# light cycles



## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

i have my two tanks set on light timers as follows:
tank 1: 
7 am to noon - on
noon to 2 pm - off
2 pm to 930 pm - on
930 pm to 7 am - off

tank 2:
7 am to 2 pm - on
2 pm to 430pm - off
430 pm to 11pm - onn
11 pm to 7 am - off

I did this to try to avoid lights being onn for over 12 hours at a time. however, i was wondering if this is bad because it is not a natural light on/lights off schedule.

also, tank 2 is different and on later because the only time i get to look at it the way i want is later at night.

thanks for any suggestions.


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## IN2_Rams (Jun 11, 2008)

Hondo,

Depends on the inhabitants to a large degree and proximity to natural light to a lesser degree. My main tank (biotope) is across a 15 foot room from a window and the inhabitants prefer darker conditions. In that tank I only run one light cycle from 4:00 to 9:30 pm (for my enjoyment moreso than their need of light).

My other tank is more of a community and most of the inhabitants enjoy the light, so I leave it on for a cycle more like you described for tank 1. I've found that the house isn't dark enough to fool them into some bizarre body-clock adjustment!

Also, your plant selection may affect this! My biotope works well with the limited lighting, but most on this site will share a variety of success/failure stories with live plants and lighting.

So depending on your conditions, what you have may be fine... Was there a specific reason you were asking?


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## Dutch Dude (Sep 14, 2006)

I use for years a light schedule with a break during the day. My schedule is apoxemately:

8:30 to 13:30 on
13:30 to 16:30 off
16:30 to 23:30 on
23:30 to 8:30 off.

I used this in planted tank with high light levels and low light levels on fish that prefer low light levels or will do with high light levels. I don't have seen negative effects on fish in any way. The German brand Dennerle also promotes this for planted tanks. The light period should not decrease 4 hours. Plants need at least 4 hours of light for each period for growth. If the period are shorter the plants don't grow. For planted tanks with lower light quantity (smaler as 1.5 WPG) I recommend at least 5 hours. The benefit of a break during the day is that the CO2 level is more stable, algea decrease in growth by the short light break and plants might even grow faster becouse of the "rest period" and the more stable CO2 level. I do have to mention that some daylight have to reach the tank so the fish stay active. If you can't provide that you could put a small light close to the tank or use a moonlight in the hood. A led light would be perfect for that purpose.

In nature also dark periods take place like the large thunderstorms that turn the jungle into a bizarre scene. So you don't have to worry abouth the light break and I do this for abouth 8 years now with several tank on several set ups.


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## DiscusQueen (Jul 16, 2007)

Hi. I also use a schedule with light breaks in my lightly planted tanks.. The timers ares set so lights are on from 9to 1 off from 1-4 and on from 4-9pm and then off from 0pm to 9 am.. I guess I don't stay up quite as late as some of you HAHA.. I've done this with tanks for a few years and I do think it helps with the algae situation somewhat. I have very low tech tanks.. no co2 or anything and have not had to even use excel since I started doing this. But everyone's tanks are unique so use whatever system works for you. I can only say that in my tanks I see no negatives in doing this and do see some positives. HTH Sue


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## HONDO (May 4, 2008)

great, thank you all for the suggestions. i will stick with my light break. dutch dude, you mention thunderstorms, or cloudy days in general. this is what i had in mind when i did this. fish in nature dont always have constant light. there are breaks due to cloudiness etc. thanks for that dutch dude.

my smaller tank is planted with swords and java fern, they dont have co2 and they grow fine with the current cycle. my severum gt tank has anubias and anacharis floating around and those plants would grow i think even if i never turned the lights on again, ha.

thanks everyone. i really appreciate all your help.


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