Well now that I have the orphek natura icons, I actually set my cycle to the default cycle with a few adjustments to be more blue towards the late arvo. Set and forget has been great on these lights and the corals love them! But overall I generally do a 12 hour on off cycle. And with the ramping ability it's been easy to adjust intensity. I also use the clouds cycle to let the corals have a break from the higher intensity throughout the day.
I ask others on R2R how they do it!
I search reef2reef.com to see what others that have come before me have done.
Great question, I have no idea, but perhaps it helps with the fish/corals' circadian rhythms?
Melting lenses. Three guesses which!
I understand it helps coral health and spawning.
www.reef2reef.com
I have thoroughly researched the types of corals I have and their original environments, including whether they came from local fish store (LFS) frags, frags from friends, or special orders. Initially, I place all new corals in a holding frag tank for inspection. During this time, I reduce the light intensity and shorten the duration to minimize stress from transportation. Gradually, I move them to the main display tank, starting in areas with lower PAR (Photosynthetically Active Radiation), and monitor their response over time. Nearly all the coral losses I’ve experienced have been due to infections leading to RTN (Rapid Tissue Necrosis) or STN (Slow Tissue Necrosis), rather than light bleaching.
Set it and forget it is top priority. I prefer not having to deal with cleaning fans or wiping/changing out lenses.
Well I kept light intensity too low for a long time by mistake but I'm slowly raising it.
I adjusted my light intensity using a par meter to make sure it is in within acceptable ranges for my corals. Figuring out the duration took a little bit of trial and error along with researching what others with similar setups are doing.
I think it will improve the natural coloration on most corals but especially certain SPS
