Light schedule help!!!

[rob020880]

Hello, I have just finished setting up a new tank. I will be filling it with water soon. The only dilemma I have is with the light cycle. I have read in books that 12hours per day is good. Is this right? can they be on longer?

Heres my situation though, I live in a bright condo with eastern exposure. The room with the eastern exposure is also where the tank is located. No direct sunlight hits the tank because it faces away from the light. But it is a quartercylinder tank and it is exposed to a bright room from sun up.

I want to have my aquarium lit so that the final light goes off and the moonlights come on at about 10:00-10:30pm. If I have my controller start turning lights on after 10:00am will this cause problems for the fish\corals or will they still think that its night\dawn? What would anyone suggest? I am using two 250 watt DE metal halides and four t5's as actinics and moonlights. Thanks in advance.

[alan214]

You have total control over what the fish "think" by when you decide to turn the lights on and off. There's a pretty wide range of how long hobbyists run their lights so it's pretty much up to you. I've read between 8-12 hours is about average.

If your tank is getting exposed to fairly bright ambient room light during the morning then the fish are already "awake" anyway so you can start your lighting cycle a couple of hours after that. Then set the lights to go off a few minutes before your moon lights kick on.

Does that answer your question?

[rob020880]

It definatly helps thanks...