Lighting Times..can I Split?

[bham]

I am having a little problem with algae bloom and want to reduce my lighting time to see if it helps.
I get up around 530 am turn on the light and give a feeding. I've been keeping the light on until I go to bed at around 10 pm so around 16 hours.
I like to have the light on in the evenings and I don't want to keep them in the dark in the mornings when I feed.

I was wondering if I could split my lighting times up to a few hours in the morning and then having it on in the evening until I go to bed.
I would like to cut my total time down to about 10 hours.
I would use a timer for this of coarse.

 

[Juggler75]

Sounds like the light is feeding your algae, plants get all the use out of the light after around 8 hours (could be wrong here and am sure to be corrected if so) so thats an extra 8 hours that the algae has in effect exclusive light use. Why not just use the 8 hours for a time you want it on (maybe a couple of hours in morning then more when you are in on evening) and leave the rest of the time as ambiant light (plenty for most fishes).

 

[bham]

Sounds like the light is feeding your algae, plants get all the use out of the light after around 8 hours (could be wrong here and am sure to be corrected if so) so thats an extra 8 hours that the algae has in effect exclusive light use. Why not just use the 8 hours for a time you want it on (maybe a couple of hours in morning then more when you are in on evening) and leave the rest of the time as ambiant light (plenty for most fishes).

That's exactly what I would like to do. As long as it doesn't stress the fish. I have a couple of Redcap Oranda Goldfish right now in 40g tank.

 

[Mowbz]

That's exactly what I would like to do. As long as it doesn't stress the fish.

Splitting light times up can stress fish, some beleive it leads them into thinking its been daylight twice, with a very short "night" period in between.

It would be better to put your lights on a timer so they come on around perhaps 3pm, and go off at 11pm. 8 Hours, and you'll be there for the last of it to see them all. I've had my lights set to this for the last month post cycling, and have had no algae growth.

 

[mattyd1701]

you can get blue led light sets
heres the one i use they have a volt selector on them to dim the brightness of the lights and they have a self-adhesive backing which just stick to the top of my lid

eBay

i have my main light and the LED Strips set on 2 timers the main light comes on about 7:30am is on all day till about 8:30pm at 8:30pm the main light goes off the blue led comes on and then the blue led goes off at 7:30am and the main light comes back on then works well i have had no problems with any algae and gives the tank that moonlight effect during the night and my fish don't mind it at all .

might be something worth looking into?

 

[bham]

Thanks for all the advice. I'm going to try the straight 8 hrs at the end of the day. I like the led idea too. I'm going to look into that. Thanks.

 

[phishyphil]

16 Hours of lighting?!?!?!?!?! Well I think we have found the problem

Lighitng levels are recomended at between 6-8 hours, After this period, The only thing to really benefit from the nutrients and abundance of light is Algae.
Cut right down to 6 hours lighting, per day, Cut down feeding to every other day (your fish will be fine), And when you do feed them, Add small amounts to avoid waste food which will ievitably feed the algae

 

[xsnoopx]

Test

 

[bham]

Ok so I cut my lighting down to 6 hours and did a couple of patial water changes and things are looking good, Not perfect yet but much better. Thanks for the help!