Lights on or off for algae eaters?

[MadCaddy]

I’m almost three months into a new tank setup and up until now have left the lights off (was waiting for four months just based on BRS advice). Two weeks ago I added a couple of new fish including a lawnmower blenny and tomini tang. When I added them in I had a bit of a brown algae bloom going. Within a week the algae was almost gone. Now when I look at the blenny he looks very skinny and a bit lethargic. I worry that he is starving. I’m wondering if it would be a good idea to turn the lights on early to get some more “food” growing for him (rather than wait for the four months). Would it be typical to go through multiple algae blooms or could I really already be through the ugly phase?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Definitely turn on the lights.
You will almost surely have more uglies... It's part of the process

 

[LordofCinder]

But, isn't the point of leaving lights off for 3-4 months so that algae doesn't grow

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

But, isn't the point of leaving lights off for 3-4 months so that algae doesn't grow

When people do, that's the point, but with a dry-rock start, it's usually pointless.

Plus, adding a tang and blenny that will suffer if there's no algae kind of necessitates turning on the lights (or adding lots of rocks with nori rubber banded to them...)

 

[LordofCinder]

When people do, that's the point, but with a dry-rock start, it's usually pointless.

Plus, adding a tang and blenny that will suffer if there's no algae kind of necessitates turning on the lights (or adding lots of rocks with nori rubber banded to them...)

I was attempting sarcasm, I'm not good at it....

 

[vetteguy53081]

I’m almost three months into a new tank setup and up until now have left the lights off (was waiting for four months just based on BRS advice). Two weeks ago I added a couple of new fish including a lawnmower blenny and tomini tang. When I added them in I had a bit of a brown algae bloom going. Within a week the algae was almost gone. Now when I look at the blenny he looks very skinny and a bit lethargic. I worry that he is starving. I’m wondering if it would be a good idea to turn the lights on early to get some more “food” growing for him (rather than wait for the four months). Would it be typical to go through multiple algae blooms or could I really already be through the ugly phase?

Likely they are diatoms and part of the maturity process of new tank and even aged tanks. By all means, leave lights on at least 8 hours per day. You can reduce intensity but dont cheat yourself on hours of lights on. Regarding Blenny, skinny is never good and part of the issue s LFS selling them as algae eater. While they eat algae and require algae in their diet, they need and require calcium and meats in their diet primarily.
You will often see them pounding and gnawing on rocks- that is to obtain calcium and they eat chopped shrimp, krill and fish such as silversides. Also Mysis shrimp and food like LRS fish frenzy. It is likely starving. Their bellies should appear as if they swallowed a small marble

 

[MadCaddy]

Likely they are diatoms and part of the maturity process of new tank and even aged tanks. By all means, leave lights on at least 8 hours per day. You can reduce intensity but dont cheat yourself on hours of lights on. Regarding Blenny, skinny is never good and part of the issue s LFS selling them as algae eater. While they eat algae and require algae in their diet, they need and require calcium and meats in their diet primarily.
You will often see them pounding and gnawing on rocks- that is to obtain calcium and they eat chopped shrimp, krill and fish such as silversides. Also Mysis shrimp and food like LRS fish frenzy. It is likely starving. Their bellies should appear as if they swallowed a small marble

Yes he appears to peck/pound on the rocks just like you said. I’ve been looking forward to having the lights on so will go ahead with that approach. I also feed algae flakes once per day and mysis shrimp once per day. He doesn’t seem built to eat flakes so hopefully getting a bit more algae growing will do the trick.