Blue lights on all night?

[ashley]

Hi everyone...i am just wondering does anyone leave their blue lights on all night? Prod and cons....

 

[Bronc]

No, the fish & corals need 8 hrs of darkness. I run my moonlights until 1am. My blues then startup at 10am.

 

[ashley]

No, the fish & corals need 8 hrs of darkness. I run my moonlights until 1am. My blues then startup at 10am.

Ok...thanks...

 

[redfishbluefish]

I agree. When I first got my "moonlights", I first left them on so that I could watch the tank after hours. However, what I noticed was that some fish never "slept". So now I include the moonlights as part of my early dawn and late evening. Total blackness for 12 hours.

 

[govolsguy31]

I agree. When I first got my "moonlights", I first left them on so that I could watch the tank after hours. However, what I noticed was that some fish never "slept". So now I include the moonlights as part of my early dawn and late evening. Total blackness for 12 hours.

Same here basically. Lights out from 8:30pm to 8am.

 

[sneub]

Lights out from 10 to 10 for me

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

Lunar lights are fine if they are very dim. they can possibly help with the spawning cycle of certain fish.

 

[ashley]

Lunar lights are fine if they are very dim. they can possibly help with the spawning cycle of certain fish.

Ok so this may be dumb..what are moon lights and lunar lights? Are they the blues?

 

[reefwiser]

You need darkness also for the chemistry of the tank. With lights off the corals are not uptaking cal and alk and and the ph will change. This is needed to balance the chemistry of the aquarium.

 

[meir]

What about very weak stock lights as a night light option

 

[redfishbluefish]

Ok so this may be dumb..what are moon lights and lunar lights? Are they the blues?

Yes, moon lights are a couple blue LEDs. Some fixtures come with a couple blues for moon lights and you can also purchase stand-alone. I have two, four foot Ice Cap moon lights that are part of my light cycle.

 

[clownfish chris]

What about very weak stock lights as a night light option

No, moonlights need to be very dim. We are talking just a hint of light... features in the tank should be difficult to make out and corals will just barely floress.

 

[Diesel]

If fish needed some sort of night light they will create one them self, if not don't worry let it be dark as you don't want that fish with a self created night light in your glass box

 

[ashley]

Yes, moon lights are a couple blue LEDs. Some fixtures come with a couple blues for moon lights and you can also purchase stand-alone. I have two, four foot Ice Cap moon lights that are part of my light cycle.

Ok good yo know...i have a fluval 2.0 marine and reef 36 inch fixture..it has some blues on it.

 

[ashley]

If fish needed some sort of night light they will create one them self, if not don't worry let it be dark as you don't want that fish with a self created night light in your glass box

Haha..i guess that makes alot of sense.

 

[wyattray]

I feel like my fish get upset if the lights dont go out.

 

[hart24601]

Been running moonlights on my salt and fresh tanks all night for years now. It doesn't matter. I also keep my discus grow out main lights on 24hr a day.

If it makes a person feel better to have some total darkness that is just fine, but is it needed? Nope.

 

[JP79]

More they are in the dark the better. Most corals feed of zooxanthelle it's the algae it makes to feed off. Durn the day it makes sugar for energy. So at night it needs the dark to burn off the carbon dioxide. That's why at night the pH drops. That's the easiest way to explain it. But coral needs dark. As much as you can. The corals also feed at night. The fish could use it too. Clean up crews work the best in the dark as well. Mine get about 7-8 hours of dark.

 

[ashley]

More they are in the dark the better. Most corals feed of zooxanthelle it's the algae it makes to feed off. Durn the day it makes sugar for energy. So at night it needs the dark to burn off the carbon dioxide. That's why at night the pH drops. That's the easiest way to explain it. But coral needs dark. As much as you can. The corals also feed at night. The fish could use it too. Clean up crews work the best in the dark as well. Mine get about 7-8 hours of dark.

That makes total sense...thanks

 

[nex64]

Tell the fish to close their eyes if they want to sleep!