# hw long



## pullins125 (Mar 17, 2008)

how long should i keep the light on for my tank? i just started it should i keep it on longer for the 1st few weeks? then after the 1st few weeks? there no fish yet but will be in two weeks.


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## MaelStrom (Jun 24, 2007)

Whenever you get up and go to bed... so like (what they said below  )hours a day would be fine. Having it on too long may cause algae problems.


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## gil_ong (Apr 15, 2008)

i think i've heard most people recommend 8 to 10 hours.


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## Guest (Aug 30, 2008)

I would shoot for 8-10 hours. Long light periods can lead to algae (as can other things). But atleast you can control the length of the light period.

I'd get a timer if you don't have one already.....much easier.


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## Sea-Agg2009 (Aug 2, 2008)

you can get a cheap timer at target/walmart or anyplace like that for 5 bucks.


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## oblongshrimp (Sep 3, 2008)

Definitely get a timer. Having a stable lighting schedule is very important to the heath of the tank. I would start off at 8hrs and see how things grow. If you want more growth you could try increasing the duration of light. If you start seeing algae start backing it off again. How strong is your light? 

I would try a home improvement store like home depot to get the light timer. Often times the cheap ones do not have a grounded outlet. Any decent light will require a grounded outlet. I also prefer the digital ones since they don't get messed up if you have a power outage (they have a backup battery to keep the time). The cheap mechanical ones will just stop so if the power is off for an hour your timer is now an hour behind.


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