Light On or off when Live rock only is in my tank?

Pulp Fishin · 01/26/2008, 06:27 PM

My 20G tall QT had been cycling for apx 10 days yesterday when I added 12.5LBS of pre-cured Tonga from my LFS.

My first question is should I keep any lights on while live rock is in the tank? I'm confused if having more or less lights will be better to fight algee from forming on my new rock.
If lights should be kept on, for how many hours or does any of this really matter?

Seckond question.
My Ph went from 8.1 before I added the rock and now 30hrs later its arround 7.88. I heard of a Ph spike after adding the rock but is this concidered normal?

Thanks

Sk8r · 01/26/2008, 07:00 PM

The light doesn't really matter to the rock, but it does to your temperature balance. This is your period to get that stabilized, between pump, heater, light cycle, etc, to around 80 degrees, plus or minus two. PUt it on the light cycle you will keep.
Worry most about your salinity. If you can keep your salinity proper at 1.025 and your temperature up, chemistry will run at max safe speed.

SquidHC · 01/26/2008, 09:46 PM

My concern is this. Why do you have anything in your QT tank? For my QT I just have an empty tank that I fill up when I need it. If you by chance do get something with a disease or parasite it would be possible to live on the rock and contaminate other livestock. When Im done with my QT at the time I dump the water out and clean it. That way theres sure to be nothing bad in there for my next victim.

FranktheTankTx · 01/26/2008, 10:02 PM

I recommend no lights on during the cycle. Just let it run it's course. Lights will only intensify algae blooms. Keep your lights off until it cycles. Then you can worry about your ph and stablizing. You ph shouldn't swing that much with the lights off.

demonsp · 01/26/2008, 10:04 PM

During cycle keep main lighting to a minimum and increase slowly for better algea control. This is the same when adding new bulbs or raising the power.

Pulp Fishin · 01/26/2008, 11:52 PM

I don't really have the urge to leave the lights on unless I'm taking a real close look for any hitchhickers so thats about as much light its seen since the tank even started cycling.
I figured the more light, the more algee and it sounds like I was right.

I don't think the lights will cause much if any temp change.
I've seen the lights in action and they give off little heat.

The salinity level seems fine. It was 2.023 before and 2.024 now so not much change there.

To answer why I to put live rock in my QT. Well I mostly have it there for esthetics. Even my QT set up in the computer room looks better with it. I've also used it to keep my heater & thermometers mostly out of view.

Cheers!

FranktheTankTx · 01/26/2008, 11:56 PM

I really hope that was a typo... and it's 1.024 NOT 2.024.

macronut · 01/27/2008, 12:08 AM

I agree...I hope your salinity level is not that high. It should be between 1.023 to 1.025

Pulp Fishin · 01/27/2008, 12:18 AM

Yes your correct its a deffnatly a typo.

1.023-1.024 were its latest readings.

01/26/2008, 06:27 PM	#1
Pulp Fishin Were all mad here. Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: London Ontario Canada Posts: 608	Light On or off when Live rock only is in my tank? My 20G tall QT had been cycling for apx 10 days yesterday when I added 12.5LBS of pre-cured Tonga from my LFS. My first question is should I keep any lights on while live rock is in the tank? I'm confused if having more or less lights will be better to fight algee from forming on my new rock. If lights should be kept on, for how many hours or does any of this really matter? Seckond question. My Ph went from 8.1 before I added the rock and now 30hrs later its arround 7.88. I heard of a Ph spike after adding the rock but is this concidered normal? Thanks __________________ Reef Central Corner Club Aquarium Dumpster Diver Extraordinaire Money talks, mine says "Good-Bye" Current Tank Info: RIP:60g Pentagon Reef 100lbs LR 20g Sump Deltec Mce 600 Mag 750 250W Metal Halide & 2x39W T5's Phosban ReactorX2 5gal refugium 36xTO RIP:135G FOWLER /Agressive

01/26/2008, 07:00 PM	#2
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	The light doesn't really matter to the rock, but it does to your temperature balance. This is your period to get that stabilized, between pump, heater, light cycle, etc, to around 80 degrees, plus or minus two. PUt it on the light cycle you will keep. Worry most about your salinity. If you can keep your salinity proper at 1.025 and your temperature up, chemistry will run at max safe speed. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

01/26/2008, 09:46 PM	#3
SquidHC Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Portland, Oregon, USA Posts: 840	My concern is this. Why do you have anything in your QT tank? For my QT I just have an empty tank that I fill up when I need it. If you by chance do get something with a disease or parasite it would be possible to live on the rock and contaminate other livestock. When Im done with my QT at the time I dump the water out and clean it. That way theres sure to be nothing bad in there for my next victim. __________________ We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams. Current Tank Info: 30x30 cube under construction!

01/26/2008, 10:02 PM	#4
FranktheTankTx Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 2,306	I recommend no lights on during the cycle. Just let it run it's course. Lights will only intensify algae blooms. Keep your lights off until it cycles. Then you can worry about your ph and stablizing. You ph shouldn't swing that much with the lights off. __________________ Frank the Tank "What, I thought we were in the trust tree... in the nest? Are we not?" Current Tank Info: Custom Rimless 60g (30.5"x24.5"x18.5")

01/26/2008, 11:52 PM	#6
Pulp Fishin Were all mad here. Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: London Ontario Canada Posts: 608	I don't really have the urge to leave the lights on unless I'm taking a real close look for any hitchhickers so thats about as much light its seen since the tank even started cycling. I figured the more light, the more algee and it sounds like I was right. I don't think the lights will cause much if any temp change. I've seen the lights in action and they give off little heat. The salinity level seems fine. It was 2.023 before and 2.024 now so not much change there. To answer why I to put live rock in my QT. Well I mostly have it there for esthetics. Even my QT set up in the computer room looks better with it. I've also used it to keep my heater & thermometers mostly out of view. Cheers! __________________ Reef Central Corner Club Aquarium Dumpster Diver Extraordinaire Money talks, mine says "Good-Bye" Current Tank Info: RIP:60g Pentagon Reef 100lbs LR 20g Sump Deltec Mce 600 Mag 750 250W Metal Halide & 2x39W T5's Phosban ReactorX2 5gal refugium 36xTO RIP:135G FOWLER /Agressive

01/26/2008, 10:04 PM	#5
demonsp Moved On Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: el paso tx Posts: 7,634	During cycle keep main lighting to a minimum and increase slowly for better algea control. This is the same when adding new bulbs or raising the power.

01/26/2008, 11:56 PM	#7
FranktheTankTx Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 2,306	I really hope that was a typo... and it's 1.024 NOT 2.024. __________________ Frank the Tank "What, I thought we were in the trust tree... in the nest? Are we not?" Current Tank Info: Custom Rimless 60g (30.5"x24.5"x18.5")

01/27/2008, 12:08 AM	#8
macronut Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Indianapolis IN Posts: 405	I agree...I hope your salinity level is not that high. It should be between 1.023 to 1.025

01/27/2008, 12:18 AM	#9
Pulp Fishin Were all mad here. Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: London Ontario Canada Posts: 608	Yes your correct its a deffnatly a typo. 1.023-1.024 were its latest readings. __________________ Reef Central Corner Club Aquarium Dumpster Diver Extraordinaire Money talks, mine says "Good-Bye" Current Tank Info: RIP:60g Pentagon Reef 100lbs LR 20g Sump Deltec Mce 600 Mag 750 250W Metal Halide & 2x39W T5's Phosban ReactorX2 5gal refugium 36xTO RIP:135G FOWLER /Agressive