whats your photoperiod?

[atlantisaquariums]

just trying to get some posts going. coming up on a month of no montgomery posts. just wondering what photoperiods you guys are doing and on what. for example 12 hours of actinics with 10 hours of 10k mh on sps and zooanthids.
i have heard of people using just 4 hours of metal halides a day for sps!!!!something to do with corals only needing 4 hours and using thier surplus energy to manage the excess light of the day. so with just 4 hours they can use that surplus energy to grow! i havnt tried this yet but i plan to once i get a new set up for that purpose.

also if anyone would like to share cool bulb/color combinations . like i have seen phenomenal results with 2 or 3 blue (450-460) 2 true actinic (420) and just one 6000k t5's

i have a customer using 2 36" vho actinics, 3 blue (450) t5's and one 6000k t5. she says she is finally happy with her colors.

 

[gflat65]

I run mine probably too long. They are set up to be on for actual sunrise/sunset +/- one hour for VHO's (maybe an hour and a half), and actual sunrise/sunset +/- .5 hrs on MH.

 

[gflat65]

That's for all of my tanks (most of the stuff in the livingroom and sunroom is on the controller).

 

[atlantisaquariums]

yep

so aprox 12 hours for actinics or blues and 5 hours for metal halides.

are halide lifespans based on 12 hours a day? they say halides should be replaced after like 6 ro 8 months? if that is the case then someone burning halides for 4 to 5 hours a day should be able to burn them for like almost 2 years. do think this is the case?

 

[alix2.0]

i run my t5s for 8 hours a day

 

[JR's Reef]

Mines on 8hrs a day MH only.

 

[H@rry]

VHO Actinics on @ 8 AM
Outside MHs on @ 10 AM
Center MH on @ 12 ??? (I always get noon and midnight mixed up on AM/PM). I'm referring to noon here.

Center MH off @ 4 PM
Outside MHs off @ 6 PM
VHO Actinics off @ 8 PM

I change the VHO and outside MHs every year and the middle MH every two years.

 

[gflat65]

More like 10-11 hours of MH and 12-13 hours of VHO right now (more sun in the summer than winter). Seems like VHO's/actinics run from ~6:30AM to ~9:00, and MH are something like 8-8, roughly. I'd have to check how I've got it programmed again. I need to reduce it, but I like to know it has come on before I go to work (comfort level that everything is working correctly), and I like it to be on for a little whle when I'm home...

I replace VHO's every six months, T5's every year (or 9 months if they appear to have lost a good bit), DE MH every year, and SE MH every 9 months. I'm dropping VHO's with the next change out and going to T5's.

 

[H@rry]

Hijack

Please allow me the privilege of a slight hijack here since we're on the subject of lighting.

Gary, you say you're changing from VHOs to T5s. Why? I'm in the process of adding Actinics to my frag tank and haven't decided which way to go. I have T5 Actinics on one of my display tanks and they don't look like my URI VHOs. What is your reasoning behind switching.

Also, while we're talking lighting - on your conventional incandescent lights (lamps and overhead lights) they seem to be deteriated by the on/off cycle. Mine always blow when I turn them on. I think it's the induced voltage from the first split second of power. Has there been any discussion or study to see if the number of on/off cycles has any effect of the life cycle. In other words, would my lights deteriorate faster if I burned them for 4 hours twice a day (letting them cool down between cycles) as opposed to a steady 8 hour cycle? Since there's no filament to heat and cool probably not but I have wondered about that.

 

[atlantisaquariums]

dont forget to mention what color temp bulb combinations and if you are happy with the colors.

 

[gflat65]

H@rry,

The main reason for the switch is efficiency. I can get a year out of T5's, but only about 6 months out of VHO bulbs. I've seen a few tanks with MH and T5 supps and liked them, but would likely have to play with my current lighting scheme (MH) to get what I'm looking for. I like it blue to the purple side, so I wil be giving up a little going to T5's... I'm sure it'll be another 'adventure'...

 

[TritonsGarden]

Also, while we're talking lighting - on your conventional incandescent lights (lamps and overhead lights) they seem to be deteriated by the on/off cycle. Mine always blow when I turn them on.

This due to the sudden increase of temperature on the filament when first turned on. The sudden temperature rise causes the filament to expand. Over time, it is stressed to the point it breaks. Not sure if this has any effect on florescent.

Normally I run our lights for 10 hours. Recently cut back to 8 trying to keep the tanks cooler.

Jack

 

[Eddie Baby]

Right now, I only have 2x250W 20,000K SE XM's, which run for about 8.5 hours a day - 6 hours from 7AM to 1PM, then 2.5 hours from 5PM to 7:30PM. That way, they get plenty of light in the cooler part of the day, then I get to see the tank after I get home from work. Works fine, growth is fine, colors on animals (all sorts) are fine.