Overlighting Sps

[Bob 1000]

I have grown plants before on a 24hour lighting schedule... But has anyone ever lit their tank for 24hr.s???
I was thinking:chefico: about lighting my tank for 24hrs to see if my Sps would benefit from it... I've noticed some serious growth with higher Calcium, Alkalinity, and Mag levels and this made me think.. Maybe they will grow faster with a loger lighting schedule
When I went from 12 hours to 8 I noticed a slower growth rate...Or maybe it was in my head,,lol..
What do you guys think???

 

[Teddy]

i think keeping the light on 24/ 7 will just increase your growth in hair algae lol,

 

[Bob 1000]

That's why I'm starting a grass square in the middle of the dis[play to ready my tank for a 24 hour lighting cycle for about 3 months.. If no one can tell me it's bad...

 

[JLAudio]

Im curious if it would stress the fish out, not having natural (or semi) light cycles. Just a thought

 

[cali_reef]

Why would you need to light your tank that much if you have crazy SPS growth already?

Must be trying to keep that water warm in your never hot house :lol2:..

 

[Bob 1000]

I would like to see what the max growth rate on my corals is..I think to much while driving..

 

[Bob 1000]

Im curious if it would stress the fish out, not having natural (or semi) light cycles. Just a thought

I thought about that too.. But I have been on vacation and left the lights clicked on by accident for a week (7 days) and the fish were fine..

 

[littlebuck70]

I think leaving the lights on 24/7 will do more harm then good.

Does the sun stay out for 24 hours?

 

[Bob 1000]

I thought I would try this because I had left my tank lights on for 1 week straight before with no ill affects by accident...

 

[DontXtripNfall]

Atopic similar to this has been brought up before, I remember someone saying that corals can only absorb so much light in a day and in the evening when all is dark they release gases.. and don't most corals have sweeper tentacles out at night?

 

[ssmtcarlo]

Yea i think Sean had said that in one of his threads.

 

[Deanos]

Feeding a Coral Reef Aquarium - S. Joshi

Excerpts:

Zooxanthelle are unicellular algae that live within the coral polyp, and are the primary producers that produce food energy via photosynthesis. The autotrophic mode of feeding involves the translocation of the photosynthetic products produced by the symbiotic zooxanthallae to the coral polyp tissues. Research has shown that the total energy demand cannot be met by photosynthesis alone. The corals spend energy for the following functions: respiration, mucus production, growth and reproduction. Respiration accounts for 60-70% of the energy budget of the coral, and for most hermatypic corals the ratio of gross photosynthesis to respiration is slightly greater than one. Hence corals need to provide the additional energy needs via other means.

Research in predatory feeding has shown that, even in corals with polyps active in the daytime, polyps hunt more efficiently at night.

 

[boozeman]

would be an interesting experiment to conduct, sort of like a sleep deprivation study for corals.

 

[bigyankfan]

Note to littlebuck70 - the Sun does stay out 24 hours a day - Astronomy 101 :tongue1:

 

[Deanos]

:lol2:

 

[Bob 1000]

All of my Sps have good polyp extension.. So matbe if I spot fed during the day that would be enough to deprive them of the night cycle...
Plants also go through respiration so maybe corals would benefit from a longer light cycle..
So the only down side I've seen so far is water temp and electric... And maybe hair algae..

 

[cali_reef]

How do one "spot feed" SPS corals?

 

[Deanos]

This thread is full of "innovations" :shhh:

 

[aaron]

Some fish will definitely find 24 hour lights stressful, depending on what types of fish you have. Many wrasses have a definite sleep cycle where they bury themselves in the sand. I would say almost all vertebrate need a sleep cycle, you cant just keep swimming around for ever.
Can you test this in a special tank without fish? otherwise could you shade a portion of the tank to create a dark refuge for your fish?

 

[Bob 1000]

How do one "spot feed" SPS corals?

Not really spot feed,,, but stop all current and give the corals some food by squirting food from a salifert syringe over the corals slowly.. I have been using the rinsed filter sock method of feeding my Sps the last couple of days.. I read up on this on a sight about gonipora feeding..