one says turn it off at night (that's why there's a switch there on the hood, duh.....).....the other says that the light keeps the fish tank water warm. someone who really knows, please tell me.
2006-08-21 13:03:09 · 16 answers · asked by melissa 6 in Pets ➔ Fish
I turn mine off at night to give the fishies a rest from the harsh bright light and also for fear of something going wrong with it and causing a fire or who knows what while I am sleeping. In the wild fish are in the dark at ngiht, so I try to keep it as close to the cycle of the sun. Also prolonged light will make your tank more vulnerable to an algae buildup.
2006-08-21 17:27:27 · answer #1 · answered by cutie pie 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I worked with fish for 3 years, turn it off at night or your fish will die!! It heat the tank get a heater!! The heater will have a thermostat in it and will turn off and on when needed. Normally you want to leave the light on for about 8 hours a day, and DO NOT put the tank near a window!! The sun will heat the tank and cuase the temp to vary too much for the fish to handle. A normal tropical tank you want set at 77-78 degrees. Thermostats are a little expensive but WORTH IT!!! and ask the pet store which one is right for a 10 gallon tank, you dont want on that gets too hot!
Good luck with your fish!
2006-08-21 20:25:19 · answer #2 · answered by Kelley 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have to turn the light off at night. If you have goldfish, they do not need the heat. Tropical fish do, so if that is what you have you need to get an aquarium heater. They do not cost much. You need to give all fish "dark time". Also, if you did leave the light on 24 hours, you would have a REAL BIG problem with algae. I plugged my aquarium light into a timer. It was set to go off every night by itself, then turn on in morning. It was convenient. I never worried about forgetting to turn it off or on.
2006-08-21 20:18:03 · answer #3 · answered by DIANE V 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ideally you should only leave your lights on for 8-10 hours a day just for the fact that algae thrives off of light and excess heat. Fish do not need light it's just so we can see them. Don't worry about the temperature when the lights off, how do you think the fish in the ocean and lakes survive?
2006-08-21 22:15:40 · answer #4 · answered by Tara C 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Turn it off at night when you go to bed and turn it on when you get up. I don't think a light bulb will heat you water very much. It they are a warm water fish, you need a heater for that. Cold water fish are fine at room temperature.
2006-08-21 20:21:20 · answer #5 · answered by Tara P 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is best to keep the light on for about eight hours a day to imitate the sun. Just make sure to watch your temperature as it could rise dramatically depending on the type of light you have. You could always adjust the time to 6 or so hours depending.
Don't keep it on at night as fish need their darkness too.
2006-08-22 02:08:53 · answer #6 · answered by Zoer 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To keep the fishtank warm (presuming its a tropical tank) you should have a heater. Turn the light off, Fish need their sleep too!
2006-08-21 20:13:10 · answer #7 · answered by aarrgghh_me_arrties 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't keep the light on all night. It will warm the tank and make your fish sick. If you have tropical fish, you should already have a heater to keep them warm.
2006-08-21 20:27:06 · answer #8 · answered by PuttPutt 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Too much light will bother the fish but enough light will keep the water warm maybe don't shine it directly but shine it to the side
2006-08-21 20:45:34 · answer #9 · answered by trblmkr909 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Leaving the light on all night will really help your algae grow.
Since most people want to avoid that, as it really isn't pretty, grab a simple timer at a hardware store and set it on a 12 hour cycle.
2006-08-21 20:45:50 · answer #10 · answered by Dia 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋