New freshwater aquarium question

Question
What is a good cycle for my lights?  I just bought a 10 gallon and got everything running for about a day and a half...I added one small fish, the lady at the fish store recommended the fish(can't remember the name of it though) and am going to monitor the water for the next 6-8 days...I was just wondering what the best cycle is for turning on/off lights.

Thank you
Lucas Rogers

Answer
Hi Lucas
Usually it's recommended to leave the lights on for about 8 hours.  Any longer, and you start running into problems with algae blooms.  

You're going to need to monitor the water a bit longer then 6-8 days, it takes a good 4-6 weeks usually for a tank to completely cycle.  Just wanted to let you know so you don't spend money on more fish, that may end up dying.  One problem you may have, your fish may be to small to get the cycle going.  Is it a danio by any chance?  They're usually pretty hardy for cycling.  Here's a few links for you to read through on what the cycle process is and what you should do.  You'll need to copy/paste to your browser:

http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/startupcycle/Step_5_The_Cycle.htm

http://aquafacts.net/wiki/index.php/Cycling_a_Freshwater_Tank

Good luck with your new tank, and if you have more questions, please ask!!!

Christy