How long is too long to run your lights on your saltwater reef aquarium?

How long is too long to run your aqaurium lights?

  • More than 6 hours

    Votes: 8 0.9%
  • More than 7 hours

    Votes: 24 2.7%
  • More than 8 hours

    Votes: 65 7.4%
  • More than 9 hours

    Votes: 78 8.8%
  • More than 10 hours

    Votes: 189 21.4%
  • More than 11 hours

    Votes: 101 11.5%
  • 12+ Hours

    Votes: 388 44.0%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 29 3.3%

  • Total voters
    882

revhtree

Owner Administrator
View Badges
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
47,602
Reaction score
85,990
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Some of y'all have grumpy fish because they never get enough down time and the others have too much energy because they don't get enough day light! HA! When it comes to lighting your reef tank what is a good balance of time, on and off, for the fish and the coral? Let's talk about it!

1. How long do you run your lights on your reef tank?

2. How long do you think is too long for the lights to be on?


image via goldy.singh.aquagold and Orphek
OR3_LED_Bars_reef_tank.jpg
 

bnord

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 15, 2020
Messages
3,407
Reaction score
15,319
Location
Athens
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Run T4s with radions. The radions are on from 8:30 to 7:30pm with program ram-ups the T4s are on for 3 1/2 hours mid day.
try to mimic life near the equator.
I read in another post that there’s published literature that says corals benefit from an intense three hour light cycle. Is there any back up to this - could not find the article
 

Arthur_Dent

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 13, 2020
Messages
298
Reaction score
327
Location
South Florida
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I run 3 viparspectras noon to midnight every day. Ambient room lights from windows provide some light in the morning. Blues only for first hour. Blues and 1 of 3 lights on white till 3. all three lights on white from 3-6. Blues and 1/3 whites till 11. Blues only 11-midnight.
 

elcapitan1993

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 4, 2021
Messages
819
Reaction score
356
Location
white city
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
I run my lights 10 am to 8pm on whites , blues I. Between then Black out entire tank from midnight till 7 am, I have only had my Ap9x for about 2 months but my corals seem to like this light cycle so far
 

Tundra Cuttle

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 30, 2020
Messages
178
Reaction score
182
Location
Wisconsin
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I run my lights for 10hrs but many people in my area are running them for 12hrs.

One might run into trouble around 16hr mark depending on intensity, with lower intensity it seems lights can run longer without ill effect to corals, but at some point the corals need a metabolic rest period. I don't know if fish get stressed by longer photoperiod.
 

Azedenkae

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 26, 2021
Messages
2,448
Reaction score
2,317
Location
Seattle
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
1. I run my lights in total for 15 hours, though 10 at its peak.
2. I dunno. Honestly I feel like there will be someone, somewhere running their lights for 24 hours and somehow it works for their setup. XD
 
OP
OP
revhtree

revhtree

Owner Administrator
View Badges
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
47,602
Reaction score
85,990
Rating - 100%
1   0   0

Scorpius

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 6, 2017
Messages
3,660
Reaction score
3,753
Location
Indiana
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
9:30am-7:30pm. 2 hrs total ramp up/down. 8 hrs lights at peak intensity. Yes. 8 hrs.
 
Back
Top