Light times?

I got biocube 29 stock lighting. How should i set the schedule? With the blue light and the 10k light? I bought my first coral zoa today

 

Well... all reefs are either at the equator or pretty damn close. The equator gets 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness a day. So.... your blue (actinic) light would be set for 12 hours. And your 10k bulb set for 10 hours. Programmed so the actinic bulb comes on 1 hour before the 10k bulb representing sunrise. for example

10am actinic on
11am 10k bulb on.

Keeping the actinic bulb and 10 k bulb on for 10hrs representing daylight. The 10 k bulb would stay on for 10 hrs shutting off at 9pm. then from 9pm to 10pm your actinic bulb is still on signifying dusk. Then shuts off at 9pm giving your tank 12hrs of light. Heres a lighting schedule.

10a-11a actinic on only . (dawn)
11am-9pm 10k bulb and actinic on (daytime)
9pm-10pm actinic on only. (dusk)
10p-10am completely dark.
Lighting on for a total of 12hrs over tank. Light off for a total of 12 hrs over tank representing your dawn/day/dusk at the equator.

These times (10am 10pm) are for example and could be altered to suit your lifestyle and viewing of the tank.

 

Good post, tatted. I roughly run a 9 to 9 schedule, with the actinics coming on first, followed about an hour later by the whites, then reverse in the evening (whites off, then an hour later actinics off). The zoa colors should really pop out under the actinics!

 

same for me

12 hours total , but only 10 hours of full lights on

Steve