how does home environment lighting affect the Tank?

MuscleBobBuffPants

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I have two tanks. One in my bedroom and one in the living room. In my bedroom I have a fan that has a regular room light, like for my my bedroom.
And in my living room there is recessed lighting to illuminate the room itself.

I know you’re only supposed to turn on the reef lights for 8-12 hours but will these other lights being on affect anything? My family wakes up in the morning at 7–8 and we got to sleep like 11pm or 12 sometimes.

Will the lights that we use to illuminate the house cause any issues? What should I do about this?

Btw I searched everywhere for this and it’s like no one has ever even asked it before, I could find no information on it.

More explanation: I usually wake up at 8:30am or so and get ready for work. I’m out of my bedroom until 5 or 6pm or so, and then I might come in and out randomly until I decide to stay in my room and watch Netflix/whatever until I sleep (usually late) with Covid going on and I’m at home, there might be times that I randomly walk in and out of my room and may flip the light on the wall on.

The living room has a larger tank in it. My parents get up in the morning early like 7 or so and then there’s activity in the living room until the entire house falls asleep, usually midnight.

So although the reef lights aren’t on there is a 10 foot ceiling with recessed lighting that’s powered on basically from 7Am to midnight every day.

Is this bad?
 

Bpb

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I think the par levels anything in the tank would be receiving would be so incredibly low it would be negligible. My tank is in the living room with recessed lighting as well. I’ll take some par readings after lights out with the room lighting on and report back tomorrow probably
 

muzikalmatt

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While I don't think it will hurt anything, I do think it's beneficial for the tank inhabitants to receive as much darkness as possible when your tank lights are off. I try to minimize turning on any adjacent lighting around the tank when the lights go out. Turning the lights on suddenly can disturb/startle fish that are sleeping.

Also, from some of the studies I've read, one of the variables scientists have used to get corals to spawn in captivity is proper and consistent periods of darkness. I realize getting corals to spawn in the aquarium is a lofty goal for most aquarists, but I think it lends credibility to the benefits of darkness for the corals.
 
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Lizbeli

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I see no ill affects. My boyfriend is up late studying for his pharmacy program almost nightly. He sits about 7ft from the tank with the lights on. Tank is slightly lit but the fish find their sleeping spots and are fine. Sometimes he pulls all nighters like this.
 

Dana Riddle

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When I lived in Hawaii, many coastal areas were illuminated (Honokohau Harbor, parts of Kahaluu bay, Kona pier, manta ray viewing areas (Old Sheraton), etc. Corals were growing in these areas, but since many corals set their biological clocks for spawning by the onset of darkness, reproductive schedules could be interrupted. But this isn't a concern for the vast majority...
 
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MuscleBobBuffPants

MuscleBobBuffPants

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Thanks for all of the help. I think what I’ll do is try my best to minimize the lighting around the tank but ultimately not worry about it too much.
 
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MuscleBobBuffPants

MuscleBobBuffPants

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I think the par levels anything in the tank would be receiving would be so incredibly low it would be negligible. My tank is in the living room with recessed lighting as well. I’ll take some par readings after lights out with the room lighting on and report back tomorrow probably

Looking forward to seeing these par results. Although I’m hoping the fish aren’t frightened by a sudden light in the middle of the night.
 

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