Photo period for grow out tank

[Willbiker]

Hi All

My grow out tank is staring to fill up with a mixture of sps, lps and soft frags and growth is really looking good. t5's are amazing

I currently run my t5 lights for 7 hours per day and they are on a timer switch with no ramping. I've read that a corals photosynth period is only 4-6 hours? But they receive 12 hours in nature surely...

How many hours do you think I should run my lights for before it becomes 'pointless' to run any longer? Purely from a growth efficiency perspective and not from visual appeal of enjoying a reef tank.

Thanks!

 

[Spare time]

How long they photosynthesize depends on how long periods of photoinhibition are. Corals in very shallow water are much smaller than those deeper out of the same species likely because they have to stop photosynthesizing and protect themselves for most of the day since its so bright.

In a frag tank, I would have no more light hours than dark hours.

 

[Spare time]

Fast growth can be done by

1. High Alk
2. Proper variable flow
3. lighting that reaching all sides of the coral
4. Lighting with the right amount of intensity
5. Strong food import and waste export (of the CORRECT food source since not all corals eat the same thing)

 

[Willbiker]

Fast growth can be done by

1. High Alk
2. Proper variable flow
3. lighting that reaching all sides of the coral
4. Lighting with the right amount of intensity
5. Strong food import and waste export (of the CORRECT food source since not all corals eat the same thing)

I think I've hit all 5 of those except my alk stays stable at 9dkh. I'm thrilled with the growth.

I just wondered what a good light period would be with no ramping. 7 hours is working well but would 8 or 9 hours get better results or is it just a waste of electric as its not a tank which will be viewed regularly..

 

[jgirardnrg]

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