Help with 2 questions

AC2020x

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Dec 31, 2008
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State College, PA
Hey, you can read all about my tank in the sig if you want to know more but i'm trying to figure out what would be a good time to have the lights go on and off and when to feed my fish/ how many times a day. I currently have 2 misbar clowns, a firefish and coral banded shrimp. + other hermits/snails--

I currently have the lights on for about 8-10 hours being that I don't want a build up of hair or cyano algea. I have an auto feeder for flake food. How often and at what times do you think I should feed them? and then I play on feeding them frozen food either once a day or every other day. Any ideas? I'm not sure what to do?
 
This is just me personally, and I assure you I don't know much....seems to be working though.

I have 4x24 T5 HO lights.

I have them set up for thirteen total hours of light. 12pm-4pm actinics, 4-9 all four, and 9-1am actinics, moon lights on all the time. I have had zero nuisance algae that my snails, crabs and goby haven't taken care of in hours.

As for feeding, I have two black clowns, a yellow headed jawfish, a diamond goby, and misc awesome clean up crew. I feed Rod's Food once a day around 8pm. I have been told to feed once a day, twice a day, and every other day, so major conflicting stories. So I asked the LFS I got my clowns from what they did, they did once a day about an hour or two before lights go out. It's been over a month since I started that and no nitrate probs, no nothing. Just my case, but there's really no "wrong" way as long as you don't go crazy. It is easier to overfeed than underfeed though I've been told.
 
Feed once a day tops for your fish. If you feed flake, no need to feed frozen that day. It is sooooo easy to overfeed, I still have a hard time not doing it, but trust me, your tank will be happier the less you feed. You can easily miss a day once a week without problems. I feed my fish around 7pm each night.

As for lighting, if your not doing any corals, the less light the better. If you have a set schedule your home and want the lights to be on and it is only 4-6 hours a day then IMO that is fine for a fish only tank, actually less stressfull on the fish.
 
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