lighting question

[rdracer66]

I'm tryign to figure out a good time to turn the lights on and off on my 55 with some java fern. I work 630am-330pm out the door by 6am and home by 4pm any ideas ?
also the guy that i bought my 125g from sold me a strip light for 20$ plus extra bulbs so i coudlnt pass it up, the lights i had on my 55 were like 2 40 watt bulbs
the ones in the strip he gave me which i think is more than a strip but anyhoo it holds 2 48in bulbs at the moment it has a white and a blue in it should i just replace the blue with another white ?  he gave me 2 blue's and 2 whites as spares

 

[Matt Nace]

You don't need the blue ones.Keep for saltwater if they are any good.

If it isn't planted with anything but the java moss, 8 hours is enough time.

Those are my hours as well that I work.

Mine are on from 12:30pm to 12:30 am

On my day off it gives me the morning off, and afternoon to do fish stuff.

 

[rdracer66]

I have Java Fern ! not Moss

Rd

 

[dattack]

Have it turn on for at least 8 hours like MRB stated.  I would personally turn it on the time at I am home just for viewing pleasures.  

 

[ronrca]

Im gone from 6am to 6pm so feeding and viewing had to be figured out accordingly. I had 6 fluorescent tubes. One of the tubes come on at 5:30am to around 7am for feeding thens turns off. They all come on around 1pm and stay on until 8:30pm when you turn off 2 at a time at 0.5 hour intervals. Its totally dark by 10pm.

 

[rdracer66]

I dont have the luxery of being able to turn one bulb off at a time !

Rd

 

[ronrca]

No big deal! All I am trying to say is that you can split up the time that your lights are on. If you have real plants, they must at least have 8 hours or more of lighting but at least you can split up the lighting to when it fits your schedule. If all the lights come on at once is no big deal.

 

[rdracer66]

I dont think splitting up time would be good for the fish ?
they'd get confused wouldnt they ?