Glad to help. The plants will benefit from a single photoperiod, so I have mine on a timer (best investment I have made for my tank, in all honesty - will explain below). The timer has the lights come on around 3pm, and it goes off at 9pm. I chose this period as it gives me the greatest viewing time. I get home around 3:30-4:00 every day. By the time I get home, the light has been on for a bit, and the fish are all very active. They greet me as I come home and beg for food. I feed them, check their general health, sit and stare for a good long while. While I am doing that, my wife greets me, my son greets me and we discuss the business of the day while I continue to stare at the tank. My son and I play a game - first one to find the Bristlenose Plec wins. (The little guy is tough to find some days! He blends so well.) Then, the fish light goes off at 9 pm. (Coincidentally, that's my sons bedtime. So, when the light goes off, he knows its bedtime.)
Timer... simple timer. Plugs into the outlet and the light plugs into that. I can set it for as many photoperiods as I want, but the plants prefer one long period, rather than two shorter ones. Its just more natural. The timer is great, since I have live plants (all beginner plants that need very little effort or up keep): anubias, amazon swords, java fern, anacharis and some other fern plant that I never did ID. These plants require a consistent photoperiod. So, I bought the timer for about $20. But, this allows me to not have to worry about the lighting AT ALL. If I go away for a day or two or even seven. I don't have to worry about my tank. The fish are fine without food for that long. They will snack on little microorganisms and bits of algae during that time. And the plants are fine because they have the light when they need it.
(I will add that I just increased my photoperiod to 7 hours tonight, as the BN has been so good about algae, that I don't have any left! I'm a little concerned that he might not have much to graze on so I'm adding a bit more light to encourage a bit more algal growth. Ironic, isn't it?!
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I will also mention that natural plants are so much nicer, IMHO, to the fake ones and the fish really do seem to respond positively to them. There are so many benefits, really. Getting low maintenance plants, as I listed above, makes it easy and fun. As for the benefits: natural plants will compete for nutrients and help to keep algae down; they will provide a better home for microorganisms which are food for your fish, especially the grazers like livebearers; they are gentle for your fish and look better (IMHO); and finally they will help to keep nitrate levels down (just a little).
What are your lights?
If levels stay at zero for the full week, then you could add some more safely. If your levels fluctuate at all, then I would wait for a full week of zeros.
