Leaving Light On Whilst Away?

[Sky]

We are away for 6 days shortly and although I usually have a housesitter who does the necessary with the tank this time I have not.

I have a tank where the light and filter are built in on the same plug (the light switches off with a switch on the lid of the tank) so I cannot put a timer on it.

Would it be ok to leave the light on for the 6 day duration or should I leave it off and let the fishes rely on the daylight in the room during the day, if so would the plants be ok and would the fish feed normally.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

We are away for 6 days shortly and although I usually have a housesitter who does the necessary with the tank this time I have not.

I have a tank where the light and filter are built in on the same plug (the light switches off with a switch on the lid of the tank) so I cannot put a timer on it.

Would it be ok to leave the light on for the 6 day duration or should I leave it off and let the fishes rely on the daylight in the room during the day, if so would the plants be ok and would the fish feed normally.

The fish and plants would be fine without lighting for a week or so, lighting is only really important for plants but the vast majority of aquarium plants can go without lighting for a week or so easily .
What worries me is you say the filter and lighting share the same plug- so i take it, when you turn the lighting off you also turn the filtration off as well ?

 

[Themuleous]

What species of plants do you have? Why not just get a multi plug and a timer then you can leave the filter on 24/7, but have the lights on and off during the day?

Sam

 

[diademhill]

Sounds like the set up on the tropiquarium 55 - probably other tanks as well.
The light switch is on the hood & light & filter share one cable out the back?


Three options,
Leave light off - and the best choice IMO if you have no plants,

Leave light on - only an option if the tank is well planted.

Or, & this would be my choice in this situation, leave the tank light off but put a desk lamp on a timer shining through the front of the tank from just above.

HTH
Sue

 

[Wanda hornsey]

Ohh me too I have a similar problem and have metal halides, I have heard these should not be put on timers but have no idea why not.

I was considering putting one set of lights on a timer (llarge tank 2 halide set ups) and the other off
We are away for 15 days in the summer and the tank is quite well planted so would hate to laose whats there. I have a neighbour feeding every 2 days (baggies of food portions labled up for one each feed) but dont really want the halides running for 2 full days before being switched off for 2 days! as if the house is being watched (with an eye to theft) it would seem a bit strange

 

[Phoenixfish]

surly you could get a farily cheap timer, i saw one in the argos cat yesterday whilst looking at some electricals, and that was progrmable

 

[Sky]

surly you could get a farily cheap timer, i saw one in the argos cat yesterday whilst looking at some electricals, and that was progrmable

Thank you for your reply. I know that I could get a timer but as stated before I cannot put it on the lights alone, if I put the timer on the plug which turns the tank on (the filter and the lights) then it will turn the filter off as well as the lights. The only way I can idependently turn the lights off is from the switch on the lid of the tank and there is no way I can put a timer on this switch.

Some of you have recognised the system I have and I thank you for your replies also. I have decided to leave the lights off with probably another light on a timer nearby, as suggested, although I think the tank will most probably get sufficient light from the window provided I leave the blind up. I think I need to buy a more substantial tank with independent lights soon.