Newbie question about lighting

I just got a coral banded shrimp and I was wondering, since they are nocturnal should I switch my tank light off at night? I don't have a black light so if I did this I wouldn't have any light. Also I have noticed some algae growth, would this help? I've been leaving my light on 24-7 and I'm sure that helps promote algae growth, well that and incorrect water chemistry. Thanks...

 

Welcome to 3reef. Lights only need to be on a max of 12 hours a day.

 

Welcome to 3reef!
If you have little or no corals at the present time you need not have your lights on except for the time you are home and plan on viewing your tank.
A few hours a day is sufficient and will help to reduce algae growth(microalgae) along wit reduced nitrates/nutrients!

 

Well I don't have any coral. All I have at the moment is live rock, live sand(well its crushed shell I believe), a tomato clown fish, a coral banded shrimp, and a butt load of bristle worms. I inherited a 10g as my first attempt at a salt water aquarium, I figure if I can keep it going and keep it strong then I should have no problem with the tank I really want. Side note, I have an infestation of bristle worms, I know over feeding. But I here back and forth that their good and bad. All I know is I want to get ride of a lot of them. Coral banded shrimp? Trapping? What works the best?

 

Thanks for the response about the lights!

 

I got home from work last night and my coral banded shrimp was dead, I hate not being good at something...

 

sorry about your shrimp. I have to say that starting into SW with a small tank like that may be a frustrating way to begin. The smaller a tank, the less water volume you have & the less stable your params will be. Larger systems can take swings in params much better.

If you don't have any test kits, I would purchase at the least an API Master Saltwater kit to test your Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate. PH See where your levels are at.

 

Yea that what my mothers boyfriend told me, just don't have funds yet for the tank I want. Would weekly water changes help?

 

weekly to bi-monthly changes are good, but you def want to see what your params are at, make sure all is stable before doing anything. I am guessing you are using tap water for water changes? If you can get RO/DI water that would be best, if using tap water at least try to de-chlorinate it before the change.

What type of equipment is running in the tank, skimmer, powerheads?

 

What's ro/di stand for? I use tap water but I have an additive I add that suppose to take care of that stuff. 10g tank, filter with bio wheel (idk what brand sorry) and a power head. Idk exactly what kind of filter it is sorry I've had the tank prolly 6 months. I only used to feed his fish (tomato clown fish?) And eventually he told me I could have it. At that point it became my hobby lol.