Lights In Aggresive Fowlr Tank

[sidneybrooksjr]

How long should you keep lights on? I turn my lights on at 5:30 am and turn off at 8:30 pm. is this too much lighting..

clown trigger
harlequin tusk
blue line trigger

 

[capt. insano]

I posted on your other thread, also \

I have mine on from 5:30 - 10:30 pm. That way I can view them when I am home. 13 hours is overkill on a FOWLR tank, IMO

 

[BTTRFLYGRL]

Its fine if you like those unsavory kinds of algae! I would reduce to 6-8 hours at the most

 

[marrone]

I run my lights from 7:00am - 9:30-10:30pm. There is no over kill on the lighting as this isn't a reef tank. The fish will be fine with lights on that long. Also if you count the indirect lighting, unless the room is very dark after the lights go off, you'll have actually even more light hitting the tank.

 

[FMarini]

For a fish only tank you dont need any more lighting than ambient, its all for your convienence. I would say run on your lights when your home to watch them. My concern w/ all that light is nuscience algaes. FO tanks tend to have higher nutrient loads and excess lighting= algae

 

[capt. insano]

What I meant by overkill was wasted electricity and promoting undesireable algae growth (as our tanks generally have much higher nutrient levels than do reef tanks)

 

[moogoomoogoo]

I have staging of the lights on mine. Relatively dimmer lights come on first and later, when I'm actually home, both lights are on for my enjoyment. I hope this reduces both algae as well as my electric bill.

 

[LRS078]

the lights are more for your enjoyment than anything else.... Unless you have gonzo reef spec lighting it will not make that much of a difference. Watch your fish, enjoy your fish, save electricity when you are not there....

 

[marrone]

It's very important to have a set time lights go on and off. It creates a less stress environment for fish as they will get use to when the light go on and off and will start to find their hiding spaces for the night just before the lights go off. The same for when the light come on as you don't want to just blast them with bright lights. It's also better to have the lights come on gradually or even have some light in the room first before the lights come on.