Daft Question I Know

[juliehainsworth]

I have a feeling I'm leaving my lights on for too long as my water when I do a water change is a clear yellow/green colour! My lights tend to be on from 6.45 am - 8pm most nights during the week and then from 8am - 8pm on a weekend! Is this too long?

I'm pressuming that the colour is from algae growing in the water not totally sure though! I do daily water changes and the water is clear and not cloudy! Should I be worried or not! I havent got a test kit to find out what my water stats are (bit skint at the mo after x-mas)! I am overstocked which is why I do water changes everyday!

 

[Dubby]

You are correct about the lights. The green color is possibly due to the long duration of the lights. I have a heavily planted tank and I've got the lights for only 8-10hours.

 

[juliehainsworth]

Oh well I won't be seeing much of my fishy friends on a night then! Oh well I'm sure they won't mind an early night or two!

Suppose I could leave the lights off when I'm at work and just have them on on an evening until I go to bed that might be a bit better for the tank as I only have fake plants!

 

[Suzi]

why dont you get an automatic timer for your light? then it would switch itself on when u were at work and you could have it on for longer in the evenings?

 

[jimbooo]

thats what i was going to say. my tanks are in darkness for 4 hours mid day and catch up later on at night.

10 hours is the normal time for lighting duration, 12 max.

so say 7am-10am then off and on again at 3pm till 10pm will still be only 10 hours of light.

your green water should get better after a week or so of doing this (with the water changes as well as the over stocking will also be adding too much nitrate to the water - another algae trigger, you may even have ammonia present depending on your level of over stocking which is algae's favorite food)

 

[Squid]

Oh well I won't be seeing much of my fishy friends on a night then! Oh well I'm sure they won't mind an early night or two!

How about a set of moon lights.. i like the look of these.. might be getting some myself once cycled.

 

[juliehainsworth]

Ok so I'll get a timer switch and test kit after pay day (only just over a week to go ) Fish all seem well at the mo! Is algae a big problem in a tank or not?

 

[Dubby]

Ok so I'll get a timer switch and test kit after pay day (only just over a week to go ) Fish all seem well at the mo! Is algae a big problem in a tank or not?

The algae is a problem only for us. Fish are quite happy !!! It can become a problem if it overruns the tank and kills off all plants.

You can get fairly inexpensive timers (less than £5) at Tesco, B&Q, Wilkinson, etc.

 

[juliehainsworth]

Hmmm wish I had £5 spare at the mo! Unfortunately i only have fake plants in the tank! So far I'm lucky with the water I only notice the colour of it when I do the water changes and then it is only slightly discoloured!