how long do you leave your metal halides on for?

[30_gallon_guy]

i have a 35 gallon reef tank with two flourecent 6500k tubes. im getting a metal halide fixture (250 watt 10 000k). My question is how long should i have it on for during the day? iv herd of people only having theirs on for only two hours, but i wanna enjoy the halides longer than that. And is it ok to have the peek light exposure on at night rather than in conjunction with the regular day, becouse i dont want my halides on at like 1:00 when im not home.
thanks let me know
ps i dont have much in the tank yet except for some soft corals, but i wanna focus on large polyp stoney corals.
aleks

 

[Brisc0]

I run 2x400w 20K XMs about 10 - 12 hours a day and 2X96w PCs about 12 - 14 hours a day. I would however suspend the lights very high and lower a couple inches a week, or start out at about 1 hour a day ramping up a couple hours a day each week to avoid microwaving the corals you have in there now. When you go from a couple little tubes to 250W of MH its like going from a basement with a 100W bulb for light out into the mid day sun on the beach. Just be careful not to burn your corals and be mindful of temp swings and a new evap rate for top off. 250W on a 35 gallon reef should allow you to keep whatever you want if you careful with the smaller volume. Best of luck.

 

[30_gallon_guy]

thanks
great info
what size tank do you have? and what types of corals? do you have a pic?
aleks

 

[Brisc0]

I have a 105G tank with a fuge and a sump. I keep my volume up around 200+ gallons. I use a natural filtration system with a skimmer. About 200lbs of LR, between display and fuge with a 4" DSB. I keep SPS, LPS, Clams, and anemones. I use a tunze stream for flow. I try to keep it as basic as possible. I think there should be some pics in my gallery but I haven't updated them in a very long time. I got a little lax with my tanks for a few months and haven't been around very much, but im back in full swing again now.

 

[30_gallon_guy]

Whats a refugium and whats it used for?
im probably gonna get some LPS when i get my halide.

 

[WarOrks15]

well i have my 150 watt hqi on for 10 hours a day and the 26 watt pc 03 on for 12 hours a day. it is a 30 gal cube that is going to be a sps/clam tank.

 

[Brisc0]

A refugium is another tank tied into your tank. Its desinged as a predator free area where veggies can grow and micro fauna can florish. The veggies can be used for food for plant eating fish, and while they grow they naturally remove harmful nutrients from the water. The micro fauna also get into the water column and a swept into the display to keep a continual natural food source for fish, corals, and other inverts. I light my fuge reverse from when I light my main tank to keep the PH from swinging so much when the lights go out.
I highly recommed a fuge, its every bit as fun to watch as the main tank, just on a much smaller scale. Here is a pic of my fuge under my main tank.

 

[Brisc0]

well i have my 150 watt hqi on for 10 hours a day and the 26 watt pc 03 on for 12 hours a day. it is a 30 gal cube that is going to be a sps/clam tank

Thats awesome, I just got an oceanic cube up and cycled about three months ago with a 150W HQI myself. I have yet to add anything but a detritivore kit and clean up crew though. I can't decide what to do with it. (I got a big purple LTA and some pink skunk clowns today though and they may relocate to the cube) LoL I stuck a little bitty 5 gallon sump on it to hide all the equipment. Had to setup auto top off because the sump drains in like two days.

 

[WarOrks15]

ya i linked the 30 cube to the 46. and the sump they sare is a 10 gal tank. there will be a fug going on the system soo. i just have to find more room some how. but the 30 cubes make great tanks. that 150 HQI is great. i just finished the sysle and now have 50 lbs of live rock int here. i put one of the clams from the 46 in there along with some free acro i got from work. (they are noting great yet, they were brown and dieing when i got them but they are pulling back fast)

 

[Phyl]

My MH are currently running for 2 hrs a day, but I've just added them to my tank. When I'm done acclimating the tank the lights will be on for about 8 hours a day.