Lighting

[shmohney]

I have a 1.5 gallon tank with a crushed coral substrate, and limestone rocks and dead coral for cover and algae growth, plus some snails and Chaeto from Mustafa. There are 7 little LED lights in the fixture that came with the tank. I introduced about 46 Opae three weeks ago, and they seem to be doing really well. I wasn't seeing much visible algae growth, so I decided to increase the light by adding a simple desk lamp with a 13-watt CFL soft white bulb. It's quite bright. The shrimp don't seem to mind and I think the algae is responding.

Questions:
1. Any comments on whether this lighting is suitable?
2. I've seen advice on this board to light the tank for about 12 hours per day, especially if you're hoping for breeding. My tank is in an area of the house where it gets indirect sunlight and house lighting for several hours before and after the desk lamp timer turns off. Are those additional hours of dimmer light a problem? Should I move the tank to a dark room where I can totally control the light, if I want the shrimp to breed?

Thanks -

[shmohney]

Side note - within a day after I added the desk lamp, tiny bubbles started rising from the algae, which hadn't happened when I was only using the LEDs. I'm thinking the bubbles mean that the algae is photosynthesizing a lot more than it was. The bubbles collect in large numbers, and coalesce under the water's surface film.

[KenCotigirl]

I believe lighting is a minor issue. The shrimp do not need it. Habitat photos show the full array of conditions from full sun to total darkness. We do not have a planted tank so again light is not an issue. The macro algae is also happy in most light conditions. Well except darkness. Provide as much light that is needed for your enjoyment. Too much algae growth reduce light intensity and or duration. No apparent algae then increase.
Ken