Ambient lighting vs tank lighting

[TonyHanke]

So, I want to keep a reef tank in my bedroom, in which I spend a lot of time in varying hours (teenager here). My question is, how would the ambient lighting in my room affect the inhabintants of the tank, and how would it collide with the tank lighting? I mean especially during night hours. Would I need to turn off the lighting in the room after the lights in the tank go out? Thank you in advance.

 

[Arnav]

Heyyy, same situation here. To be honest as long as your ambient light isn't blasting into the tank it really makes no difference, and everything thinks that it's night. My inverts get more active, the bristleworms and pods come out, and corals close.

The difference between ambient and reef is way to big so it doesnt make a difference

 

[saltwaterfish.com Verified Sponsor]

Agreed as long as the ambient light isn't too bright it shouldn't be an issue, however it can cause more algae grow on your glass. You can remedy this by wrapping a black plastic trash bag or blanket around the sides of your tank at night. Just make sure not to cover the top/lid as you don't want the temperature to raise, and still want to allow oxygen exchange.