Fishgirl2393 Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 I have an Odyssea 20" (4x18watt) fixture on my 20-gallon tall tank. How long should the lights be on??? They all come on at the same time (no dawn/dusk effect) but I do have the moonlights on a timer too. Right now I have it at 12 hours for the full lights and (I think) 2.5-3 hours for the moonlights (after the others go off). I don't know if this is too much or not so help would be great! Oh and I have zoanthids, xenia, frogspawn, and mushrooms in the tank but may be getting some SPS (birdsnest or montipora) sometime. I'm also likely to get a candycane coral and probably an open brain. So anyway, what kind of lighting period should I have? Link to comment
Lee Van Reef Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 12 hours is a lot for full on. Try maybe 10 with 1 hour dawn and 1 hour dusk. Link to comment
Fishgirl2393 Posted September 7, 2011 Author Share Posted September 7, 2011 Do you mean 10 hours INCLUDING dawn/dusk or 10 hours of daylight PLUS 2 hours of dawn dusk (one hour each)? Link to comment
Fishgirl2393 Posted September 7, 2011 Author Share Posted September 7, 2011 Do you mean 10 hours INCLUDING dawn/dusk or 10 hours of daylight PLUS 2 hours of dawn dusk (one hour each)? Link to comment
Rocket Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 The standard is a 6 hour light schedule has shown to be adequate to keep corals healthy, but may not allow them to grow at their maximum rate. A minimum of 4 hrs a day at maximum illumination has proven to keep corals "alive," But may not be healthy long term. This article, written by well respected authors, cited, and referenced, recommend no more than 14-15 hours photo period. It is highly technical, and analytical, but skip to the bottom conclusions section and you will get simplified answers. Prolonged photo period research. I personally run a 12 hour photo period. As I choose to replicate Equatorial Illumination. Where most corals are found. 6-12 is considered the normal range. Choosing the length between this range is almost purely individual choice. Some people worry about electrical rates, excessive algae growth, fish health, coral reproduction asexual and sexual, and various other factors. Cheer, Link to comment
ry05coupe Posted September 7, 2011 Share Posted September 7, 2011 http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...=280381&hl= Link to comment
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