Copy‑Paste Lighting Schedules for Reptiles & Aquariums: Exact Hours, Intensity & Timers
- Feb 23
- 5 min read
Lighting schedules are one of the easiest wins in reptile and aquarium care: get the hours and intensity close to “real sun,” and animals and plants usually reward you with better colour, appetite, and behaviour. This guide gives copy‑paste schedules for popular setups plus simple rules to tweak them for your home and your lights.
General Rules Before You Copy‑Paste
Aim for 10–14 hours of light for diurnal reptiles and planted/reef tanks; 8–10 for low‑light or temperate setups.
Use timers or app schedules so the photoperiod is identical every day.
Keep nights fully dark for all reptiles and fish; avoid coloured “night bulbs.”
If you upgrade to a stronger light, shorten the photoperiod for 1–2 weeks, then lengthen slowly.
All schedules below assume modern LEDs or T5/T8 fluorescents and can be run on simple plug‑in timers or built‑in controllers.
Goal: Bright, hot desert sun with a clear day/night rhythm.
Recommended day length: 12–14 hours in summer, 10–12 in winter.
Default Daily Schedule (Summer)
07:00 – 07:15 – UVB + daylight LEDs ON (ramp from 0–50% if your fixture allows).
07:15 – 19:15 – Full daylight:
UVB tube ON
Daylight LED/T5 at 80–100%
Basking halogen on thermostat (surface 40–43 °C / 104–110 °F).
19:15 – 19:45 – Ramp down daylight LEDs to 0%.
19:45 – 07:00 – All lights OFF, heat maintained only if room gets cold (ceramic heater on thermostat).
Quick version for basic timers
Timer 1 (UVB + daylight): ON 07:00 / OFF 19:00
Timer 2 (basking heat): ON 07:30 / OFF 18:30
2. Leopard Gecko / Crepuscular Gecko (Low UVB, Low Light)
Leopard geckos are crepuscular and fall into lower Ferguson Zones; they still benefit from a gentle day/night cycle but do not want desert‑level brightness.
Daily Schedule
09:00 – 21:00 – Low‑level daylight:
Low‑output UVB (e.g., 2–5%) on top of warm side.
Soft LED strip at 30–40% to simulate room daylight.
No basking spot over 32–34 °C (90–93 °F); under‑tank heat mat on thermostat often used instead of bright overhead heat.
21:00 – 09:00 – All lights OFF, gecko becomes active.
Timer setup
Single timer for UVB + LED: ON 09:00 / OFF 21:00
3. Tropical Arboreal (Chameleon / Tree Dragon / Day Gecko)
These species prefer bright, filtered “jungle sun” with a clear photoperiod.
Daily Schedule
08:00 – 08:30 – UVB and plant LED ramp up to 50%.
08:30 – 20:30 – Full day:
Tropical UVB tube on (e.g., 5–7%).
Plant LED or high‑CRI white at 80–100%.
Basking halogen on thermostat (basking 30–35 °C / 86–95 °F depending on species).
20:30 – 21:00 – Ramp LEDs down, UVB off.
Night: All lights OFF; overnight temps can drop a little.
Timer shortcut
UVB + daylight: ON 08:00 / OFF 20:00
Basking: ON 08:30 / OFF 19:30
Tortoises are high‑sun baskers in open, bright enclosures.
Daily Schedule (Spring/Summer)
07:30 – 19:30 –
UVB T5 tube (10–12%) on.
Bright flood/LED at 80–100%.
Basking halogen at 32–35 °C (90–95 °F).
Night: Lights OFF; provide ceramic heater only if room drops below species’ minimum.
For winter, shorten by 2 hours on each end (09:00–17:00).
5. Low‑Tech Planted Freshwater Tank (No CO₂)
Most community planted tanks with easy plants do best with moderate light and shorter days to avoid algae.
Default Schedule
13:00 – 20:00 – Main plant LED at 60–70% (about 40–60 µmol/m²/s at substrate).
No other white lights in the room directly above the tank outside these hours if algae is an issue.
Timer
Single timer: ON 13:00 / OFF 20:00 (7 hours)
If plants are thriving and algae low, you can extend to 8 hours; if algae appears, cut to 6 hours for several weeks.
6. High‑Tech CO₂ Planted Aquascape
High‑energy aquascapes need higher PAR but tightly controlled hours.
Daily Schedule
12:00 – 12:30 – CO₂ ON (if not 24/7) to reach stable concentration.
13:00 – 21:00 – Plant LED at 80–100%, target 80–150 µmol/m²/s at carpet level.
20:00 – CO₂ OFF.
21:00 – LED OFF.
Timer configuration
CO₂ solenoid: ON 12:00 / OFF 20:00
Main LED: ON 13:00 / OFF 21:00
If new to high light, start with 6 hours then add 30 minutes each week until you reach 8 hours without algae explosions.
7. Soft‑Coral / LPS Reef Tank (Mixed LED)
Reef corals care about both spectrum and photoperiod; too long a day promotes algae.
Baseline Schedule
10:00 – 11:00 – “Sunrise”: blue channel to 30%, white to 10%.
11:00 – 19:00 – “Midday”:
Blues 80–100%, whites 40–60%, UV/violet as recommended by manufacturer.
Aim for 70–170 µmol/m²/s on most corals.
19:00 – 21:00 – “Sunset”: gradually reduce white to 0 and blues to 10–20%.
21:00 – 10:00 – All channels OFF or very dim moonlight (1–2% blue) if you prefer viewing; full darkness is safest for spawning and natural behaviour.
For SPS‑dominated reefs, you may keep the same 8‑hour high period but increase intensity to reach higher PAR at the top rockwork.
8. Fish‑Only Freshwater Display (No Plants)
Without live plants, you can enjoy slightly longer viewing hours because algae control is less critical.
Suggested Schedule
11:00 – 21:00 – LED at 60–80% (8–10 hours).
Use a white/blue mix that flatters fish colours; avoid extreme blue for long periods to limit algae film on glass.
If algae becomes visible, drop to 8 hours or reduce intensity.
9. Nano Tank or Shrimp Tank
Small volumes are easy to overpower with light.
Daily Schedule
13:00 – 19:00 – LED at 30–50%; 6 hours total.
Lots of mosses and low‑light plants do well with this; if you add CO₂ and stems you can stretch to 7–8 hours.
Use room light for casual viewing outside this window; keep overhead LED off.
10. Putting Everything On Timers (Copy‑Paste Settings)
For maximum CTR, give readers concrete “set your timer like this” examples they can literally copy.
Example: Simple Dual‑Outlet Timer For A Bearded Dragon
Outlet A (UVB + daylight bar):
Program 1: ON 07:00 / OFF 19:00
Outlet B (basking bulb):
Program 1: ON 07:30 / OFF 18:30
Example: Wi‑Fi Strip For a Planted Tank
Channel names and settings:
CH1 – Main LED: ON 13:00 / OFF 20:00, brightness 70%.
CH2 – Blue accent: OFF (or ON 19:30 / OFF 20:00 at 20% for “evening” look).
Example: Reef Controller Schedule (Simplified)
10:00–11:00 – Blue 30%, White 10%
11:00–19:00 – Blue 90%, White 50%, Violet 40%
19:00–21:00 – Blue ramp down to 20%, White 0%
21:00–10:00 – All channels 0%
All of these can be turned into screenshots or templates for your brand’s controller app or smart plug UI, which boosts engagement and time‑on‑page.
