lighting schedule, if i fade can i go longer?

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adhdan

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My lighting above what is going to be a planted tank are adjustable, i can adjust spectrum and power , i was wondering if i had a schedule that started off on a very low power and finished on a low power in the evening if i could extend the lighting period to be longer without risk of algae?

am i better to simply nuke the tank with high light for the 6 hours on/off or have 10hours with the light fading in and out. If the light fades in and out i have longer to enjoy the tank before black out :D
thanks
Dan
 
What setting do you have them on for the 6 hours? Do you use Co2?

If you have a low tech set up you might be better with a longer lighting period at a lower light. I used to do Co2 so had my light on at 80-90% for 6 hours. Which in hindsight I hated as I just didnt see the tank or fish and just managed to grow algae (my fault not the method) so I went to low tech and put my light at 60% for 8 hours still had algae problems so now at 40% and kind of have it on as long as I want and I'm in a much better place. Thats also with a lot of floating plants and I have a Monsterra growing across most of the top and all that shade really does my crypts and dwarf sag really well.

Wills
 
Do what the sun does. Start off with a small amount of yellow light. Then an hour later add some red. An hour after that add green. An hour after that add blue and UV (if you have or want UV). Leave it to run for 8-10 hours. Then reverse the light.

Blue and UV go off first. An hour later the green goes off. An hour later red goes off. An hour after that and yellow goes off.
 
I havent got the tank setup yet, im just wondering if theres any benefit to simulating dawn-dusk with the lighting schedule or if that just creates more algae, the lights ive got were originally for a marine setup , coralcare2's, the spectrum has control between the warm/blue leds, the uv/green/red leds are all part of the warm spectrum so i can start with warm, allow blues to creep in toward the middle of the day then fade back to warm and have the light intensity grow toward the middle of the day and fade out again

**I will probably try co2 once the plants are established and see how it goes
 
Do what the sun does. Start off with a small amount of yellow light. Then an hour later add some red. An hour after that add green. An hour after that add blue and UV (if you have or want UV). Leave it to run for 8-10 hours. Then reverse the light.

Blue and UV go off first. An hour later the green goes off. An hour later red goes off. An hour after that and yellow goes off.
That is clever. I like my tubes 10 hours on off. If I have algae reduce by an hour, if things don't grow increase by an hour. Simple as.
 
I use led light and o had it on for 9h from 12 to 9 had algae problem and slow plant grow.
Now i used plastic self-adhesive foil for glass to dim the light on 60% maybe and have them on for 12h no algae and plants grow way faster.
Light in tank is much dimmer and always the same no regulating it but longer period to look at fish and beter plant growth.
Keep in mind i have mostly low light plants in tank.
 
I havent got the tank setup yet, im just wondering if theres any benefit to simulating dawn-dusk with the lighting schedule or if that just creates more algae, the lights ive got were originally for a marine setup , coralcare2's, the spectrum has control between the warm/blue leds, the uv/green/red leds are all part of the warm spectrum so i can start with warm, allow blues to creep in toward the middle of the day then fade back to warm and have the light intensity grow toward the middle of the day and fade out again

**I will probably try co2 once the plants are established and see how it goes
If the lights were for marine they will be about 1000 kelvin for the coral. 6500 kelvin is optimal for freshwater plants so you'll need 65% intensity or less to avoid algae.
 
The answer to your question concerning algae is more involved than a simple yes or no.

First, the light during the "daylight" period has to be of sufficient intensity for the plant species. Duration cannot compensate for inadequate intensity, but it can help if the light is on too long--all depending upon algae. Then there are the dawn and dusk periods of less intense light...plants that need higher light will not make any use of this light, but I'm afraid algae will. So you need to work out the 4-stage lighting: dawn (I would not go more than an hour with this), daylight (brightest), dusk (again keep it minimal) and darkness (plants need a period of total darkness so late night is usually the best for this period).

It must also be remembered that fish like all animals (including humans) have a circadian rhythm governed by light and dark. Fish will come to "expect" the dusk/night when the light is on a timer so it is consistent every 24-hour period, so this is important for fish health. We know this has nothing to do with eyesight because totally blind fish also react to light/dark.
 
Interesting. Do you know if plants would do well longterm if i just had cool white? I have those on my 40g tank with water sprite floating.

Depending upon the actual wavelength (the colour wavelength that makes up "white" light), they may or may not. I refer to either the Kelvin rating or the CRI (Colour Rendering Index). Light that is in the 5000K to 7000K range is ideal; the mid-day sun is somewhere in this range so it makes sense that plants utilize it best. The lower the K number the more red and less blue, giving a "warm" white, and the higher the K number the more blue and less red, giving a cooler white. However, one must also keep in mind that photosynthesis is driven by red and blue light (only), and the red is the more important so it should be stronger. Blue without more red in the mix can cause algae problems. Adding high green to the red and blue is the best plant light of all; the green does not drive photosynthesis, but tests have shown improved plant response. Plants reflect green light, which is why they appear green to us, so this too makes sense.
 

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