How long?

[Fishingdood]

I work nights so I sleep during the day wake up around 2pm turn my fish light and around 7pm then take a nap before work .... I have c02 injected DIY working great everything grand in the tank..do my water changes, and test water etc etc

30 gallon

4 - Zebra Dainos
6 - Sunsets
10 -Ghost Shrimp
3 - Neon Tetas
1- Spotted Dojo
2 - Golden Snails

Plenty of nice plants in it ....what I am wondering is should I leave the light on while I am at work at night?? This would equal 12 hours total of light time...now I researched and they say fish need a certain amount of no light time ...only prob is my room is not completely dark so I hesit to turn in on at night as to stress the fish out with no light time... any Advice on this?
TIA

 

[spongebob69]

Your plants will probably require 10-12 hours of light per day. I also work nights and am planning my first aquarium which will be planted. If you are away during the night I would not have the lights on. If I were you, I would have a timer set for them to come on around noon or so and then to shut off around 11pm or midnight. This gives you a lighted aquarium for optimum viewing time and maintains a consistant photoperiod for ur fish and plants.

 

[Fishingdood]

good idea on the time...next purchase ...but I will set the time from 2pm till around 2am ..thanks for the tip!

 

[Guest]

I'd say to set the time from something like 9 or 10 am to 9 or 10 pm. That way in the summer time when it doesn't start to get dark till 9 or 10, your lights would be going off about that time. Also it won't screw up the fish's habbits. I have mine set on a timer from 11 am till 11 pm. (I go to work at 7 am, but the auto timers are nice). The tank is in my bedroom, where there is only one window and i have a curtain pulled closed, which the light has a very difficult time passing thru. I guess i just figured by this time in the morning, the tank would be recieving a very little amount of natural light, so then a few hours later my flourescent light kicks on.

 

[mitche8359]

Definitely a timer.. plus the timer will allow you to adjust the length of light easily. I switched over to a planted tank a couple years ago, it'll take you a while to figure out the right balance length of light and nutrients that your tank needs to keep from becoming an algae cest pool.