How long is to long

[cygmark]

Hey guys i just wanted everyones opinion on how i should run my lighting setup as in how long the lights should be on and such.

I have a 72" coralife fixture, 3-250 wattMH, and 4 36 power compacts(atinics)

What should my lighting schedual be.

I have 1 bubble tip anenome, and 3 turbo snails and 4 chromis,(starter crew)

The tank has been running for just over 2 weeks, i have started to get a layer of greenish brown slime on some of the rocks to.

Any help would be appericiated.

Thanks
Josh

[The Grizz]

Hey Josh, your MH should only run 6 hrs continuios as I have been told. As in my case for an example my lights run as follow's:

Actinics 9 am - 9pm
Fiji Purple 10am - 8 pm
10000K 11am - 7pm
3 - 250 MH 14000K 1pm - 6pm
Moon light's 9pm - 6am

This seem's to work for me, you could run your MH for a couple hrs & have them shut off for a couple hr's, but have them on for when you are around the most for viewing.

Greg

[globaldesigns]

I have a 4 ft version of what you have. I run my MH for 11 hours with PC's for 12 hours, remainder are the moon lights

[The Grizz]

Originally Posted by globaldesigns

I have a 4 ft version of what you have. I run my MH for 11 hours with PC's for 12 hours, remainder are the moon lights

Ricks tank is awesome, I have seen it in living color.

Rick do you run the MH for 11 hrs straight?

[globaldesigns]

Originally Posted by The Grizz

Ricks tank is awesome, I have seen it in living color.

Rick do you run the MH for 11 hrs straight?

Yup, I run it straight.

You will get varied ideas on time, what Greg is doing isn't wrong either. The longer you leave the lights on the more growth time you can get for the coral.

Maybe you can start with 6 hours and increase over time to see how the coral and fish react. If you start seeing adverse affects, then back off one increment.

When I first started, I was at 8 hours for my MH, increased to 11 and left them at that.

Greg, next time in Calgary come on by to see the tank again, can give you a frag of Star Polyps if you want. You can see how the NP BioPellets are working. This stuff is really starting to kick in, I am now really happy with the tank results.

[cygmark]

Yeah i was running my MH for 12 hrs, but i think thats why i have the brown stuff forming on the rocks and such, i should back it off hey mabey to 6hrs a day?

[The Grizz]

Hey Josh,

Rick's idea of starting with 6 hrs and then increasing to see what your coral like's is dead on. I have not increased my lighting time once I figured out what I liked but will have to play with it on the new tank if I ever get it going.

Rick, sounds good, would like to see what you have going on these days.

[Doo]

cool thread!

I run my MH 2X150 w for 11.5 hours

[the marine apprentice]

my 250mh is on for 12hrs and my pc are on for 14hrs. and i just leave the moonlights on 24/7.

[new but handy]

Isn't the vertex 100 rated for a 100g aquarium?
has your tank only been running for 2 weeks or has it been 2 weeks since your cycle finished? IMO these are the reasons for your brown algea