Lighting during cycling

[fletch]

Lighting during cycling

My question is do you need to run your main lighting on your tank during your cycle? I have a 40 Watt full spectrum strip light and I would like to run just this and not my pc lighting. would this be OK?

[Matt Rogers]

Yes. Should be ok I think as long as the temp light doesn't have a wacky spectrum that promotes the nastyness (slime algae, etc..) like when bulbs are really old.

[fletch]

The Bulb is a brand new 40 watt Eclipse Natural Daylight Bulb I just don't see any reason to run my PC lights if I don't have to. But If you think I would be better off running them then I will. As I don't want the nastiness * And you know a lot more than I do!!!!!

[Matt Rogers]

No, I'm with you, I don't think you will have to run the PCs.
I was just checking on the other light.

[fletch]

Thanks Matt You People are the best on this sight *

[fletch]

Hi I just had one of the kids working at a LFS tell me that I should not run my Daylight bulbs, Only my actinic's while I am cycling my tank as they are what is causing the algae growth in my tank? I don't buy into that, or am I wrong?

My Actinic's turn on @ 8:00am then I have my daylight lights come on @ 11:00am then the daylights turn off @ 6:00pm then the actinic's turn off @ 9:00 pm is this ok?

[quote author=fletch link=board=lighting;num=1081816443;start=0#5 date=04/24/04 at 14:09:22]Hi I just had one of the kids working at a LFS tell me that I should not run my Daylight bulbs, Only my actinic's while I am cycling my tank as they are what is causing the algae growth in my tank? I don't buy into that, or am I wrong?

My Actinic's turn on @ 8:00am then I have my daylight lights come on @ 11:00am then the daylights turn off @ 6:00pm then the actinic's turn off @ 9:00 pm is this ok?[/quote]

If this were true then why even buy daylight bulbs?
Most of the time it is water quality. Phosphates algae love it.

[fletch]

That was my thoughts exactly!!! He also said that I should not have any ammonia reading at all if I don't have any fish in my tank, This is right after I told him that my tank is still cycling and I don't have fish yet. I only stopped to get a few turbo snails. LOL I never stopped there before

My last readings were

Ammonia 0.25

Nitrite 0

Nitrate 0

PH 7.8 A little low

[Craig Manoukian]

Are you using some thing like raw shrimp in a nylon, keeps the mess down, to get your ammonia up? That would spike it to .80 and you'd be right in there. No need to put fish in the tank as it would be like you going into a gas chamber without a gas mask. Does the kid at the LFS want to vounteer?

[fletch]

I did do that with the raw shrimp for about a week( I didn't know how long to leave it in for ) I added 25lbs live rock and I also have been adding some Stress Zyme to the tank my readings 3 days ago were

Ammonia 0.25
nitrate 5.0
nitrite 0.25
PH 7.4

PS I Like your suggestion for the kid at the LFS * *LOL *
The only thing I changed was I started my protein skimmer yesterday