Graduated Lighting Period

[littleimp]

As my tank is going to have 3 sets of 54w tubes I was thinking perhaps I could switch them on gradually in pairs.....I'm using 3 x twin ballasts and was thinking this......

10am first pair on
11am second pair on, moonlights off, co2 on
12pm third pair on

8pm first pair off
9pm second pair off, moonlights on, co2 off
10pm third pair off

What do you think?? Do you think the tank or fish will see any benifit to this??

I'm also going to have the moonlights on an electronic timer so i can vary them being on or not to simulate the moon cycle, perhaps even control one off/on to simulate the moon moving across the tank?

 

[AndyTaylor]

I think it's a great idea. I'm not expert enough to know what effect it will have on your flora and fauna but it should look brilliant.
I was having ideas about doing similar with 12 or 14 12 inch T5 tubes running from front to back across the hood and some cold cathode tubes for moonlights. I believe a programmable digital switching relay thingy to control this is actually quite an inexpensive item, or so i'm told and it could control the CO2 at the same time.
I think i'll tackle the basic T5 upgrade first though.

Andy

 

[consp]

I think that'd be nice... It'd resemble the wild more then the standard on/off.

The fish may benifit from it a little... ever noticed how crazy your fish go when the lighs first go on? They can be startled by the lights esspcially if they are very bright. This'd startle them much less and it'll look nice too.

Sounds like your tank will eventually ressemble a real life environment. The fish'll love it!

 

[jimbooo]

thats exactly what i do but even more complicated. your photoperiod is too long. aim for 10-12 hours of light.

10 hours with all tubes on. use the other 2 hours for your sunrise/sunset.

i also have a siesta in the middle of 2 hours

 

[littleimp]

Ok, modded to suit 12hrs of light with a 2hr sunset/rise

What is the idea of a siesta??, bit strange sun turning off halfway through the day?? Bit like a daily eclipse

 

[jimbooo]

Ha Ha. in short plants are more adaptable to varying light than algae. do 12 hrs straight and unless conditions are ideal algae will out compete plants. mess with the light and the algae cant cope as well.

it just gives you more room for error on the fertalisation front. get it slightly wrong and the tank wont crash nearly as fast.

read gf225's algae and lighting pinned threads he explains it in more detail there.

 

[littleimp]

Ok, that sounds like a reasonable explanation, do you switch the co2 off too at that time??

 

[jimbooo]

mines a diy yeast/sugar kit so no. i cant turn it off.

 

[Bloo]

mines a diy yeast/sugar kit so no. i cant turn it off.

but do you think you would if you could ? because that's something I've wondered about too.
I actually read one of the Dennerle leaflets that recommends up to 5 hours siesta
So I'm trying that currently from 7 - 12pm (on) and then off until 5pm. Then on again at 5pm till 10pm.

Does that sound ok or are they talking rubbish ?

 

[jimbooo]

mines a diy yeast/sugar kit so no. i cant turn it off.

but do you think you would if you could ? because that's something I've wondered about too.
I actually read one of the Dennerle leaflets that recommends up to 5 hours siesta
So I'm trying that currently from 7 - 12pm (on) and then off until 5pm. Then on again at 5pm till 10pm.

Does that sound ok or are they talking rubbish ?

you've lost me there mate, are we talking about lights or co2?

 

[Bloo]

lol I thought I was quite clear there but reading back, it does sound a bit confusing.

I'm talking about both really.

Firstly, My CO2 is currently running from 7am till 10pm.
You said you have it running 24/7 = but my questions was: would you switch off your CO2 for the siesta (or night time) if you could ?

Now about lights: they are running from 7-12 and then again from 5-10 (because Dennerle said a 5 hour break is optimum - though of course they might be talking rubbish and you guys might think 2 hours are ideal.

Thoughts ?

 

[jimbooo]

ahh i see. sorry mate

co2 - yes i would turn off at night if i could but only if i was getting at least 30ppm during the day. having never used pressurised co2 i cant really advise on it. my fish are fine first thing in the morning so i know the overnight co2 is not causing any problems.

light - i'll sit on the fence there. i do know for certain that the siesta has an impact on algae from experience but i keep changing mine on each tank.

my photo period is different on each tank (experimenting). the 12G has 12 hours straight, 40G has 4 on 2 off 8 on (but as i'm using 4 tubes only 2 are on for 12 hours the other 2 10 hours, simulating sunrise/set twice a day. the cube has 10 hours, 2 on 4 off 8 on.

i've confused myself now..... all i can say is the plants pearl more with longer continious light.

i use the riccia as the gauge. it takes 4 hours to get a full pearl carpet going in the 40G hence the 4 on 2 off 8 on. (i'm assuming that the carpet of bubbles is indicating that the plants are getting enough light to be happy). in the 12G however i was not getting a full pearl carpet until late at night hence the current 12 hr straight experiment. the tank looks much healthier (more pearling than usual) but as i've only been doing this for a week i cant really comment on the long term viability of this longer photoperiod where algae is concerned, i'm guessing my hair algae will get worse but we'll see. i'll let you know how it goes in a few weeks.

 

[littleimp]

mines a diy yeast/sugar kit so no. i cant turn it off.

Couldn't you add a solenoid or do you think the pressure vessel would blow up with the pressure building up??

Just though when writing this if you did restrict it for several hours, if the pressure vessel did survive it would release the co2 into the tank like a jet as you have no regulator on these!!!