# Help with lighting schedule



## Daisy Mae (Jun 21, 2015)

Hi, uneven hours are not an issue. Just be aware that plants need 3 hours to photosynthesize and use nutrients that the algae are now taking advantage of. 

Safer to split into two periods, each at 3-3.5 hours minimum. 

You were at 10 hours total and getting algae, you can reduce to 8 or so and see what happens.


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## BBradbury (Nov 8, 2010)

Hello paul...

Lighting doesn't have to be difficult. Aquarium plants are mostly tropical and used to long hours of daylight. I keep several, larger, planted tanks and have all the lights on a timer for 12 hours on and 12 off. Of course I keep mostly plants that require low to moderate light. I suppose it's possible the more demanding plants may need a different lighting schedule. However, easier is usually better.

B


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## pauliewoz (Sep 22, 2015)

Thanks guys, I'm going to see how this new schedule works out. I'm thinking of adding more low light plants that will grow well and outcompete the algae for nutrients. 

Yesterday I bought 5 bunches of crypts that were on sale for a dollar each. I put three of them in my main tank and the other two in my 5.5 gallon betta tank.

I gotta find some more low light plants that would look good in my main tank.

I'm also considering making a diy light to add to my current one. I just don't have the money to spend on a $100 light.


Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


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## Freemananana (Jan 2, 2015)

I think fast growing plants and floaters are the easy answer to algae. Get plants that grow faster than algae and wipe it out by sucking up the nutrients.


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## ichy (Apr 6, 2015)

pauliewoz said:


> Thanks guys, I'm going to see how this new schedule works out. I'm thinking of adding more low light plants that will grow well and outcompete the algae for nutrients.
> 
> Yesterday I bought 5 bunches of crypts that were on sale for a dollar each. I put three of them in my main tank and the other two in my 5.5 gallon betta tank.
> 
> ...


Why do you want more light???


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## Raymond S. (Dec 29, 2012)

What you could use is full ferts and some faster growing plants. Allowing just a few stems of floating Anacharis or Floating Hortworth would solve that missing ingredient issue on the plant part.
Only a select few plants which grow very slowly can get all of the required nutrients from changing water and fish food/waste in the tank. With all other plants this needs to be supplemented by dosing.
Aquariums are NOT a natural environment. Thus we regulate the hrs to those amounts which help us balance the plant/algae thing.
Of course you are perfectly welcomed to have only five or six different kinds of plants in any/every tank you own. But if you'd like more variety than that, then ferts are going
to be what allows that. Along/w proper light. Your's seems to be a 24" bulb if I'm
guessing correctly. If it has a good reflector it may be enough for lots of the plants
on the list that is the first thread of the "Low Tech" section.
With your light I'd not go over 8 hrs per day till I found out that it created no algae
worth mentioning. The split photo period also seems to help/w algae.
I use 3.5 in the A.M. for just the same reason that you do. But with that info given you from Daisy Mae about the plants not being in full growth till three hrs is reached thing
in mind. Then as suggested by another of our more trusted members, I allow four hours
of lights off time minimum. Then I have the P.M. light period set at 3.75 hrs aprx just
because those mechanical timers only work either in half hr or quarter hr sections.
Don't expect overnight results from changing the light hours either.


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