[Cowiebunga]

I need to know the lighting schedule to program my timers, main lights stay on for 8 hours or 10 hours and actinics stay on for a hour before and after the day lights? I couldn't find anyone that posted this..

Also looking for picture of tank with different bulbs, Like 10,000k , 15,000k, 20,000k. I want to see how they look before i spend 60 bucks on a bulb... thanks!

[Taras1]

Generally, start with 8 hours a day for "all lights - actinics and daylights" with your actinics starting about an hour before. Watch your livestock and see how they're responding.

$60/bulb - egad!!! What are you using?

[NATIVEVAMAN]

Some observations I have made concerning bulb color (degrees Kelvin).Since the second color of bulb came on the market a million studies have been done on which color provided the best coral growth and 6500k always wins.Questions such as the one you asked have been repeated a thousand times and 20000k always wins when it comes to the look of a tank.The oposite is true of both bulb colors,6500k makes the tank yellow and ugly and 20000k has the worst coral growth.So now folks add actinic lights (420 t0 450 nm) to improve growth and the look of different bulbs.With bulbs of 6500k to 12000k I can see adding actinics.Above that point adding blue light to blue light seems just a bit over the edge.With t-5 lighting its simple enough to mix and match bulbs to get a custom look and reasonable growth.With metal halide its a bit more dificult to mix things up.Something that has recently crossed my mind is the idea of mixing 6500k t-5 with the high k metal halide bulbs.I see this as being a reasonable plan to get back some of the growth lost by using the high k bulbs for a good look.

[dinor2]

Interesting thought Nativeman... I'm planning on trying different bulbs when the ones I have need to be replaced, but, I shouldn't replace them all at once, right? I'd like to try 2 420's 2 10,000k and 2 6500's, 39ws each. With what you were talking about, does that sound like the 10k's will compensate for the 6500s or does it sound like I'd need more blues?
I'm with Cowiebunga, I'm a visual person, pictures of different light set ups on tanks would be great!

[NATIVEVAMAN]

The only way to get a reasonable comparison between bulbs would be to have the pic taken with the same tank and camera but with different bulbs.Changing bulbs slowly is never a bad idea.I would say that 12000k's may be a better choice in the combo you listed above.Having a slightly high level of blue is not a bad thing.However there is nothing like ballance when there are all 20000k bulbs and actinic.I may be among the few who are willing to give up some of the "look"in order to gain some element of coral growth.

[Cowiebunga]

I have seen it once before somewhere of different pictures. I have a 12 gallon aquapod I just got it is the HQI series with the Mh and lunar lights. It has a 14,000K MH 70w bulb in it I want to upgrade it but should i lighting and stuuf get way too complicated for me. lol

thanks

[NATIVEVAMAN]

Kevin,I think you are just right in the lighting dept.Any actinic lighting would more than likely be to big for the tank.

[WILLIAM1]

Heres a good link for ya..
CnidarianReef: Lamp Tests

[NATIVEVAMAN]

Thanks William, that is exactly the kind of test I was talking about.The rest of that data could put 4 men to sleep lol.

[Cowiebunga]

thanks alot that excatly what i was meaning too.