lighting hours?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
I have mine set for a couple hours in the moring, then off until around 5p.m. then on until about 11p.m. Once I get a moonlight setup then the moonlights on until 1 a.m.
 
my lights come on at 7 a.m-noon and turn off noon-5pm on again from 5pm-10 pm moonlights on from 9:45 pm until 7:15 am
 
why don't u leave ur moon lights on all night? If they are LED they don't really use any electrecity and they are meant to be on at night.
 
Ive always heard you shouldnt leave you moonlights on all night,that the fish need a period of actual darkness where they sleep,and true enough my fish dont go to sleep when the moonlights are on,they play around....only settling down after the lights are off.

my question: why do you guys have your lights on then off then on?
 
My moon lights are not that bright and my fish still rest. I have my lights on then off then on again because if they were on when I get up until I go to bed that would be like 15 hrs and that is way too much for fish. I have 10 total hrs of light; in my opinion not too much and not too little. I do this for a couple of reasons. First so I can enjoy my fish for the periods I am regularly home.I do this on all my tanks at approximatly the same time period. Second it helps limit algae growth in tanks especially my planted tank. Plants utilize light immediatly from the time they are turned on until they are turned off, algae on the other hand needs longer sustained periods of light for their growth cycle. So by breaking it up into 2 five hr periods there is alot less algae growth in my tanks. The 5 hr period between light cycles is totally dark(no moon lights) and then my moon lights are on all night until the morning cycle starts. Some homemade moon lights might be really bright,but the ones I have are a real dull glow where the fish rest but my shrimp and such are active .
 
Also I have not heard fish need total darkness before. In the wild there is rarely total darkness depending on geographic location, time of year and such. I am sure they enjoy it however one of my friends has lights on 24/7 on his tanks which I don't agree with but his fish are healthy and seem fine.
 
I also dont like leaving the lights on all through the day because of algea growth. Besides in the day time hours there is enough light in the room to see in the tank as well. I also believe that the fish enjoy a time where its not bright in the tank, but yet they can still see in and out of the tank. I say they enjoy it because they seem to really play, swimming quickly and around, following anyone that walks past the tank, that sort of thing. I dont like leaving the lights on 24/7 because there is ALOT of time, especially if you lived in deeper, not crystal clear water, that it would be pitch black. When the lights come on from the pitch black all my fish do seem to be sleeping, taking them 5 - 10 minutes before they get moving around, then its FEED ME FEED ME. Just my opinions though.
 
my reg lights are from 8 to 8 i think might be 7 to 7 and my moon lights are on all night
 
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