What's your Photo Period?

Hey all,
I decided to start this thread because I was wondering if a specific photo period is beneficial to corals or if you can turn your lights on and off at anytime.
Also, how long do you keep your lights on, 6,8,10 or 12 hours per day? Maybe more?
For instance, I keep my lights on for 12 hours per day but at no specific time. Sometimes they come on at 7am or even 10 am (depending on what time I wake up)
Does this fluctuation affect the corals in any way?
Cheers,
Siddique

 

9-9 on weekdays. 10-10 on weekends. I can't have the lights on while I'm getting ready for class or else I will start tinkering around and be late haha

 

Actinics 3:30-11:00
Halides 4:00-10:30

 

10-10 for my actinics. Usually I have my MH set for noon to 8. Just got new bulbs so I have 12-6 and will increase slowly back to the 8 pm to go off. In the summer my tank gets very warm so I cut it down to like 6 hours but If I have to do that again I'm gettin a chiller.
I have 250W bulbs. I believe the 400W crowd runs fewer hours.

 

Wise decision..... ;D

420nm 16 hrs a day
MH's 7 hrs a day

 

Actinics. 9am -1:30pm
Halides. 1pm - 11:00pm
Moon leds 11pm -1:00 am
Fuge light 12am - 8:00 am

 

T5's on at Noon
M Halides on at 2:00 With AC unit and off at 10:30.


AV8Bluewater, FYI before you buy that Chiller consider buying a cheap $100 window air conditioner. That's what I did and they now come with remote controlls and are programmable. I set mine to come on and off with my Halides.

 

It has always been my understanding, therefore my belief, that we should mimic the natural environment of where the coral were taken from i.e. the Caribbean. The natural lighting of the sun in that region from roughly 7:00 am to 9:00 pm. You can count dawn as 6-7 am and dusk as 8-9 pm.
The most intense light is from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. So, many aquarists will run one set of lights (all actinic or one set of a weaker combo) from say 7-8 am to 9:30 am as their dawn/early morning period and then the other set of lights come on to simulate the "full" daylight. Then at 6-7 pm the reverse applies where one set goes off to simulate dusk with all lights going off at 8-9 pm. Moon lights (if applicable) come on then.
By having erratic light periods or lighting staying on beyond the "natural" cycle, may have a somewhat disrupting effect on the coral. Some coral can/may adopt to it, some may not and growth may be slowed.
One more note, some "purists" will even give 1-3 days a month to no lights simulating cloudy days and let the coral rest.

 

An AC unit is a good idea but personally I prefer to get the chiller.

 

I have the corallife digital timer but I don't know what is it with me that I can't seem to understand how it works as yet so I basically have my PC's and Actinics to come on and off at the same exact time. I know I should have the actinics come on before daylight and stay on after daylights but I can't figure out the timer.
I got my MH w/ PC actinics and moonlights fixture in yesterday and I would like to simulate the type of lighting you're suggesting. Would it be easier to simulate it with separate timers or can the corallife digital timer do this.

PS. I doubt I have the guts to turn my lights off for a few days like those "purists" do.
Has anyone ever attempted this?