Fishless Cycle 7 Days In... Should I?

[ADW1988]

Hi,
 
1st post here, thanks for the Fishless Cycle advice.. This forum is great and I hope to enter tank and Fish of the month Competitions in time .
 
Now as I suck in all this advice and knowledge, could someone answer me, probably a silly question;
 
Should I be turning my light on at anypoint during my cycle?
 
fingers crossed I'm going to start reading NitrIte 's later and lower ammonia (was still at 3ppm 2 days ago).
 
Thanks

 

[eaglesaquarium]

No need for a light, unless you have plants.  In fact, light can cause algae to grow in the tank during the cycle, so it's best left off.

 

[ADW1988]

Great, thanks, very amateurish question I know. Will remember that and leave it off.
 
ADW

 

[daizeUK]

The bacteria don't need light to grow, in fact I've heard it can inhibit them.  I actually kept my tank covered to block light while it was cycling.

 

[ADW1988]

Oh right I see,... Blimey, really taken to this hobby but there is so much to learn and know.
 
Thanks
ADW

 

[Sophie]

The bacteria don't need light to grow, in fact I've heard it can inhibit them.  I actually kept my tank covered to block light while it was cycling.

Was there a reason for how it can slow the growth?

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Sophie, don't ask if you don't really want to know

 

ABSTRACT: Spectroscopic analysis of nitrifying bacteria revealed the presence of a porphyrin-like pigment with an absorption maximum at 408 nm. The photoresponsive pigment accumulated during the late exponential phase of growth. The photoreceptor was found at higher concentrations in NH4+ oxidizers than in NO2- oxldizers. When absorbance scans and action spectra of the nitrifiers were compared, it was found that the regression between the degree of photoinhibition and higher absorbances at 408 nm was significant (r2 = 0.7). Reversible light-induced absorbance changes were observed in vivo and in vitro. Absorbance changes were maximally elicited by light in the 400 nm region for both types of nitrifiers, but the change was only significant (p < 0.05) for NH,' oxldizers. This spectral sensitivity of the NH,' oxidizing process suggests that the absorbance change observed is related to the blue light sensitivity of NH,+ oxidizers.
 
Introduction
The damaging effects of light on microbes may impose constraints on some of their activities. For instance, the process of nitrification (NH,' and NO2- oxidation) in nitrogen turnover has been repeatedly shown as Light sensitive (Schon & Engel 1962, Smith 1977, Olson 1981, Yoshioka & Saijo 1984, Diab & Shilo 1988, Vanzella et al. 1989).

from http/www.int-res.com/articles/ame/13/a013p233.pdf
 
That link is to the complete paper.