Lights during cycling?

[JC_UF_ITK]

How long should my lights be on during the cycling period? Right now I have them on for 8 hours, but the LFS says to cut that back to 4 hours. Are they right?

[jbarone]

You don't need any lights during the cycle. You'll just grow algae by running lights.

[JC_UF_ITK]

Now to throw a monkey wrench into the equation. I know it's too early, but I listened to the LFS. I have a cleaning crew in the tank right now (10 hermits and 5 snails). Is the light necessary for them?

[Travis L. Stevens]

No, light is not necessary for a cycling tank, or for the cleanup crew. What's done is done, but I would wait before adding anything else, cleanup crew included, to the tank until it completely finishes cycling.

[JC_UF_ITK]

Thanks Travis. I'll be out of town all next week and when I come back I'm hoping the cycle will be complete (tank will be 4 weeks old) so I can start adding fish/coral.

[papagimp]

fwiw, I would recommend keeping the lights on during a cycle. All new tanks will go through some algae phases regardless, the severity will vary from one tank to another, but the basics are going to be there nontheless and in my personal opinion, better to get em out of the way before you add too much livestock.
And for what it's worth, this is the same method I've used on all my tanks and after the last bit of cyno outbreak is done, I have yet to have any algae outbreaks since. And the nutrients for an outbreak are definatly there right now, but yet my system still does very well regardless.

[kevin2000]

I would keep the lights off -- I don't think they really do anything positive and will run up your electric bill.

Papagimp is correct that keeping the lights off won't stop some of the std maturation algae issues but it may help minimize them. Cyling tanks usually have filthy water which will contribute to algae issues ... keeping the lights on is just one more food source for algae and that combined with nitrate/phosphate laden water will just about gaurantee algae issues.

[N_V_S]

:smokin:

[advice1]

Im using semi cured LR, and some peices that are fully cured(taken out from another tank).. Wouldnt I want to keep the lights on to induce coraline growth?

[kevin2000]

Coralline is a calcareous algae that is slow growing and actually prefers subdued lighting ... keeping your lights on during cycling isn't going to do much for coralline growth and the nusiance algaes that may like the lighting would likely outcompete any coralline for living space on the rock.

[advice1]

and this is why we have this forum

thanks :-)