Lighting Cycle. Please help!

[dejablu]

I hae two true atinic flourescent bulbs and two 175 watt/ 14,000k MH bulbs. Can anyone suggest the best on/off cycle for corals? I used to have corals and lost them in a power outage. I have been fish only for about a year, but am ready to start adding corals again.

[Loverotties]

Mine goes like this! 11:00 am actinics go on,11:05am moons go off,12:00pm 10K go on,10m 10K go off,10:55pm moons go on,11:00pm actinics go off.
But you set it up for your schdual and how your reef likes it.

[scoop]

Welcome to TRT! Maybe you can tell us a little more about your tank, i.e. what size, what other equipment, ect.? Also, what type of corals are you planning to get? IMO each set up is different and you need to watch your corals to see what is or isn't working. Most people do have their actinincs come on about an hour before the MH's and stay on about an hour after, but people's light cycles seem to vary between as much as 10 or 11 hours to as little as under 4 hours.

[drew1092]

I have a 30 gallon set up I am cycling as a reef tank. I use the aqualight with 1 10000 white and 1 actinic plus moonlights. I like to start my cylce at 8:00am following the actinic on and off 1 hour before and after the whites. Is that too early? Most people I notice start around 11 but that seems a little too late in the day for me. Is it trial and error or am I running too early? Thanks for your tips.

[scoop]

I like to have some light in the evening when I am watching the tank, so I don't have anything on until 1:00, then my full lights run from 2:00 to 8:30 and the others go off at 9:30.

[cutietwo]

I have 10000 K and actinic that I have come on at the same time at 11 am and go off at 6pm. I don't have moon lights , so far my corals are doing fine w/out them.