New tank and lights

[doubleshot00]

From all ive read its a good idea to not run lights on a new tank for a while (algae). How long I guess it depends; BRS says 4 months.

Is it a big deal to just turn them on occasionally? Like for 10-45 minutes? Im only using the blues at the moment and turned all the way down.

When they are in the fish are so much happier. When they are off they go hide and are scared of any movement.

 

[shakacuz]

you don't have to keep them off to avoid algae, this is a personal preference to avoid the "ugly stage". algae will grow once the lights are completely left on anyways, so i don't believe it matters much.

 

[Falc!]

Uglies, get em done now or later but they gonna come. I had lights on day 1

 

[moorjames]

I had my lights on the entire time- keeping them off is really just a management tool- not a fix all

 

[doubleshot00]

So it doesn’t matter got it.

 

[Lavey29]

As others said. The uglies will come sooner or later however if you wait till you have more biodiversity they will be much more manageable.

 

[ghurlag]

I'm trying the 4 month approach to lights out since I'm starting with dry rock, but I've started with lights on day one and endured the ugly phase in other tanks.

If you're worried about your fish, but still wanting to minimize the effects of light on a new tank for some time, you should be good for an hour a day, as you've proposed.

As it's been said many places, the ugly stage, at some level, seems inevitable...

 

[Jubei2006]

Are you gonna have afuge or algae turf scrubber? I have a fuge. Turned my lights on. Got hair algae, ran its course in a month. Didnt add corals until it dissapated. Also dosed pods and phytoplankton. Just a stage, dont fret, it'll go away without tons of management.

 

[doubleshot00]

No fuge or no sump. just uv connected to my 407. Not running skimmer yet.

 

[BanjoBandito]

I've had better luck slowly ramping up lights at the start than turning them off completely. The first 2 weeks of cycling I usually leave em off.