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View Full Version : What light cycle works best for you?


Mythicalelf
03/05/2015, 06:57 PM
Just wondering what your total time with lights on is in a day.

ca1ore
03/05/2015, 07:27 PM
Since most of the animals we keep come from locations close to the equator, a 12 on/12 off cycle seems to make the most sense.

whosurcaddie
03/05/2015, 07:28 PM
10 for me.

killinit123
03/05/2015, 08:55 PM
i do a total of 9 blues come on at 12 full spec come on at 1230 full spec off at 830 blues off at 9.... and i have amazing growth... you have to take into account that even tho at the equator it is 12 hours of light it is not 12 hours consecutive light for instance cloud cover stormy days etc.

Mythicalelf
03/06/2015, 12:55 PM
I was thinking I was going to run mine for @9-10hrs.
I just didn't want to produce unwanted algae.

Kyle461
03/06/2015, 12:59 PM
I have full spec running 10 hrs with blues running two hours on either side of it. That gives me 10 hrs dark in between.

Scorpius
03/06/2015, 01:01 PM
10 hrs right now. May go longer down the road.

FraggledRock
03/06/2015, 01:26 PM
i have my t5 fixture running at 8 hours, i have the 6500k 2 hours before and one hour after. then moonlight 450nm blues all night with the sump light coming on from 9pm to 7am

billdogg
03/06/2015, 01:28 PM
12on/12off always have, probably always will. I figure most of what we keep is from near the equator where the seasons are all pretty much the same.

hth

FraggledRock
03/06/2015, 01:36 PM
12on/12off always have, probably always will. I figure most of what we keep is from near the equator where the seasons are all pretty much the same.

hth

thats my same logic =) im glad someone shares that observation and do not detach the physical characteristics of their natural homes. people forget that yes its a fish tank, but the natural world needs to be created for them to thrive =P

cincyjim
03/06/2015, 01:38 PM
Mine begin at 10:30am with full lights on at 11:00am and then full lights off at 4:00pm with all lights off at 7:00pm. Moonlights run from 9:00pm to 5:00am. Lights are 6 t5 bulbs at 54 watts each.

Goldndoodle
03/06/2015, 01:47 PM
I'm running about 9 hours on the 12k & 14k LED fixtures, closer to 11 hours on the Actinic fixture.

My LEDs are controlled by my APEX, so they ramp up and ramp down according to a curve I have programmed for each fixture. I also have 90 minute cloud programs setup for Sun, Mon, Wed & Fri - that run in mid-morning, high noon and mid-afternoon on those days. The cloud programs fluctuate from a max lighting intensity of 50% - 65% down to min intensities of 10% - 20% depending on the fixture, which cloud program is running, and what day it is. I've managed to program what appears to be some pretty random cloud light levels to occur on those days.

At night time I have an APEX Lunar Simulation Module for moonlights - I have it programmed to vary the light intensity based on the real moon, but not to follow the moonrise / moonset timing.

top shelf
03/06/2015, 01:49 PM
My actinics come on at 6am then whites at 10am then whites off at 6pm actinics off at 8pm then moonlights 8pm-6am. Refugium lighted run 8pm-6am.

Mythicalelf
03/17/2015, 07:21 AM
Wow a lot of diverse in light control on tanks.

Wazzel
03/17/2015, 07:27 AM
I run 14 hours total, but that is 5 hours of ramping up, 4 hours at max power, 5 hours ramping down. Yes LEDs.

pyithar
03/17/2015, 07:51 AM
blue 9am on 9pm off
white 10am on 6pm off
moon 8pm on 3am off, 6am on 10am off

Dmorty217
03/17/2015, 07:54 AM
I adjust my light schedule to when I'm around my tank and can enjoy it. So it changes over the summer when I work different hrs

scooter31707
03/17/2015, 08:03 AM
12 hours a day. Blue lights on at 8am and stay on while White lights on at 10am. White lights go off at 6pm, Blue lights off at 8pm.

ajespo85
03/17/2015, 08:03 AM
I run blues from 8:30am-9pm and my whites from 9am-8:30pm.

Mythicalelf
03/17/2015, 09:22 AM
Those of you running @12hrs or longer do you ever run into any algae problems from it?

I run mine at@10 right now but was wanting to maybe turn them on sooner.

My actinics and led stunner strips come on @11:30a-9:30p
My 10k come on @12:30-8:30