PoggiPJ

Hi Johan, I calculated mine by creating a spreadsheet. Each column represented an hour of time, and one row for each light, like this abbreviated example. 10PM | 11 PM | 12AM 250 | | 400 | 400 | 250 | | 400 | 400 | 250 | | 192 | 192 | 192 ------+-------+-----+ 1,742| 992 | 192 Add your totals = 2,926, or 2.9KWH I don't know if such a table of KWH for reef tanks exists. I am attempting to create one by first collecting data from lots of folks, then I will examine the results to see if I can identify any correlations. My original total KWH per day was almost 21KWH, and I've had a hair algae plague for over a year. I've tried cutting back feeding, Rowaphos, charcoal, chaeto, Phosban, water changes, with no results. I cut my lighting back to about 10KWH, and I've seen a difference in two days.

Thanks Chip, Eric, Can you tell me how close to the surface your bulbs are, and how long they're on during the day? Maybe it's my imagination, but today my mushrooms were more open than usual, the fish were noticably calmer, and the algae appeared "thinner" for lack of a better description. Observations tomorrow and the rest of the week will be more telling, I'm sure.

Hi, I've had a major hair algae (HA) problem for over a year, and reading scores of threads on the subject, I believe my lighting may be the cause. I would appreciate some lighting advice/opinions. The lighting over my 220Gal mixed reef is a total of 1,742 watts. This is in excess of 7 watts per gallon, on a 12 on - 12 off cycle. The bulbs are in a rack about 7" above a water surface area of 96" x 20". Depth is 30". Configuration: (250MH) (400MH) (250MH) (400MH) (250MH) ( ---- 96 watt 50/50 PC -----) (----96 watt 50/50 PC----) The total watt-hours per day was 1,742w x 12 hours per day = 20.9KW each day. After reading all the related lighting posts, I'm thinking that I've got WAY too much light. I've now altered the lighting cycle to yield a reduced total of 10.1KW each day. The max of 1,742 watts is now only on for 3 hours of that cycle, where before it was 1,742 for almost 12 hours. I am curious to hear the total wattage per day that you apply, your surface area and depth, bulb-surface distance, and whether or not you have an algae problem. If there are enough responses, would like to compile the responses into some sort of chart.

great, thanks. I'll check at Congressional next time I'm down in Rockville, and I think there's a Petco right around the corner from them.

Where do you buy your Silversides? I haven't been able to locate them in the 208XX zip code area. Do they go by another name?

I have two sets of false perculas, and they will eat very small chunks of shrimp. The other meat they will take is defrosted mysis shrimp. Where do you get silversides? I want to give them to my anemones but haven't seen them around here (Montgomery County)

Hi DSB, I'm in Gaithersburg too. Quince Orchard HS area. Just joined a week ago.