Lighting - duration

[r0ckf1re]

How long should my tank lights be onn.
I have quad 39 watt T5s. I've added 48 watts of blue LED bulbs.
Currently the t5s come onn at 7AM and turn off at 6PM. The LED's never go off since I use them as moonlight. My tank is shallow, so the LEDs seem bright.

Does the tank need to go into total darkness so everyting that needs to sleep can sleep and the nocturnal inhabitants can wake up?

I've read up on this and lots of alternate answers.

What do you do?

My tank at night with moonlight.

 

[Afsal]

I personally would let the moonlights come on an hour or 2 before the T5s and go off an hour or 2 after the T5s. Remember we trying to mimic the natural light cycle hence in nature there's total darkness.

Just my 2c

 

[r0ckf1re]

I personally would let the moonlights come on an hour or 2 before the T5s and go off an hour or 2 after the T5s. Remember we trying to mimic the natural light cycle hence in nature there's total darkness.

Just my 2c

I read the same. I got my t5s on a timer, need to get my LEDs on one.

Thanks.

 

[FoundNemo]

Mine as follows

Odyssea Quad t5's
LED strips in hood

White Lights x2 from 6.:00 to 12:00 nice warm color
White & Actnic 12:00 - 16:00 brightest color
Actnic only 16:00 - 18:00 darker blue color
LED strips 18:00 - 20:00 this is typically my moonlight only for viewing purposes really

My sump light i work in reverse so come on from 20:00 till 6:00am

Don't know if this is right but thats how i have mine everyone seems happy and like mentioned i am trying to mimic nature here , all on 3x timers

ZETLIGHT would be so much easier

 

[viper357]

It's probably better to have a very dim light during the night, as Afsal said, trying to mimic nature as much as we can. 48w is a lot of moonlight, one or two 1w led's would provide sufficient moonlight for the whole tank. I mounted a moonlight at one end of the tank and directed it slightly downwards and across the surface of the water and it gave an awesome rippling moonlight effect on the sand when the other lights switch off.

 

[r0ckf1re]

It's probably better to have a very dim light during the night, as Afsal said, trying to mimic nature as much as we can. 48w is a lot of moonlight, one or two 1w led's would provide sufficient moonlight for the whole tank. I mounted a moonlight at one end of the tank and directed it slightly downwards and across the surface of the water and it gave an awesome rippling moonlight effect on the sand when the other lights switch off.

Thanks Viper, I'll disconnect some of the LEDs.