When to restore power after an outage

[bereb]

Hi everyone,
Earlier I got my first fish in, 15 Hengeli rasboras and unfortunately one didn't make it. The rest are settling in nicely and already looking more vibrant. I'm thinking of gradually turning on my tank lights, so my plants can help with the ammonia as the fish produce it. Plus, I want to get a good look at the remaining 14 to make sure they're all doing well and see if I missed anything when adding them. I'd also love to take some nice photos – the reflections are ruining my pics right now.

They've been in the tank for just over two hours and seem happy and active. Is it too early to start turning on the lights, even if it's gradual?

[sidthy]

Go ahead and turn the lights on. The main reason for keeping them off initially is to prevent blinding the fish with the bright light from your planted tank. When adding fish, it's best to do so with the room lights on, and the tank lights on if they're not too intense, so the fish can see their surroundings. The first thing they need to do is assess the safety of their new environment, and for that, they need some light. So, it's fine to switch the lights on soon after introducing the fish to the tank. Only nocturnal species should be added in the dark, but that's not the case with your Hengeli rasboras.

[bereb]

Go ahead and turn the lights on. The main reason for keeping them off initially is to prevent blinding the fish with the bright light from your planted tank. When adding fish, it's best to do so with the room lights on, and the tank lights on if they're not too intense, so the fish can see their surroundings. The first thing they need to do is assess the safety of their new environment, and for that, they need some light. So, it's fine to switch the lights on soon after introducing the fish to the tank. Only nocturnal species should be added in the dark, but that's not the case with your Hengeli rasboras.

Thanks for the advice, I've gone ahead and turned the lights on now. It's good to know I didn't have to wait too long, they seem to be enjoying the extra light already.

[Lexat]

Hi all, I had another question - do plants mainly consume ammonia during photosynthesis, or do they do it at a similar rate both during the day and at night?

[boomer]

Hi all, I had another question - do plants mainly consume ammonia during photosynthesis, or do they do it at a similar rate both during the day and at night?

Ammonia uptake by plants is an ongoing process, happening 24/7. In a well-planted aquarium, the plants will rapidly remove the ammonia produced by natural processes. Unless there's a serious issue with the biological system, the plants can handle the ammonia load from a decent number of fish. I'm not talking about severely overstocked and neglected tanks, of course.

Floating plants are incredibly effective at removing ammonia, earning them the term "ammonia sinks." Ammonia diffuses easily across cell membranes, whereas ammonium doesn't. As ammonia enters the plant cell, it can combine with a hydrogen ion to form non-toxic ammonium, which is then stored in cell vacuoles. In fact, one study found that Nitella clavata plants contained over 2,400 mg/l of ammonium.

Plants also use ammonia to synthesize proteins. By combining ammonia with stored carbohydrates, they create ordinary amino acids, effectively detoxifying the ammonia. Notably, plants take up ammonia faster than nitrifying bacteria, helping to keep nitrite and nitrate levels in check.