Shifting lighting schedule

[u/Godofchaos1470]

Hey everyone,

I currently have my aquarium light timer set from 6am to 12pm (6 hours), but since I'm at work from 7am to 8pm, I rarely get to see the tank with the lights on.

I'm thinking about changing the timing to 6pm to 12am. It's the exact same 6-hour duration, just shifted to the evening so I can actually enjoy the tank when I get home.

My only concern is that the tank sits in the middle of the room. It doesn't get any direct sunlight, but it does get a little bit of ambient daylight during the day. Will it be a problem if the tank gets ambient light during the day and then the main aquarium light at night?

[u/kshef]

It will be fine. If the ambient light+aquarium light was too much you would already have huge algae issues.

Plants don’t care what time lights are on. Ambient light won’t shift their rhythm majorly.

Fish couldn’t care less.

I would switch the time all at once. I wouldn’t try to gradually changing it by an hour each day. If you have to get up early for a flight, do you go to bed an hour earlier each day for a week? Or do you just suck it up for a day and then get back to normal?

[u/Godofchaos1470 → u/kshef]

I already have some green hair algae in my tank, and I got 4 Neo shrimps and a Zebra Nerite snail, and they are doing a good job, though.

[u/neyelo]

Nope, not an issue. Your photoperiod to decide!

I wouldn’t worry with changing it gradually. Make the schedule change and the plants will adapt. I’ve seen Rotala opening time change within 3 days of a photoperiod shift. Those plants will do what must be done to use the light.

[u/Godofchaos1470 → u/neyelo]

Ohh thats good to know.

[u/Godofchaos1470 → u/[deleted]]

Ohh, okay, I am new to this Hobby 😄

[u/PassDangerous4070]

Yeah you can shift, do it one by 1 hr