Lighting time on advice
 

I have just picked up a 250w metal halide with 2 65w atinics. I also have 4 T5HO (24w each) 1 atinic, 1 coral growth (6500k?) and 2 10,000k.

So here is what I want to do: atinics come on at 5:45am so I can feed fish before work, T5 days come on at 8am, 250 halides come on at 3pm. Then at 7pm T5's and Metal halide turn off. 8:45pm atinics turn off.

So I will have 15hrs of atinics and 11hrs of day light. Any thoughts/advice would be awsome :)

It might be overkill. I would gradually work you way up to that much. I think its possible but i think you should play on the safe size. How deep is tank and what are you keeping for corals?

What chris88 said & asked and how high off the tank are the light's

My tank is about 20" tall and the T5's are currently about 4-5" above that and the metal halides are 7-8" above. When I build the canopy this week all the lights positions will be reversed.

If you guys recommend having them higher I need to know tonight because tomarrow I start cutting :)

In my tank I have cabbage coral, pulsing xenia, frog spawn, mushrooms, candy cane coral, zoas, flower pots, kenya tree, GSP, toad stools. I also have a clam. All of the low light stuff is near bottom and off to the sides. All the higher light stuff is center and positioned higher.

i wouldnt move them higher unless they are in risk of being splashed by salt water. I just think you should build up to that long of a photoperiod. My only concern is the duration not the intensity. Can't you feed the fish when you get home and not have the actinics come on so early? I find the fish eat better later in the day anyways.

I will gradually work the intensity up and I can certainly feed the fish in the evening. To reduce the duration what time should I move the atinics on to?

Also I should note that when its time for my next bulb change I am considering changing all the T5's to different daytime colors without atinics. I will still have 2 65w atinics.

here is how mine are, not saying it is right but just to give you an idea. I have 4 sets of 2 bulbs per 4' of tank, so 1st bank comes on at 9, 2nd at 10, 3rd at 11 and 4th at 12. Then shut off in reverse starting at 6 pm.

I could do something similar with the atinics on, 2 T5's, 2 T5's, Metal halides and then reverse. Better simulation of ocean brightness. I like that idea.

Good idea, but it woulnd't run light for more then 12hours. If you are looking to try some different t5's that are not actinic try the following, kz new gen, kz fiji purple, or kz superblue which are similar to an actinic but with a broader blue spectrum and higher par.

12 hrs of light is good period.... any more and your just feeding algae. your corals and especially fish dont need that many hours of light at 8 come on my t5"s and at 3 come on my halides the halides come off at 7 and everything else at 8 .lately ive been keeping my lights on longer for buyers to see the coral opened but thats my usual schedule:):)