&the LAZY system powered by a Mag18&&- Coiled Denitratfier&&- Coralife 18W UV&&- phosphate remover&&- calc reactor
| |
| | |
10-24-2004, 07:58 AM
|
#6 (permalink)
| | Astrea Snail
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Troy, MI,Michigan
Posts: 41
Karma: 1
| Re: How should I time my lighting?
I have 3 VHO's (2 actnics 1 50/50's). I turn them on from 10am until 9pm. Then I turn on my MH ( 400w @ 13k) from 11am to 7pm 
_________
100 gal. Glass Tank, 100 lbs of LR, 100 lbs of LS, 1x400w MH 13K(8hrs), 3xVHO (11hrs), Venturi Potein skimmer, 20 gal sump, 1xIwalki MD-30RLXT, 2x400 gal hr powerheads.&&Sal 1.022 @ 81deg,NH3 = 0,PO4 = .1,NO2 = 0,NO3 = 2.5,PH = 8.2, CA = 450.
| |
| | |
12-06-2004, 06:05 AM
|
#7 (permalink)
| | Astrea Snail
Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Naperville, IL,Illinois
Posts: 64
Karma: 1
| Re: How should I time my lighting?
O.K. I have been told that I need app. 4 Watts of light per gallon of water I have. I am only going with a FOWLR tank and right now I have a 30W Actinic with a 30W Coralife 20K in one hood. I also have a 15W Actinic that I use as "mood" lighting, i.e. turn on the 15 then 1/2-1 hr. later the 60W hood. Then at night I turn off the hood and leave the 15W on for app. 1/2-1 hr. more. I also bought a "moonlight" LED-lite with 9 LED's that I was going to run from app. 8PM-4AM... Any advice _________ 65 gallon reef tank. 20 gallon homemade refugium. homemade hood w/ 2x250 MH lights. 150 lbs live rock, 40 lbs live sand. Yellow tang, pair of clowns, 6 line wrasse, coral beauty, engineer goby, pair of pajama cardinals. House guests gone! It's a beauty, but it's too small...  | |
| | | Reef Links |  | |
Posting Rules
| You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off | | |
|
