# Photoperiod...night okay? (ambient light concern)



## psalm18.2 (Oct 16, 2010)

I'm new at this myself. I have my lights on from 12noon to 12midnight. So I guess this would be night time photoperiod. As long as the fish have some dark time to sleep why not?


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## zenche (Feb 9, 2011)

psalm18.2 said:


> I'm new at this myself. I have my lights on from 12noon to 12midnight. So I guess this would be night time photoperiod. As long as the fish have some dark time to sleep why not?


heh, right now i'm not even concerned about the fish...just the plants. just wanted to make sure the ambient light isn't going to mess with things as it potentially becomes 18hrs of light (12 ambient, 6 T5HO).

will figure out fish later.


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## Loop (Jan 8, 2011)

I was just questioning this to myself the other day. I moved my tank to my bedroom, and it's 12ft away, directly across the room, from a window. No direct beam of light hitting it, but the whole room, and tank, get lit up pretty well all day long. Then my lights run from 5pm-1am. (Yeah, I use my tank as a nightlight! So what!) So far I haven't noticed any problems, but it hasn't even been set up there for 2 weeks yet.


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## zenche (Feb 9, 2011)

hehe, i knew i couldnt possibly be the only person who had this question..

searched for ambient, night photoperiod, etc and didn't really see a clear thread on this matter. hopefully someone can help us answer this


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## Loop (Jan 8, 2011)

zenche said:


> hehe, i knew i couldnt possibly be the only person who had this question..
> 
> searched for ambient, night photoperiod, etc and didn't really see a clear thread on this matter. hopefully someone can help us answer this


I have to believe a lot of people do this. Why would you have the lights on all day when your most likely not home, and stare at a dark tank at night? Makes no sense.


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## scapegoat (Jun 3, 2010)

perhaps set up some moonlight? Not knowing how much light your tank is getting it would seem that you may not want to be running the lights at night as well as giving them sunlight (indirect or not)

personally... i don't know, my tank is in the basement so it's dark during the day and at night so i do two photoperiods.


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## Jadelin (Sep 30, 2009)

If the ambient light entering your tank is less than 1 wpg gallon when it's not going to have any effect. No plants can grow in less than 1 wpg. So basically no matter how bright your ambient light is, as long as there is no direct sunlight the level of light will be too low for the plants to use it. 

Also, having too much light is basically never a problem for plants; it is the other problems it causes that make us have a set lighting period. Too much light leads to too much algae, but ambient room light is not enough for even algae to grow. The other reason for shutting the light off is that fishes need a time to rest. So as long as your fish have a period of time with no light, everything should be fine.

Basically, if you had a planted tank in a room with lots of ambient light but had no lighting on the tank, would the plants survive? No they wouldn't. So that level of light won't have any effect on them.


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## zenche (Feb 9, 2011)

Awesome - that was nice perspective...need to learn to think like that. thanks jadelin!


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## psalm18.2 (Oct 16, 2010)

Loop said:


> I have to believe a lot of people do this. Why would you have the lights on all day when your most likely not home, and stare at a dark tank at night? Makes no sense.


True!


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## zenche (Feb 9, 2011)

^

yes, but what i've been doing is having the lights on for 7 hrs during the day, and on for the 3-4 hours at night when i'm in the living room to enjoy the tank.


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## shortsboy (Feb 6, 2011)

My photoperiod is 2-10 pm for that exact reason... I as getting a bit of an algae problem, but that was more a matter of too long a photoperiod, rather than any sunlight messing it up. All my fish are happy and healthy and plants are doing well.


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## chad320 (Mar 7, 2010)

3pm-2am on the tank in my sig. No problems at all. Ive done this for years like that.


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## zenche (Feb 9, 2011)

oh man, i can't wait to get my plants in....


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