m/h lights question...

[marlon]

I just finish adding new rocks to my 72g reef tank after i had them curing in a separated container for almost 4 weeks, now my question is since these new rocks dont have that nice purple color yet should i keep the m/h lights on longer than usual???
I normally keep my lights on for 7 hours and in between the m/h lights for 3 hours.
Thanks
Marlon

 

[Arati]

nope

 

[pauliwalnuts]

Let me start off by suggesting that your light cycle should be around twelve hours a day. But if you 're cycling your tank, don't even turn them on yet. If there's no detection of amonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Start adding Alk+Cal+MAG and until you get corals in there and run only the actinics (for twelve hrs). Coraline algea loves the bluer spectrum of light. Once you get corals Mh's should be on for about 10 hrs. I like to run the actinics for an hour and a half before the MH's come on and then for a half after they go off.

 

[marlon]

thanks,
My 72g has been running for over 6 month already there some zoas and mushrooms, this thank was an update from a 40g tank, skimmer runnig perfect after i added these new rocks.

 

[marlon]

bump

 

[Master Shake]

12 hours is too much light for a reef tank with a metal halide

 

[pauliwalnuts]

12 hours is too much light for a reef tank with a metal halide

Really! Then what do you recommend as the correct light cycle ?

 

[Arati]

I run my MH for 9hrs a day. with 3 hrs of atinic only dawn dusk simulation.

 

[pauliwalnuts]

I run my MH for 9hrs a day. with 3 hrs of atinic only dawn dusk simulation.

Nice... 12hrs seem to work good for me too.

 

[marlon]

I run my MH for 9hrs a day. with 3 hrs of atinic only dawn dusk simulation.

wow 9 hr of m/h lights........??? how big is ur tank?

 

[FMF0331]

My halide are on for 7 hours and atinics for 10 hours

 

[Arati]

my tank is 65g , I have 250w radium. 14" above the water.

let me try to explain this im not really good at explanations. so..

Different people keep corals that come from different depths. In my case I only keep corals that grow in verry shallow water. acro,mille, some zoa and pally, I keep my Magnific directly under the light. I keep less light loving corals farther away and deeper. I even keep a few chalice in the corners kind of out of the light .

I guess the real reason for the MH is the Magnifica.

Acans and other LPS do not do well in my tank I have to much flow and to much light. By having a single point of light, I can place corals where they do best. oddll enough favia tends to do great in my system... I dont keep any softys..

sorta want to figure out what kind of reef its gonna be and then work from there, imo .. well in such a small tank like mine anyway.