Light or no Light

[TheNamelessPoet]

Ok... relativly sinple question... do I leave the light on in my FW tank or shur it off?

I like to watch my fish as I fall asleep but im not sure if its good for the tank... im sure it promotes algee but I have a snail and will get a pleco as well with MAYBE another snail. The tank is not planted.

I also have a little scuba guy that bubbles.... a bubbler wont bother my fish will it... they are all tetra's

[meegosh]

The fish would like a normal light cycle. I would buy a cheap timer, whether digital or a dial type, to control the lights. I work during the day so I didn't want my tank dark when I got home from work. I gradually changed the time the light came on and off by 30 minutes each day till I got it to the time I want.

Lights come on at 5:00pm and go off at 1:30am for me. If you have multiple tanks you can do what I did, buy a cheap adapter that takes one outlet to two or three. I plug the lights from both of my tanks into the same timer with this adapter.

As far as the bubbles, I don't think they bother fish at all. I don't have any bubble walls or stones or anything in my tank. Some of my friends do and the fish swim up and down in them all the time.

[jsoong]

Get a timer .... you don't want constant light ... fish need to sleep.

[TheNamelessPoet]

thanks guys thats what I thought i shall purchase a timer this weekend

[bluerose]

Just making sure you know you should be careful in your pleco selection... some get to be big buggers over time. You could also do otos-- cute little guys, but appreciate a school of buddies.

Yup-- get a timer. I got one from Target for $10 for xmas tree lights, although it's rattling badly now... just saw one at Petco for $10 as well.

[meegosh]

I'd recommend getting a digital one. Wal-Mart has one for about $12 I think. It has a battery also to keep the time if the power goes out. I got an analog one (dial type) and it would turn on and off throughout the day, very unreliable.