Pre-coral lighting hours & intensity?

[KnightlyBuzz]

No coral yet, I’m planning on Montipora, so about 300 PAR is what I’ve read.

But my question is, before I add coral should I run the lights at something like 150 PAR for 6 hours a day? Just to reduce algae growth? Or go ahead and run 300 PAR for 8 or 9 hours, even though I don’t have any coral in the tank yet?

 

[mdb_talon]

Really either way is fine. I will say on a new tank i prefer to run the lights where i want them prior to coral for awhile. It helps me see what i am dealing with in regards to "the uglies" and either deal with it or wait it out prior to adding the coral.

 

[KnightlyBuzz]

Really either way is fine. I will say on a new tank i prefer to run the lights where i want them prior to coral for awhile. It helps me see what i am dealing with in regards to "the uglies" and either deal with it or wait it out prior to adding the coral.

When you say “for a while”, do you mean a few months or a week or 2?

 

[Bpb]

If there’s no coral it really doesn’t matter. Run them how you visually like it.

You CAN run your proposed intensity and spectrum before you get corals to gauge the algae growth you can expect. With the light levels I like for sps and the nutrient levels I like to keep for coral colors and growth, I have to scrub the glass about every 2-3 days to keep it clear. Hair algae and cyano on the rocks is just something younger tanks under 2 years old tend to get a lot, regardless of light and nutrient levels

 

[KnightlyBuzz]

Thanks guys.