Does it matter when your aquarium light is on?

Question

Hi! I'm a first-time aquarium owner and I'm trying to learn enough about my fish to keep them happy and healthy. I have read all of the postings concerning the recommended number of hours that the light should be left on. My question is: Does it matter if you leave the lights on during the day or all night? Of course we would prefer to have the light on at night because we can see the fish better but we don't want to leave it on if fish really need it to be on during the day and off at night. I've gotten some mixed responses to this question so any help will be appreciated. Thanks!

Answer 1

Some fish are nocturnal, and will only come out when it's dark. Leave it off during the day, turn it on at night/when you come home, then shut it off when you go to bed. Then you don't have to worry about it being on too long=algae, and you can still enjoy the tank when you're home.

Answer 2

What I do is leave it off all day because there is light coming in from the window and when it gets dark I turn it on until I go to bed so you can leave it on at night for about 7-9 hours if you forget to turn it off it's ok but remember the next time

Answer 3

I usually turn my light on in the evening when I get home. It's off all day, but the fish get some ambient light all day. I make sure I turn the light off around midnight or earlier so they have adequate dark time. They are not stressed and seem quite happy. I'd just make sure you keep a fairly consistent schedule and make sure they get a couple of hours of total darkness every night.

Answer 4

If you have plants in your aquarium, it is necessary to leave the lights on to allow the plants to phtosynthesise. However, at night, the lights have to be switched off so that the fish can rest. Do not leave the lights on at night-don't look at the fish then, or swithch the lights off immediately after you're done.

Answer 5

The thing to remember is that fish like humans require a regular routine. As long as you maintain temperature in the comfort zone 60-70 degrees F and provide regular feeding then lighting the aquarium 8-12 hours a day it shouldn't make too much difference what hours you choose as long as they are generally consistant.

Answer 6

Better to turn the light off in the night, to fish can have some rest and the algae won't grow a lot.

Answer 7

The only problem with leaving the light on, is that it promotes the growth of algae. Which can kill the fish. If you are going to leave it on, consider buying a algae eater, which is a fish also, or clean your tank regularly, or both.

Answer 8

It depends on how many watts those bulbs are... But generally: allot of light creates allot of algae...

If you don't have live plants on your tank... turn them on as little as you can, so you don't have to deal with algae problems..

If you do have live plants... then you should keep'em on for about 10-12 hours and buy a couple of algae eaters (otocinclus catfish is my favorite)....

Believe me,, I learned this the hard way... I bought allot of lighting and was happy because my plants where going to grow....

I had algae all over the glass, the gravel, the plants .. it was crazy

If you can prevent algae.. I recommend you do so...

Best wishes

Answer 9

You need light for the fishes and plants too. The light should be on 6 - 8 hours. I turn the light on at 4.30 pm til 10.30 pm, so can I watch my fishes.

Answer 10

i suggest you only turn it on at night. but not all night long as the fish needs some darkness to rest and sleep. also, it will be so expensive on your electricity bill, and it is really unnessesary. turn it of at day time, especially if you have the tank situated in front of the window. if you need any more fish advice contact me, as i have healthy fish and i know a lot of how tos. good luck,.