how long can lights be left on/off?

[fastfly48]

Hi all...and everyone else

Um...well I"m going away for 4 days tmoro (help quick! ) and my lighting timer has decided to die, it can only turn my light off...not on! DOH!

Um...so would it be better to keep my aquarium light on or off for 4 days? I have a skylight on my roof so if I leave the light off...the tank will still get a little natural light (or is this no good anyways?). Hmmm....

My flight is at about 6 in the morning. So I was thinking that I could turn my aquarium light on before I leave for the airport...then the timer can turn the lights off however later i pre-decide...so that the aquarium will only be without light for like 3 days...sound ok?
If I do this, how long should I keep the light on for? The max I can keep it on for is 24 hours from setting it. So perhaps i could leave the light on a whole 24 hours then have it turn off for the rest of the time I"m away?

Please help me out
many thanks.
Ry.

ps. I'm also running a presurized C02 setup...should I turn it off while I'm away and with the crazy lighting?

 

[Alshain]

It can't hurt to leave them on all the time. If you have no plants it makes no difference at all, otherwise just leave them on the whole time.

 

[imrandome1]

IMO the fish will be fine with out the light for 3 days, i would not keep it on for a 24 time, they need to sleep, as you have a skylight they should be happy, its if you have live plants you may have problems, but if you dont they will be fine, iv left my non planted tank lights of for over a week and nothing happened. Try and give them as much natural light as possible and you should be fine. Good luck and have fun....

 

[Fishyfanatic]

If you do not have live plants, I'd leave them off. I'm not sure how your plants are going to fair without light though.

 

[fastfly48]

oh yeh...sorry. Yes, I have many live plants...DOH!
and new ideas?
thanks alot
Ry.

 

[joannde]

Many people do total blackouts for 4 days for algae. The plants may suffer a bit but they'll come back. My view would be to leave them off - I'm the type that's just not fond of leaving electrical appliances running if I don't need to.

 

[rich311k]

I would leave them off. Four days off will do less harm to your plants than 4 days on and the possibility an algae outbreak.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I would also turn the lights off. Also, because plants take in O2 when the lights are not on, I'd either run an airstone or something for surface aggitation, such as lowering the water for the filter output. When I did my blackout, I just turned my XP2 spraybar up some to give good aggitation. Worked well.

 

[TwoHobbies]

I'd run the lights a normal daylight cycle, have the timer turn them off at dusk, then leave them off till you return.

You won't need the co2 with the lights off, turn it off also while you're gone.

 

[fastfly48]

many many thanks guys

 

[pwrflpills]

well, you're already out of town, but for future reference I leave my lights off for 4+ day vacations at a time a few times a year and have never noticed a difference in my plants. I do have low light plants however (anubias, crypts). I feel like if I left it on it would cook the fish. How would you like to sit under flourescent lights for 4 days straight?

Also I just bought a medium light plant before having to go out of town for an emergency for 6 days and they looked exactly the same when I got back. I was kind of surprised, but there you have it!