Lighting cycle question

[anen]

Hi all,

I am looking to start my first reef tank and I had a lighting question. I know it is good to simulate a day/night light cycle, but I have an issue. I would like to put the tank in the living room. However my father works a late shift, so the lights are on in the living room usually until 3-4am. If the tank lights are off but the room lights are on, will it bother the tank inhabitants?

 

[KathyC]

It really depends on how bright they are, but doubtful they would be so insanely bright that they'd bother anything. They're probably also a color spectrum that the corals may not respond to either.
I have zoas that stay open until I leave my office late at night due to the 'daylight' bulbs in the ceiling fixture almost directly over the tank.

If you work during the day, you can always run a light cycle that turns on your brightest lights beginning in the evening (6 or 7 pm) and goes off around the time your Dad is calling it a day. That way, you'd also get to appreciate the tank when you're home more often as well.

 

[anthony27]

I have my tnak in teh living room and the light is not totaly over it but it does not light up the tank or bother any corals but i know the fish like it cause they sit on teh rocks and look to see what i am doing then when the light is out i turn on the moon leds and leave it alone till the next morning.

 

[anen]

So you never have complete darkness in your tank? Don't you think it would be good to simulate some sort of night darkness?

I have my tnak in teh living room and the light is not totaly over it but it does not light up the tank or bother any corals but i know the fish like it cause they sit on teh rocks and look to see what i am doing then when the light is out i turn on the moon leds and leave it alone till the next morning.

 

[anen]

How about fish and inverts? Don't they need a sort of sleep cycle? Will the room lights prevent them from sensing night time?

It really depends on how bright they are, but doubtful they would be so insanely bright that they'd bother anything. They're probably also a color spectrum that the corals may not respond to either.
I have zoas that stay open until I leave my office late at night due to the 'daylight' bulbs in the ceiling fixture almost directly over the tank.

If you work during the day, you can always run a light cycle that turns on your brightest lights beginning in the evening (6 or 7 pm) and goes off around the time your Dad is calling it a day. That way, you'd also get to appreciate the tank when you're home more often as well.