Lighting Hours & Plants

[Brads1]

Hiya, just wondering i recently put 4 real plants into my tank, which has only been set up for about 2 weeks, and since the water has gone slightly cloudy, just wondering will this be due to me having my light on 24 hours a day which i dont think is right!!

The bulb i have in is a Aqua-Glo Flourescent Aquarium Lamp 20W 24" the tank is 15 inches deep and the light is fitted into the lid of the tank!

So basically im wondering how many hours a day should the light be on for?

Thanks

 

[KittyKat]

6-10 hours per day is usually the best option for lights. It is best to keep it on a timer.

 

[Brads1]

ok thanks, how would you get the water clear again? some people say 10% water changes, others say 50-80% water changes, just bearing in mind it is a new tank so i dont want to upset the filtration system too much as it will be building the bacteria up

 

[KittyKat]

Erm, new tank.. cloudy water.. how are you cycling? Fish-less or fish-in?

If you are fish-less cycling, then just remember to dechlorinate new water before putting it in and top-up ammonia. If you are fish-in cycling, you should be doing at least 50% water changes with dechlorinated water every day anyway.

If the water is white cloudy/milky, it is a bacterial bloom, so 50-80% water change and a few days of waiting will clear it.

If the water is green cloudy/milky, it is algae. Do a 50-80% water change, then reduce lighting to a minimum. You should have lights off for fish-less cycling anyway, and if you are doing fish-in, then get some plants to help with the algae and ammonia.