grow light setups
how often should I leave aquarium light on?
I have both plants and fish in my 5 gallon tank. Just a few anacharis along with a few neon tetras. The bulb is 25W. I really want the plants to grow so i can continue to replant.
-How long should the light be on?
-Does keeping the light on hurt the fish?
Also, I am in the process of putting up a 29 gallon planted tank. It will also have fish living with the plants. This tank will have more than just anacharis. Maybe a couple amazon sword/banana/java fern. Not sure yet.
-What wattage/type of bulb is good for this setup?
-How long should this light be on for?
8-12 hours maximum daily should be fine. any longer and you're going to find yourself with excessive algae problems.
as for wattage, the bigger the better, the watts per gallon rule is a good rough guide. for your plants which are low-medium light, aim for 2-3 watts per gallon, 5 watts per gallon would be optimum but you would have to be careful what fish you add as many fish don't appreciate very bright lights.
most fish stores stock bulbs intended for growing plants, aim for these for starters. as you progress in the planted tank world you can upgrade to more expensive specialist set ups.