New tank - lights on?

[SpicierBread]

Hello,

I started my tank cycling 4 weeks ago and have had clownfish in for 1 week. Since putting them in, ammonia and nitrite have been zero. Current nitrates are 20. When should I turn my lights on? Should I wait until nitrates drop close to zero?

Dry Rock
pH: 8.2
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 20

Thanks

 

[blaxsun]

I don't think it really matters either way, to be honest.

 

[SpicierBread]

My understanding is that keeping the lights off is only to minimize algae. But, at what point should they be on everyday? No algae so far...

 

[KaitCorals]

Spicier Bread,

The question is what do you want to accomplish by turning on lights?

 

[Big Smelly fish]

I can only tell you from my experience’s. Every tank I have ever set up I run lights from day one. To me the ugly stage is going to happen and I deal with them. The tank will eventually reach a balance .

 

[Lavey29]

Fish don't need lights only coral and algae does. If you go lights out the first 4 months your tank will develop biodiversity. Then add some corals and turn the lights in and your ugly phases will be very manageable.

 

[muzikalmatt]

Fish don't need lights only coral and algae does. If you go lights out the first 4 months your tank will develop biodiversity. Then add some corals and turn the lights in and your ugly phases will be very manageable.

This is good advice if you're really wanting to minimize the ugly stage.

Another option if you aren't that patient is to add a few hardy low-light corals such as mushrooms or GSP and keep your light at a very low intensity level with a mostly blue spectrum. Then you can slowly ramp up the intensity over the next several months while your tank develops that biodiversity/maturity. That's what I'm currently doing with my 10 gallon build and it's keeping algae at bay so far.