light time...

[lizzies]

hey, i have my aquarium lights on timers and ive never quite got the timing right... not enough light is bad... too much light is bad... whats the right amount???

lately ive had my timers set for 9hours45mins a day but i seem to be getting green algae on the glass and rocks (not excessive i dont think) and black/brown algae on the plants. i dont mind the green algae cos i can just scrub most of it off so it looks ok but the algae on the plants i cant get off!!! i end up buying new plants every couple of months and throwing them away before they get a chance to get going if you see what i mean.

how long should i have the light on for in a day???

 

[riddle4sphinx]

Have you checked water parameters? Is there a shot that waste buildup is causing the algae? Otherwise, what about getting a snail or two? I've had golden mystery snails and they clean up a tank nicely and they're a lof of fun to watch. For your plants.... i'm thinking they're fake? So why not try ones with bigger leaves so it makes scrubbing the algae off easier?

 

[Ms.Bubbles]

Are your aquarium plants live or plastic?

If they're live, you need around 10 hours of light per day, although some plants can live with 8 hours. Algae can be a problem with some of the slow-growing plants, not so much with fast-growers. Frequent water changes (at least 25% every week) can help keep nutrients out of the water, and don't over-feed your fish. High lighting over the aquarium (over 3 watts per gallon) can make algae worse, and really low lighting (.5 watts per gallon) can create brown algae.

However, if the plants are plastic, light over the aquarium is not really even necessary. Ambient room light is fine if there's adequate daylight in the room, and lights on to see the fish whenever you want it.

 

[lizzies]

theyre real plants... i will try changing the light time to a bit longer...

 

[wataugachicken]

try adding a carbon supplement to the tank. carbon is a part of the photosynthetic process, and with it plants are better able to use up nutrients in the tank and outcompete the algae. the plants will grow and the algae will die, but it may take some time to come to a balance.