Lighting period

[Lee Stearns]

Ok - I have a real mixed bag of lights that I have adjusted and added to over time. Do not have the pics to show as Yomeister66 did.

Thought I would note my recent addition-

I had seen how much par folks were getting out of the T5s and so I picked up a TEK T5 retro kit from BRK.

I was running 4 VHO actinics and two DE 250W 10K AB metal halides.

I thought to add the two T5s as white light as 440 watts of actinic VHO is plenty and I wanted to graduate the lighting though a photo period.

SO I now have:

VHO actinics on at 10:00 AM

T5 actinic white at 12:00

MHs on at 3:30 PM

MHs off at 8:00 PM

T5 whites off at 10:00 PM

VHO actinics off at midnight

 

I run the lights of america 6500K light on the fuge at night off cycle of the main tank.

WHen I changed out 10K Ab bulbs in the past I aclimated by leaving the top of the tank open which raised the new bulbs about 12 inches and angled the light about 30 or so degrees for a few days.

When I added the T5s last week I did not do any aclimation but am runnning the MH about 2 hours less a day than I was- and see no problems in my corals aclimation- The main reason for adding the T5s was to extend bulb life on the MHs, get a bit more light at peak period, make the photo period a bit more like nature and add a bit less heat. It also burns a bit less electricity. If and when the T5 actinics ever become as effective as VHO actinic I might change out the VHO just to reduce electricity cost and get greater bulb life with some less heat- but all in all I am very pleased with my lighting now and my coral colors. Besides their is no more room in the canopy to put anything else

Next toy is to get the calcium reactor up and running.