# Lighting time question



## Btchplz73 (Mar 2, 2016)

I have a 30 gallon planted tank (just set it up so no plants or fish yet), I have a 21" marineland led lighting system that is blue and white. Hoping someone here has some recommendations on amount of time to leave the lights on and how co2 difuser comes in to play as well. thanks.


----------



## kamel_007 (Jan 7, 2006)

If you still have no plants or fish, there's no need for Co2 or lighting. 

the average lighting time is 8 hours and it depends on the plants requirements of lights and your lighting unit capacity, also, you need co2 to 30ppm.


----------



## Aquaticz (May 22, 2009)

Folks set up tanks in different ways. I would suggest that you provide some more info. Do you know the par of the light fixture from wherever it is to the substrate? Lighting drives growth but you have to start with a large plant mass in my opinion to have any success. How you inject C02 is up to you. Some like atomizers, some like reactors. You can learn a great deal just by reading through old posts. Best of Luck in your quest


----------



## TropTrea (Jan 10, 2014)

if the light fixture has blue and white lights it is probably a salt water or reef lighting system. Not the greatest for fresh water plants.


----------



## buceplant (Feb 13, 2016)

I like to start at 8 hours generally and tweak it from there. If it looks like i'm getting some algae I'll turn the hours down by 1 hour increments. If it looks like my plants aren't doing too hot, I'll leave it on for longer. When you get a new tank and a light you've never worked with previously, there's always a period for adjustments and tweaks.


----------



## burr740 (Mar 6, 2015)

7-8 hours is a good general start, although it can depend on many things, as others have mentioned. 

Most people turn on co2 an hour or so before the lights, and off an hour or so before the lights go out.


----------

