How long do you run your lights for?

[AdamN]

I was running my daylights for 8 hours and my actinics for 10. Although my coral has been growing like its on steroids for the past year, I knocked it down to 6 hours daylights and 7 hours actinic due to bacteria/algae growth. I think I will leave it at 6/7 hours permanently now.

How long do you run yours?

[groan]

im the same s you Adam, except my long cycle was much longer, almost 12 hours on.
down to approx 6 hrs now due to algae problems.

[Darth]

I run my actinics for 11 hours, and my daylights for 7, and my moonlights for 6

[sniggir]

I run my attinic for 12, one of my 400w MH for 8 and the other for 8 and the overlape each other for 4 hours

[percula99]

I run mine longer than you do.  My actinics are on 14 hours, and my MH are on 8 hours. That's more than enough for good coral growth. If you run yours even less and have good growth, that's great. If you are having lots of algae growth, check your phosphates. Algae needs phosphates to grow, not just light.

[SuperT]

10 hours total (1/2 hr each side actinics only).

Terry

[AdamN]

wow, alot of long cycles here! ... as for my phosphates, nitrates and all that, its been done, checked, 80% W/C all that stuff. My water is not the problem.

[redbelly]

How old are your bulbs?
And what type?

Which phosphate test kit are you using?

[AdamN]

Using API and its worked well for me. My bulbs are about a month old, all Geissmann. I replaced them because of the cyano problems I was having, but so far, no effect. Well I should not say that, for a few weeks things were looking up, then one day ... bam! it was back in full force.