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1 hour before and 1 hr after the main lights. For instance, mine was actinic/blue on at noon. 1pm actinic and main together. Then at 9pm, main off with the actinic still on. 10pm - all lights off.
That way it simulates morning with the soft lights for a bit. Then daylight for th 8 hours. Afterwards you've got an evening/dusk simulation again just before darkness.
I have tried to run actinics for the hour before and after regular lights, but it makes my fish real jumpy. I don't know if I should just keep trying or what. My fish just seem so irratated by the lights on alone.
Bige, describe jumpy and when. Is it when the main lights go off and just the actinics are on, or for the whole hour that just the actinics are on?
Is it at startup (morning lights on), night (lights off), or both?
So my moonlights are on then comes actinic. The fish begin to dart around the tank what looks like uncontrollably. They dont seem to calm down until the mainlight comes on. Same with at night. When main light turns off fish dart around tank rapidlly. Its uncomfortable so I stopped doing it. If both turn off and on together they transition ok.
It could be natural instinct. Dusk and dawn are when predators hunt. They are probably darting around to find somewhere to hide quickly or to confuse the would-be predator.
Sounds about right. Some of my fish hide at MH lights out, but none go crazy. Do they do that for the whold hour or just till they find a hiding spot for the night?