How long do you keep the lights on in your poly tanks?

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J

johnnycoolxx

Candiru
MFK Member
Jun 22, 2009
425
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Grandma's Basement
I have a 150g poly tank with about 15 bichirs. I keep the lights off all day and night because a few of them get scared of the lights and I think they're more active with the lights out. I have a tank next to my poly tank that has the overhead lights on, so it has some dim lighting in it, but that's it.

Is it harmful to them to have the lights off all day like that? How many hours a day do you have the lights on for your bichirs?
 
My Bichir tanks get Normal lighting from 12:00pm till 7pm. (normal being bright enough to be almost daylight, though tinted pink/blue)
From 7pm till midnight they get blue "moonlight" only.

WC Nig. Endlicheri by "daylight":
ip0dmt.jpg


Same fish by "moonlight":
23k3gok.jpg


Viewing them is obviously clearer in their "daylight", but lately I have been so into watching them by "moonlight". They are so active and go into hunter mode pretty much as soon as the moonlight is switched on!
 
Summer time I only turn on the lights to feed. (heat concerns) Maybe an hour a day. The winter the lights are my primary source of heat so they stay on 12 to 15 hours a day if needed.
 
I probly need to adjust things since the switch from african cichlids but my day time lights are on 12 to 14 hours a day and my moon lights are on for normally one to three hours unless I forget to shut them off.
 
Aquarium lights are on when I get back from school till dinner
Room lights are on from dinner till bed time.
 
What kind of hiding spots do they have Johnny?

It's common for a minor freak out when the lights turn on, but they should settle down quickly and be fine with all day lighting. Over time they'll get used to it and become active during daylight.

My mokes are a nocturnal species but they are very active with the light on.

My lights kick in around 11:30 and are on 12hrs a day because my setup is planted like JamesF's.
 
Cohazard said:
What kind of hiding spots do they have Johnny?

It's common for a minor freak out when the lights turn on, but they should settle down quickly and be fine with all day lighting. Over time they'll get used to it and become active during daylight.

My mokes are a nocturnal species but they are very active with the light on.

My lights kick in around 11:30 and are on 12hrs a day because my setup is planted like JamesF's.
Click to expand...

I just have 2 small pieces of driftwood as hiding spots right now. I had a lot more before, but they were less active with more driftwood and caves to hide in.
I've been leaving the lights on all day for about 5 days now, and they seemed to have settled in. None of them are scared of the lights anymore. I had an endli and a couple weeksii that would smash into the glass when the lights came on, but now they're all ok with it.
 
I usually leave my lights off too. They get indirect light when I open the garage during the day.
 
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