How Long Should Lighting In Tank/s Be Kept On?

[Ant_Soton]

I keep my tanks i a conservatory, i know its not the best place for tanks as they get quite warm and are very bright a lot of the time. This in mind, how long should i have my lighting on for as i don't think its really needed much during the day ?? Thanks peeps !

 

[soybean]

You don't have many live plants do you? I have mine 2-10pm as 8 hours is about average, and as it's in my bedroom I watch it mainly in the evening. Depends on what plants you have and how many. The fish themselves don't really need the light.

 

[ZoddyZod]

what sort of set up do you have? With or without plants?

 

[Ant_Soton]

I have five plants in the big tank and 2 in the smaller tank

 

[Aquamaniac]

Depends. For planted tanks, between 8 and 10.
For fish only tanks some say light are not really a requirement,others say that it is. I would say about 6 hours should be ok try to use a timer and set it up to work at the times you are at home and available to check your tank.

 

[Ant_Soton]

Depends. For planted tanks, between 8 and 10.
For fish only tanks some say light are not really a requirement,others say that it is. I would say about 6 hours should be ok try to use a timer and set it up to work at the times you are at home and available to check your tank.

I'm nearly always at home as I've been ill so haven't been working!

 

[mike455555]

mine are planted and i have them on for about 12 hours (split timed so from like 7 am - 10am then from 3 pm to 10:30 pm) something like that i got told by my LFS that splitting it reduces algae im not sure if its true or not but iv not had a problem with algae

 

[Aquamaniac]

mine are planted and i have them on for about 12 hours (split timed so from like 7 am - 10am then from 3 pm to 10:30 pm) something like that i got told by my LFS that splitting it reduces algae im not sure if its true or not but iv not had a problem with algae

I'll be honest i've used split lighting before. A few years ago before i gave up on fishkeeping, (i'm back now) there was this idea that it was better to do split light periods. Today the idea is that its not good.
Myself i don't do it anymore but my experience tells me i got a lot less algae on my older system than i'm getting today on my current system.
But for fish split is as bit disturbing. If you check your fish after you turn the light on you'll see that most of the time they are quiet lying low on the floor of the tank. For them the light gives a since of day and night.It's a bit stressfull to them. Some say.
Again my previous experience i failed to notice any problems with my fish.

 

[mike455555]

my fish don't seem stressed to me but like anything im sure after awhile they become used to it and it doesn't bother them any more?

 

[Aquamaniac]

my fish don't seem stressed to me but like anything im sure after awhile they become used to it and it doesn't bother them any more?

yes mine neither. Unless i was missing something. But the fish do use the light to simulate day and night in the tank.
But anyway like i said i used it like that year and a half,and been thinking about doing it again,because i work rotating shifts so its hard and somedays i don't even get to see my tank with the light on.

 

[mike455555]

im at collage so its set for when i wake up in the morning and then when i come home at night =] its bacialy allways on when im here and allways off when im not =]

 

[soybean]

It's better to have one period of light rather than split it. Shouldn't really need more than 8 hrs either.

 

[mike455555]

i got told 8-12 im trying to grow hairgrass with 1 t8 bulb as well so a longer photo period is better? maybe when i get another bulb i'll reduce the lighting time

 

[Ant_Soton]

All this bearing in my my tanks are in a conservatory which often gets very hot and bright?
How much heat do the tubes give off?

 

[mike455555]

i dont know the answer to that sorry it all depends on the tube and what wattage it is? i dont think heat should be much of a problem? unless the tank gets to hot from the light... but if u have a thermostatic heater in there it should keep a constant temp?