Lighting during my cycle

My JBJ LED Pro has been up and running since Saturday night. How long should I run my lights during the cycle phase?

 

Actually you dont need to run the lights at all....unless you want to have a look at it.

 

Some will say that you get a more intense initial algae bloom if you leave the lights on during the cycle.

Probably true, but I have never been able to resist looking at the tank with the lights on during the cycle and in the long run it really made no difference either way.

Lights on a simple timer for 8 hours during the period of time you are most likely to view the tank is my preference.

 

I kept my lights off for the entire cycle. Bacteria doesn't need light- it will only help nuisance algae to grow. IMO I wouldn't turn them on until it is done.

 

I've got to tell ya, I had to keep my lights off for the cycle, otherwise I started to get "cravings" to add stuff to my otherwise empty tank. It's a shame the bacteria is too small to see with a naked eye. It would be cool to see everything that is going on at the microscopic level- then it wouldn't look so boring.

 

You are a better man than me ( but I am a girl). I am fascinated by looking at an empty tank with the shimmer of the lighting. I have to restrain my self now with not turning on the lights during the normal lighting period, it has always been a problem with me. 8)

 

I'm guessing you have some pretty sweet lights if you're getting a shimmer- my T5's just provide "light"

 

Thanks everyone! I'm going to try and leave the lights off as much as possible. Like Corailline its going to be so hard to not sit there and watch the shimmer. Maybe an hour or two everynight wont hurt anything?

 

Well, maybe my way is "old school", but I usually run my lights 14 - 16 hours daily during the 'cycle'. When all the algae has flourished and then died off, it's done. (That's how we did it before there were ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate test kits, and it worked 100% of the time. )

 

Should be fine, i did about the same thing during my early cycle. I didn't leave it on for all day, that's just asking for an algae bloom since you shouldn't be changing out water early on.