Lighting

[sharkybubba]

Hey guys,

was wondering if you could tell me...Medwards and i were having a discussion in another post and we both have been told different time periods for lighting... whats the average amount of hours you are suppose to allow lighting for?

[Mjay~Fish-Freak]

i set my timers to sun up to sun down- the approx times, i guess 12 hours is what most people say, good luck!

[matt_Frontosa]

8 hours is enough or if you don't have plants than no lighting will do you don't need it on too much as it just creats extra algae

[wombat1100]

I was always told 8 to 10 hrs per day depending on the amount of natural light your tank gets.
Mine are set for 2 hrs in the early morning, then windows open all day and then 6 hrs at night,I only have algae in one tank thats directly beside a window and my combination of bristle noses and Glass shrimp are keeping that under control now,
Dazz

[joz]

If the tank is planted I would suggest about 12 hours.Though just for fish,I'd set the timer for just when I was at home say after work.
If the tank is in any natural direct sunlight you could adjust the times to suit I suppose.

[sharkybubba]

ok thanks guys, i have always had mine set for around 10 hours- a happy medium for me!

[pappyy3]

There's really no right or wrong when it comes to lighting, Simply depends on your tank set up, and what type of tank you have.

for example:

Freshwater (Fish Only) - Lighting is optional and purley asthetic.

Freshwater (Plants) - It's normally recommended that fully planted fresh water tanks get approx 10 to 12 hrs of lighting perday. Need to be reasonable here. If your tank has only a few plants, then 8 hrs may be enough (Otherwise your going to get algae blooms).

Marine (Reef) Tanks - I'm not an expert on reef tanks, but my understanding is that lighting MUST be provided for a min of 10 - 12 hrs per day for the corals, and other inverts.

Myself - As I keep fish only (Freshwater) tanks, I have my lighting set on a timer to switch on when I get home from work and my tanks get 4 hrs per day. (Eg; From 6:00pm to 10:00pm).

[GoGuppy]

There's really no right or wrong when it comes to lighting, Simply depends on your tank set up, and what type of tank you have.

for example:

Freshwater (Fish Only) - Lighting is optional and purley asthetic.

Freshwater (Plants) - It's normally recommended that fully planted fresh water tanks get approx 10 to 12 hrs of lighting perday. Need to be reasonable here. If your tank has only a few plants, then 8 hrs may be enough (Otherwise your going to get algae blooms).

Marine (Reef) Tanks - I'm not an expert on reef tanks, but my understanding is that lighting MUST be provided for a min of 10 - 12 hrs per day for the corals, and other inverts.

Myself - As I keep fish only (Freshwater) tanks, I have my lighting set on a timer to switch on when I get home from work and my tanks get 4 hrs per day. (Eg; From 6:00pm to 10:00pm).[/b]

G'day Pappyy3

For what it's worth, I'm with you on this one. :biggrin:

For my heavily planted tank with tropical fish I leave the light on for about 11 hours.

I have been previously advised though that fish alone do not necessarily require much lighting at all. :unsure:

Cheers

[medwards86]

hey well i have been told that 8 - 9 in enough but it also depends on where ur tank is if it is near the sun no more than 9 hours and also what type of light u have

[GoGuppy]

hey well i have been told that 8 - 9 in enough but it also depends on where ur tank is if it is near the sun no more than 9 hours and also what type of light u have[/b]

G'day Medwards86

If your tank is near the sun, ie near a sunny window, you should probably relocate it as it'll be prone to algae growth!! :ohmy:

My aquarium is along a north facing wall, but near a north-east facing bay window, where it potentially gets a bit of direct light in the morning, but I normally keep the curtain closed for this window, as otherwise the algae grows out of control on the near side of the tank!

Cheers

[medwards86]

G'day Medwards86

If your tank is near the sun, ie near a sunny window, you should probably relocate it as it'll be prone to algae growth!! :ohmy:

My aquarium is along a north facing wall, but near a north-east facing bay window, where it potentially gets a bit of direct light in the morning, but I normally keep the curtain closed for this window, as otherwise the algae grows out of control on the near side of the tank!

Cheers[/b]

yeah thats correct thats why a tank in the sunlight doesnt need that much artificial light..i mean natural sunlight is going to be better for the tank isnt is anyway isnt that the purpose of the light in the first place

[pappyy3]

yeah thats correct thats why a tank in the sunlight doesnt need that much artificial light..i mean natural sunlight is going to be better for the tank isnt is anyway isnt that the purpose of the light in the first place[/b]

It really depends on whether you're tryingto grow plants, or trying to grow algae.

If the tank is near a window, you're going to have a pretty good growth of algae I'd say ....