blue led/night lights???

[piao liang yu]

i got some cheap led lights from craigslist. the daytime setting is much much brighter than my t8's i was using so i like what i have now, but there is a setting for some pretty dim blue/night time lights. is there any benefit for the fish to have them on or are they purely aesthetics and personal preference? also, if someone were to elect to use the night time lights will it adversely impact the resting period of the fish?

 

[armymp327]

you can use the night lights, they wont have any benefit to the fish, though just make sure you are providing at least 8 hours of total darkness for the fish per day

 

[piao liang yu]

you can use the night lights, they wont have any benefit to the fish, though just make sure you are providing at least 8 hours of total darkness for the fish per day

So total darkness would mean no night time setting/moon light or whatever it is called. What are those lights for exactly? What purpose do they serve?

 

[armymp327]

IMO yes, though id imagine other people would argue you could keep the night time lights on throughout the night, but to me total darkness would allow for less stressful rest period. the lights allow you too see into the tank at night with out using your bright daytime lights. which you can do for most of the night, but i would still give them at least 8 hours of darkness. most people sleep better in darkness, it would be like someone sticking a black light in your room and keeping it on all night long while you tried to sleep.

 

[Fresh N Salt guy]

For fun I follow the lunar cycle. New moon they get darkness, 1/4 moon they get half the light bar on, ful moon is both my led bars and so forth. I have a ton of hiding places for my fish so if they want out of the light, they have plenty of options to get into darkness. I've done both, no lights at all, turning them on and off for night time viewing and always on. My fish seemed fine with always on or always off. Randomly flipping it on and off randomly in the middle of the night was the one that seemed to piss em off. I don't believe there is a right answer to whether on or off is "right", I think as long as your consistent your fish will adapt to your routine.

 

[bobc4d]

8 hours of total darkness?? the tank lights go out when I go to bed, around 10pm and I turn on room lights (not tank lights) around 0430 when I get up, is that too little darkness for them?

 

[armymp327]

if its just the room lights, that should be ok. 6 hours of darkness is still good enough

 

[DavidAl]

What are those lights for exactly? What purpose do they serve?

For your viewing pleasure...is all. Some fish do spawn according to the lunar cycle, though.

David