Actinic Light on during night

[nugrad2005]

Is it okay to keep the actinic light in the tank on 24 hours a day. I know fish need a day and night cycle, but will this blue light keep them "up" during the night cycle? It isn't that bright, but its enough to act as a nice "night light" in the living room, not to mention they look really cool in the light.

Any advice on this would be appreciated.

-Dan


P.S. The reason it seems like i post so much right in a row is there are multiple people in on this fish tank venture and they are constantly emailing, calling, IMing questions to me(and my memory tends to be faulty so i remember things days after i'm asked to post them).

 

[Guest]

IMO Fish do need darkness, They get it in the wild, so why not in the tank? I use Actinics for 12 hours a day and white light for 8. This gives the fish some beddy bye time...

 

[fishfreek]

It isn't that bright

To us its not. One thing to note is that our eye's have adapted to be more sensitive toward the green end of the color specitrum than the blue. This is because we live on land. One of the reasons we use actinic lights on our tanks is because the blue end of the specitrum penitrates down into the water better than other colors. Thus corals and IMO fish have developed a greater sensitivy toward this blue end of the spectirum.

On the other end of the spectirum is red and its been said that fish can not see red light. If this is true then you could use a red bulb on your tank at night BUT certin undesirable algaes that normally live toward teh surface of the water might enjoy that more than you want them to.

I avocate a day/night cycle. Fish are used to some light but only that which is provided by the moon at night. its alot darker under the water on a full moon than it is on the surface.

 

[ReefRaff]

You can buy moon lights. just a thought

 

[reddood]

moonlight tubes give a blue light.
blue may not look bright to us but it dose to the fish. IMO dont leave them on 24/7
as what has allready been said, 12 on 12 off with the blue. and 8 on and 16 off for the white.
if useing more than one of each colour tube, fade them in as not to stress the fish, or the corals.

HTH
danny