A bit of a light dilemma

I bought a timer for my lights on all my tanks, the problem that I have now is... what time to switch on and what time off? Can I stagger the timing so that the lights are on for 5 hours in the morning and 5 hours in the afternoon (Tanks get quite a bit of natural light)?

The reason I want to do this is because I leave for work at 6:15 in the morning and always switch on the lights a few minutes before that to feed the fish after about 5 mins. Then I normally give them their evening eats at about 7pm, that is already 13 hours of light....

Please help here.

 

Good day Freerider.

It's a personal prefference how long you want to keep your light on. You say that the tank gets a fair amount of natural light. Is your tank in direct sunlight? You'll have to play with it and look and your algae growth and water colour.

My tank is about 4meters away from direct sunlight. I don't switch on my light in the morning but as soon as I get home in the evening I switch on the light and keep it on until 22:00 when I go to sleep. The natural light it's getting is sufficient. I think that if the tank gets 13-15 hours of light, that it's a good balance.

I know people that have their light on for 17 hours and darkness for only 7.

I know that I didn't help much, but I hope that I gave you a more or less idea of what to do and how to observe.

Have a great day.

Lappies

 

Nope, the tanks are definitely not in direct sunlight, In fact what is now my community tank, stood dormant with 70% water in it for about 3 years. When I turned on the light and started to strip it down for a complete rebuild, the water was still crystal clear (Besides the slimy layer that formed on top) and my 2 dwarf anubias apparently thrived through that period.

 

13-15 hours of light a day will be sufficient Freerider.

Do some research about the natural habitat of your fish and work accordingly.

Play with it and keep a log. Check for algae growth and green water and ajust your timer according to your observations
and findings.

Lappies

 

It is called your photo period, and giving your tank a midday break would actually contribute to good plant growth. I try to give only 12 hours of light. From 8:00 -13:00 and then from 15:00 - 22:00

 

I was thinking something along these lines as I dont want too lengthy a photo period, but I also dont want to upset the feeding times of my fish, and of course the fact that you still want your tank lights on for a while after you finish a long day at the grind stone so that you can admire your "preciouses"

 

That is exactly why i have that midday break, to enjoy my fish until late. But running a photo period of 17hours is in my opinio way to much, 8-12 hours is advisable.

 

Sufficient for a tank full of algae. Aim for 8-9 hours

And yes you can stagger your photo period

 

A nother thing regading lighting is that fish DO stress when lights is switched on or off. Therefor i have two sets of lights on two timers. The t4's switches on and 15 minutes later the helogens kicks in. At night the helogens swithes off and 15minutes later the t4's die.

 

Agree with Neilh.... 13 - 15 hours a day will eventually result in algae outbreaks. More than likely green water algae, which to my knowledge, the best cure is a 4 day blackout, and a UV sterilizer, (a process that is a complete pain in the A$$). Rather aim for 8-9 hours a day. (I'm running on 7 at the moment!)

And afternoon siesta is also very good for the plants, and actually a good way to help prevent algae.

If you are feeding your fish before 6h15 in the morning, then I am assuming you are turning on the lights rather suddenly, whilst it may be fairly dark/dim in the room. This sudden change in light is not good for the fish, and tends to stress them out. The morning feed would thus be a complete waste of time because stressed fish will not eat as much, and thus you will fowl up the water. Due to this very reason, I only feed my fish once a day... (in the evening around 7). Since changing from twice daily to once daily, my water condition has been superb, and I have actually been able to extend my water changes from once a week to once every 2 weeks. Something you can consider @freerider. (And yes, your fish will be perfectly fine!)

If your tank is getting a lot of natural light in the day, you could actually have your light come on at 15h00 and then turn off at 22h00. (Or whatever suits your evening routine). You will need to watch your plants and look for signs that they might not be getting enough light, and then adjust accordingly. But personally, I feel that anything above 10 hours is asking for algae trouble. You may not see it now... but when it does happen, it breaks out fast!

Regards