Sps lighting question

[1bitereefer]

I have a 40 cube, with 2 Kessil a360we and 4 blue plus t5. Wondering for my new build being sps dominate how long your lighting schedule is. The plan now is to go t5 for 10 hours and led for 8 with a hour ramp up and down. I’ve also thought about doing the Kessil a for 10 with 2 hour ramp up and down and t5’s for 8. Or should I go with a 12 hour schedule. Going to let the tank age for 3-4 months without corals and a month with no lights. But want to have a plan. 

[1bitereefer]

Bump

[epleeds]

I run my radions for 12 hours. It’s mainly personal preference. Anywhere from 8-12 hours would be fine. With the LED’s it’s all about the intensity. I only run mine at 70%. 

[YHSublime]

My lights come on later because pretty much so do I, lol. I run from about noon till 10pm, no ramping up or down, like EP I run mine in the 70% strength, for the full 10 hours.

[Origami]

I run my radions for 12 hours. It’s mainly personal preference. Anywhere from 8-12 hours would be fine. With the LED’s it’s all about the intensity. I only run mine at 70%. 

I think that my Radion XR30 Pros run the same schedule and intensity.

[GraffitiSpotCorals]

There are to many variables with led to say x will work in any situation. I would research a lot about how people light similar sized tanks. Eric’s tank is large and he only uses a few fixtures to light it. 
For what it’s worth the best sps tanks I have seen have their fixtures hung high enough to run them with whites at or near 100% and they have close to twice the manufacturers recommended amount of fixtures.  These are acropora dominated tanks and if your just doing simple easy sps corals you can probably get away with a lot less, especially with four t5 along side them. 
I run my four orpek bars which I use alongside my two halides for 12 hours and my halides for 7. 

[lynn.reef.nerd]

My 120 gallon mix (sps dominant) reef has 4 - t5s and 3 hydras 26s. 

 

12 hours of total light

1100-1200 ramp up

1200-2200 100% blue and purple, 10% white, 10% green, 15% red

1300-2100 T5s turn on (blue+)

2200-2300 ramp down

 

Gives me around 700 par at the water level. 500ish par at the top of my rocks and around 100-150 on the sand bed. 

[sethsolomon]

1 hour ago, lynn.reef.nerd said:

Gives me around 700 par at the water level. 500ish par at the top of my rocks and around 100-150 on the sand bed. 

 

 

+1 to this.  awesome range to shoot for on SPS tanks.    I had about the same par with 250w halides and t12 VHOs  On my old 120g.  I had amazing growth.   

 

I will be running 2x Radion zr30 g4's and 4x 36" t5's on my 150 cube so I am right there with you on figuring on if it will be enough light.

 

 

also remember that lights are only 1/3 of the equation of what SPS need (I have to constantly tell myself that when I troubleshoot growth and coloration on my tank).  They also need constant stable water parameters and nice high flow.

[1bitereefer]

awesome thanks for all your answers, The plan is to let the tank mature for around 3 months and to then place a couple test corals in. 10-12 hour schedule sounds best. I do have twice the recommended light for the tank though i think my best bet is to get a hold of a par meter during this 3 month cycle of quarantining and adding fish.