So what if you work 12 hour days?

[skosloski]

Hi Guys!

So my husband just bought me for xmas Fluval LED 2.0 and there is not a timer on this light? I work 12 hour days and if I put corals in there I don't want them to die off because I couldn't get home within a certain amount of hours to turn them off. What are your suggestions? Are there corals that can be on high light for 12 hours? What does everyone else do while at work?

Also looking for beginner coral options"¦. what can I have with these lights?

Also yellow tang we just got about a week ago or so has a yellow stripe on the side of it I noticed since we took it home? I checked the water and all seemed to be okay"¦ Not sure if thats normal or not.

Thanks so much!

 

[OllieNZ]

I'd pick up a plug in timer, it goes in the wall socket and then you plug the light/device into it.
With that light (depending on tank size) you'll need to look at low light corals like mushrooms and maybe zoas higher up in the tank.

 

[OllieNZ]

Can you please list your tank dimensions, gallonage, time in operation and current stock list. These things will help us give you the best advice we can.

 

[gone fishin]

I have worked rotating 12's since I have had my tank. A simple light timer, found at any big box store will do the trick for the lights. I am on a 4 on 4 off schedule and have found that if I do my maintenance on my off days and just feed the fishes while on work days things go a lot smoother. good luck just my 2 cents.

 

[Julius Chen]

I thought corals getting a few more hours light a day than natural lighting hours should have no problem at all?

 

[OllieNZ]

I thought corals getting a few more hours light a day than natural lighting hours should have no problem at all?

Not for the corals but it may promote algae growth especially if you have strong lights

 

[Desert Sea]

I have Fluval's 2.0 Planted light on my freshwater planted tank. The lights don't come with a timer, its an accessory. The 2.0 series light uses the Wifi timer module. It costs about $85 and allows you to set ramp times and intensity for sunrise, midday, sunset and moonlight. You'll need a cell phone or tablet to program it as it uses an app over WiFi. The programming is a little confusing at first but once you understand the theory behind it, its a piece of cake. I've been very happy with mine.

On a side note. The light uses a conductive type switch to turn it off and on. Some people have trouble with the switch as they think you need to press it. You actually just touch it to activate it. It can be finicky at times if your skin is dry. I will dip my finger into the tank water to moisten it and it works a lot better.

Here is a link to the timer module:http://www.kensfish.com/aquarium-supplies/aquarium-lighting/fluval-wifi-led-controller.html

 

[Half Vaped]

I work from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m., so I run my actinics from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. (16 hours a day) so that I can feed the fish both before and after work. I run the white lights for ten hours.

Your LED lights are fairly weak, so I doubt you'll harm your corals with too much light. Just change your light schedule gradually and they should adjust fine. You may have algae issues with the extended light schedule. It seems that the wifi controller would also add ramp-up and ramp-down effects, which would be nice features in addition to being a timer.

As for the Yellow Tang with a stripe on its side, it may have been its nighttime coloration. Plenty of fish look different between the day and night.

 

[skosloski]

I have a 50 gallon with about 30lb of dry/live rock mixture. 1 yellow tang, 1 clown and 1 cardinal! Just started this tank about 2 months or so ago. Thanks!

 

[JohnnyHildo]

Removed. Please add constructive comments. BrianD

 

[skosloski]

I went to a really great place nearby and told them that a tang (smaller size) is okay in a 50 gallon but upon further reading on here it looks like maybe not…lol

 

[OllieNZ]

I went to a really great place nearby and told them that a tang (smaller size) is okay in a 50 gallon but upon further reading on here it looks like maybe not"¦lol

You've come here to learn so hopefully no one will jump on you My personal opinion is to stock only fish your tank will support for their life.
Even a well meaning shop is still trying to sell you something so the best advice I can give is don't impulse buy. If you see something you like, go home and research it. This will save you a ton of money and heartache.

Could you please give the dimensons for the tank? I think you'll find that light very weak for that tank, due to the low wattage leds they use the light intensity drops off very quickly.