Lighting question

[negative_tea]

I recently posted about some algae problems and it was suggested to me that i reduce the time that my light is on to six to eight hours. I was curious if it would be okay to change my lighting schedule so that my tank lights are on durring the time periods i am home and off when i am working in the afternoon instead of them only having on when i am at work. If i did this the lights would be on from 9am to 1pm and 7pm to 10pm.

I was reading through patents (number us5642587 specifically) and they found that plant growth five fold stating that they got five years of growth over a year long period.

Any thoughts?

 

[negative_tea]

Let me restate that last patagraph as it is not clear what i am trying to say:

In reading through patents i found us5642587 in which they used a simular lighting schedule they saw growth comparable to that of a five year growth period kver the span of a twelve month period. However, due to the fact that this study was not done on aquatic plants i have difficulty judging if this would promote growth in my tank or not.
Any thoughts?

 

[negative_tea]

Anyone know if this lighting schedule would be okay or is it needed for the lights to be on six to eight jours straight.

 

[JasonG75]

I run my T8's 2 @ 15w = 30w of 6700 during the hours of 8am-5pm when I get home I kill those and only run my T5HO 105w till 9pm.

So yea you can do that. Plants only care that they get lights, not when they get them.

 

[Liquidplants]

I agree with Jason, if you have fish it may stress them having their eyes adjust twice a day to bright lights, but I would give it a go, it's only lighting.