photo period

JDVC · 09-28-2001, 10:13 AM

Everyone always talks about the best types of lighting and wattages and such, but what is the optimal photo period?

-John

reefguy · 09-28-2001, 11:20 AM

i don't know what the "optimal" photo period is, but i seriously suspect it has a lot to do with your setup. all i can tell you is what i have done in the past and what i am doing now. before, i had a ten hour photo period with with actinics coming on 90 mins before the halides and staying on 90 mins longer than the halides. i suspected that the photo period my tank was seeing wasn't adequate, so i upped the total time to 12 hrs with the actinics coming on 2 hrs before the halides and staying on 2hrs longer than the halides. this really seems to have worked well as everything, especially the stony corals, seem to be doing a lot better. hope this helps...

reefguy · 09-28-2001, 11:21 AM

oh, and one more benefit of having the actinics come on first and go off last is that it somewhat simulates the rising and setting of the sun. besides, everything looks really cool under actinic light only!

JDVC · 09-28-2001, 11:54 AM

Unfortunately, all my lights are on the icecap 660 so i can't turn the actinics on seperate.

12 hrs is what I have it at now... of course all thats in there now is the LR.

Thanks---
John

canadawest · 09-28-2001, 02:57 PM

Hey John,

I also use a single Icecap 660 ballast with 4 48" lamps. I run a 12 hour photo-period and my tank inhabitants seem to like it. I keep almost all LPS corals, with a couple softies and mushrooms, as well as one SPS coral, and a small Maxima clam.

I am actually thinking about reducing my photo period to 11 hours, as some of the corals look "tired" at near the end of the photo period. My torch coral especially starts to shrink down about an hour before lights-out.

Another thing to consider is a dimmer for the Icecap ballast (one of the only ones that is dimmable). This can help ease the corals and fish into sunrise and sunset, and would definitely make the fish more comfortable. I wish I had one because I know the fish hate that immediate darkness at lights out as they all scramble to their respective sleeping hideouts for the night. Lights-on isn't a big deal for me as my lights come on at around 9:30am and there is already daylight lighting the room by then, but at 9:30pm when the lights go out, it's pitch dark for the tank.

Spanky · 09-28-2001, 04:56 PM

03's on at noon.
50/50's on at 1pm
MH on for 30min, off for one hour, cycle starting at 1:30pm
50/50's off at 9pm
03's off at 10pm

Jerel

tmncali · 09-28-2001, 05:27 PM

Jerel

am i understanding this correctly?

you MHs are on for 30 min then off for an hour, on for 30 min then off for an hour...etc

is that all MH's? assuming you have more than one of course, or do they alternately go on/ off as not to have them all on at once?

sorry about my confusion.

thanks

tony

Spanky · 09-28-2001, 05:44 PM

Tony,
They all come on for 30 min, then go off for an hour. Then all on for 30 etc.
Just something I'm fooling with right now.

Jerel

tmncali · 09-28-2001, 05:54 PM

kinda like clouds floating over.

LOL

thanks for the reply

tony

Spanky · 09-28-2001, 05:59 PM

Tony,

Did you catch this thread from a few days ago.

http://www.thereeftank.com/forum/sho...=&threadid=174

canadawest · 09-28-2001, 06:25 PM

I thought the useable life of a MH lamp is directly related to the amount of times it is turned on/off, as opposed to flourescent lamps where lifespan is determined by hours lit, and not as affected by on/off cycles.

If this is the case, wouldn't turning your MH lamps on/off several times a day greatly reduce the lifespan of your lamps?

Spanky · 09-28-2001, 07:42 PM

Andrew,

Try electronic ballasts, they have a soft touch

I does cut the life of the bulb, but from what I was told with electronic ballasts it's not enough to matter.

tmncali · 09-28-2001, 08:49 PM

maybe dumb question

but can you only cycle with MH's or can you turn Flo's off and on like this?

thanks

tony