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MotorCityBadBoy
01/10/2009, 01:37 PM
Can I put live rock in the tank with no light, and for how long?
Fish_wiz2
01/10/2009, 02:21 PM
as long as there are no corals, then you can do that forever. if corals are present-ya got 3 days
MotorCityBadBoy
01/10/2009, 03:17 PM
Thanks WIZ!
cczarnik
01/10/2009, 03:57 PM
Fishwiz, I'm not sure your info is accurate. I was just in an sps tank last night that has been unlit for much, much longer than that. And I've had softies that went weeks with no light sitting in a corner in the garage. I'd also point out that some here on RC actually advise blackout on a regular basis (for 48-72 hrs) as a means of algae control and they even tent their tanks to block ambient light.

Motorcity: if you're cycling, you'll be fine. I'd recommend building out the system before stocking if at all possible though, IMHO the cycle is not only about water chemistry, it's about developing stability, including ph swings, temp swings, light cycle, etc. Lights play a role in this. Hope this helps!
Fish_wiz2
01/10/2009, 04:18 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14124926#post14124926 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cczarnik
Fishwiz, I'm not sure your info is accurate. I was just in an sps tank last night that has been unlit for much, much longer than that. And I've had softies that went weeks with no light sitting in a corner in the garage. I'd also point out that some here on RC actually advise blackout on a regular basis (for 48-72 hrs) as a means of algae control and they even tent their tanks to block ambient light.

i understand where your getting at and it may seem wrong to you but, i just used that as a general idea based from people and their experiences around RC (as i don't manually or automatically blackout my tanks much). i know they can last longer but is it good? i say this as he asked how long they can last and not records of lasting (not trying to seem rude now) so i said 3 days. my tank personally has gone longer but i try my best to not to allow it past 3 days as many of my corals start to show stress after that. but like always it is JMO and you to decide ;)