HOW TO SET MOONLIGHT
There are many aquarists who feel that moonlight is an important part of the photoperiod required for corals; this is not the case at all. Moonlight is purely for visual effects and it serves no purpose for coral growth. In fact it can do harm to corals if used throughout the evening.
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Corals, like terrestrial plants need a photoperiod break or rest to carry out the biological processes that are required for good healthy growth. Keeping your moonlights on throughout the night can have a negative reaction to your corals by not allowing them the rest they need. Real moonlight produces no more than 0.2 and a high of 1 Lux in tropical latitudes. There is no measurable PAR but corals do sense the light being emitted because the moon reflects about 13% of the sun’s rays. Moonlight appears blue but there is no blue in it and this is known as the
The first thing that will come to readers minds is the Lunar Cycle and why this does not affect the growth of corals in the wild. The answer is that the Lunar Cycle consists of 14.7 days of moonlight and 14.7 days of darkness. During the moonlight phase, Lux levels vary from 0 to not more than 1Lux.
To be on the safe side, it is recommended that your moonlight effects (I3 or channel 3) not be set higher than 10% during the evening hours. This will ensure that your corals and other photosynthetic animals get the proper rest and can process the night time biological functions.
To set moonlight effects go to MY PROGRAM and select which program you wish to store this in. You can select A, B, or C. When you have made your choice, press the SET button for at least three seconds. When the next window comes up, select I3 and press SET. You can then begin programming the example moonlight program below. Your personal moonlight time can be changed to suit your needs. You must press SET momentarily after every point is entered.
Point 1 – 1900 0%
Point 2 – 1915 10%
Point 3 – 2130 10%
Point 4 – 2200 0%
Point 5 – 0000 0%
Point 6 – 0000 0%
Point 7 – 0000 0%
When all the data has been entered, press and hold the SET button for at least three seconds. This will save the program to memory.