Lights on or Off?

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Hello Friends,

I was ready some posts this weekend and I have seen way too many people talking about reasons for eating eggs from being too young, to being shy, with lights on, or lights off.

My question is, with the pair I have going now, they are in a room with no daytime traffic and very little traffic at all right now as this room is going to be my main fish room, just not yet.

So to find out a possible reason to eaiting eggs, I am wondering if the lights on keeps them too alert or not? I turn the lights on during morning feeding (6:30 am) and off at night after last feeding (around 8:00 pm). I feed 3 times per day, 50% water change of RO every other day. Should I just leave the lights off after the spawn to ensure they won't get spooked?

Thank you,

DiscusLoverJeff

[ExReefer]

They could just be young. I wonder if a room with very little traffic could actually spoke them more. Because they are not used to people entering the room you’ll have to try extra hard not to spook them. It’s a little strange to hear that they were comfortable enough to spawn, but still get spooked. They are probably eating their eggs for other reasons. Reasons we may never know.

I had two sets of discus spawn in my display tank while I watched with the lights on. One pair ate their eggs and the other didn’t. Lots of foot traffic around the tank and three T5 bulbs on for 12 hours a day.

[deepflyball]

All thats needed is a night light. Jerry

[Keith Perkins]

After mine have spawned I leave some type of light on 24/7. When I don't the parents normally will not tend the eggs in the dark and once they lose that tending feel bad things often occur shortly after (if only there was a pacman among all the smileys). Hopefully the problem with yours is that they're just young. I can see however how very light traffic in the room might cause them to spook easily. As it was said in different terms, no sneaking up on them and yelling boo.

Send me a PM and let me know how you're getting along with your beefheart.

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Hi Keith,

These guys don't seem to spook easy, as soon as I walk down the stairs, they see me and immediately expect to be fed. And when I am in the room they enjoy the company. I do leave a light on the room as to not make it totally dark.

I will just have to wait and see if they get better at this. No pain, no gain as they say!

DiscusLoverJeff

[Keith Perkins]

Well their eating behavior sure sounds good, so hopefully that points back towards them just being young again. They enjoy your company? Do you still smell like garlic from making heart? :laugh: I didn't want to discount the possibility of them being spooked, especially for others who might read this thread who actually do have that problem.

[Bill63SG]

Jeff,you've seen that mine are in the basement,with almost zero traffic until Im down there doing wc's.After mine lay,I leave the lights on 24/7 for about the first 2 weeks.Got four spawns going right now.

[timmy82]

Good work Bill, I have mine out in the shed 50 so tanks set up in their. I have some dull LED running all the time away fro m the breeders but just enough light to not be fully dark. The shed has 1 window but 10 or more metres away from the tanks so they can tell day from night. I only have a light on closer to the tank when going for attachment or attached. Then their light stays on 24hrs. I don't seem to have egg eatting problems but more so attachment but they are all still on learners too. I drop the water level ect try to keep the messing about to minimal and I am the only one that is around them 75% of the time for matainance and feeds ect.

[Trier20]

I keep the tank light on for a month or so.

[DiscusLoverJeff]

My lights are on 12 hours now, 7 to 7. When they have spawned, since the tanks are facing long ways, I just put a piece of cardboard on the back half of the tank where the cone is after spawning and through growout of 3 weeks. When I started doing this, I have had better success in them not eating the eggs or the fry. Maybe it just calms them and helps keep any threats down. Plus I am not around most of the day so they do have a lot less traffic until I come home and start water changes. They are use to my routine and me theirs.