photo periods

[mark]

What we need is some PAR measurements on a reef in Bali say logged hourly for a year, imported in to controller hooked up to a set of calibrated Sfiligoi dimmable MH lights.

[Madreefer]

This may be a stupid question, but should there be a time of total darkness? When my actinics and MH are off my moonrays are on which gives my tank light 24/7

[Oscar]

Originally Posted by Madreefer

but should there be a time of total darkness?

Would the ocean be exposed to light 24/7? Probably not. A full moon only appears once every 28 days and even then you would have to expect some clouds to block some moonshine.

[lorenz0]

Originally Posted by fishytime

I am not at all harassing Laurier (we know each other outside the forum). Is this not the reason why we post here? To gain insight and benefit from others experience(s)? I am just saying that he is making changes to the way he is running his system based on the fact that he feels the light is too intense for his sps.( 6x39w HOT5s???). I am just trying to make the point that his system is very young and this fact is more likely the cause of some of his sps loosing color.

Reducing the lighting cycle will darken the colors of sps. The coral reacts to the lack of light by darkening itself in an attempt to absorb as much of the available light as it can. Much like the difference between wearing a black shirt or a white shirt in the summertime(mmmmm summer).

ya i know its young, and your more than welcome to come over and take a peak. after only a day and a bit I have noticed a big change in polyp extension in my tank. I purchased this branching sps last week and it has made the biggest change out of all the other ones in my tank. when it was at red coral polyps were fully out all the time. when i brought it home polyps haven't had the greatest extension like how it was at the store till now.

I will have to bump this thread in a month with updates. So far its working great

[marie]

Originally Posted by lorenz0

.... after only a day and a bit I have noticed a big change in polyp extension in my tank...

To play devils advocate, better polyp extension is not always necessarily a good thing. It could be a sign that the corals are starving

[Reefer Rob]

Don't you find that when you have more polyp extention it happens at a time when your corals are growing well and have their best color? When the polyps are retracted on a coral in my tank it's always when it's not happy.

[marie]

Originally Posted by Reefer Rob

Don't you find that when you have more polyp extention it happens at a time when your corals are growing well and have their best color? When the polyps are retracted on a coral in my tank it's always when it's not happy.

Polyps on an sps coral are there to catch food, usually there is more food in the water at night which is why you get better night time extension. If a coral is hungry and/or if there is food in the water it extends polyps to maximize food catching potential.
A coral that wants to eat is healthy, a coral that needs to eat because it's not getting enough food from photosynthesizing is not

[Reefer Rob]

I was trying to simplify things.

Forget all the theories about what a coral needs or wants. Nobody really seems to know anyway... at least it's been debated to death.

I'm talking about when you're sitting in front of your tank, and you say to yourself "man, everything is looking sooo good now!" Your corals are growing like weeds, and the color hurts your eyes.

fuzzy sticks are healthy sticks... No?

[marie]

Well I did say I was playing devils advocate and showing better polyp extension just because you have drastically cut back your photo period is not necessarily a sign of health

[lorenz0]

so true marie and i agree. its wierd though, some will have great polyp extension and others won't during the day. right now i am super interested how this turns out.