Lighting

[CheniseMummy]

Ive never used lighting before on my tank so fish are not used to it. ive planted some live plants, should i introduce the lights gradullay for hour a day and increase it or just leave them on for 10h straight. thanks

 

[stoneagedinosaur]

Hi CheniseMummy - tell us a bit more about your setup. How many watts - what sized tank do you have? 10 hours straight could give yo a few algae problems. The light's as much for you as it is for the plants! I have mine on for 2 hours in the morning when I get up and 6 hours in the evening when I get back from work. It really shows the fish's colours to their best.

What fish have you got in there? Have you ever seen them?

 

[RadaR]

Go from 6hours a day and every week increase it by one hour till you reach 8hours a day of light.
What lighting and how much you have will dictate the amount of nutrients and CO2 demanded by the plants.

More light = more CO2.
More C02 = more nutrients.

Take a look at this thread for a better understanding into the world of planted tanks as we understand it today.