Lighting Schedule For Working People.

[CriX098]

Hi, I wasn't able to find the answer to this using the search functions.

So I've read that fish need to be fed twice a day and also have 8-12 hours with the lights turned on. How do other working people manage this with their schedules? I want the light to be on for the several hours I'm home from work but wouldn't I need the light on in the morning if I plan to feed them there as well?

Basically, I'd like to feed the fish in the morning (I leave the house ~7:45) and feed them and enjoy the aquarium, etc. in the evening hours (I get home around 6pm).

Okay, if you'll allow me to break this into direct questions:

1. Can I just turn on the light when I get home and turn it off around 10 or 11pm when I go to sleep? Is this enough light?
2. Do I have to keep my room dark during the rest of the day by closing the blinds before I leave?
3. Can I feed the fish in the morning during this lights-off period?

Thanks

 

[Maximus]

Buy a light timer, there about £5.

 

[dthoffsett]

Well, I have two jobs, my full-time job I work 3rd shift (12am-8am), my part-time job I work evenings about 4 times a week.

So what I do is turn the tanks on a 8am when I get home, feed the fish, go to bed.

Get up, feed fish at 10pm, turn tanks off.

So, if I'm not working my part-time job, I get to enjoy a few hours of the tanks on.

I do have a timer on the planted tank so the plants get an even amount of light, but the other tanks I turn off/on manually.

I live in an apartment (so little space) and my tanks are all in my living room, even with the lights on 14 hours and sunlight from a large patio window, I only get a little algae in the unplanted tank which the mbuna love so no harm no foul.

It sounds complicated, but it works for me.

 

[Chrispixx]

I have timers on all my tanks. They are set to come on at 1pm and go off at 11:30pm. I only feed once a day, I feed my main tank in the morning before work. The fish become active when i wake up after the light in the room comes on, so they get fed without the tank light on just the room light. I feed this tank while i'm getting ready for work. The other tanks i feed at night after i get home from work about 6-7pm.

Here is a Light Timer similar to mine. It has multiple settings for on/off on/off etc. or you just remove the extra pins and use two to make it come on at a certain time then go off at a set time. It also has a manual override on top you move with your finger to make the light come on manually when you want. You can find these at most home centers.

 

[CriX098]

Thanks, everyone!

Great, so I need to get a timer and I think I'll go for a maybe 10am to 10pm lights-on cycle. I'll just feed the fish in the morning with the natural light. I don't really know the behavior of fish so I wasn't sure if they would notice if I fed them with the lights off in the morning... I guess I thought they might be sleeping??

I only just finished doing a 100% water change and cleaning to get out all of my old evil surfacant-having ammonia off of everything. I finally found the "ACE - Janatorial Strength Formula Ammonia" at Ace Hardware after trying unsuccessfully at Lowes, Sears and Target. phew!

I put in ten drops of the new ammonia tonight in my 10 gallon tank which I've found holds more like ~9 gallons of water with rocks/decorations/plants. I'll test it in a couple minutes to check the ppm value. B)

The cycling begins.

 

[Jonno]

i have a digital timer from tescos (if your in the uk - £8 - they are discounted atm).

Mine comes on at 3pm and goes off at 11pm in the week. At weekends (when i'm off work) the lights are on from 10AM -> 10PM.

 

[Meds081603]

our lights come on at 7am and go off at midnight for our planted tanks. for non planted its 4pm until midnight.

 

[CriX098]

i have a digital timer from tescos (if your in the uk - £8 - they are discounted atm).

Mine comes on at 3pm and goes off at 11pm in the week. At weekends (when i'm off work) the lights are on from 10AM -> 10PM.

Ooo, digital timer with weekend settings I want one of those.

So it seems like most people, assuming they stick to the two times a day feeding, will do their first feeding in the morning before the light have come on.

 

[eschaton]

My lights go on at 7:30 ish, turn off again close to noon, and come on again around 4:30. The siesta helps keep down algae growth, as well as making the tank visible before I go to work in the morning as well as giving me hours of enjoyment in the evening.