Fish & Darkness

[Grant R]

Right, I'm doing quite a good job I think of keeping my aquarium lit for around 12hrs a day. At the moment, I'm switching the light on at about 8pm at night and turning it off around 8am in the morning. Winter has just about kicked in in England and it gets dark very early now (about 4.30pm ish) and I finish work at 5.

Basically, between 4.30 - 8, the tank is an area only dimly lit by a normal room light and during one of those hours, almost in total darkness as nobody is there to switch on bedroom light etc.

This isn't too much of a problem is it ?

Cheers All

 

[jasonit]

Personally I like to turn my lights on right as I leave for work, then off when I head to bed. If gives a bit of an extended day, but at night they are getting a really dark tank. I think this is important, because there are some real behavior changes at night. I would think running the light at night, then having daylight during the day might stress the fish... But hey, what do I know? Maybe the fish don't care about the light. I keep asking them, but I can only get the neons to talk back. My gouramis are VERY standoffish!

 

[Grant R]

OK, yeah, you're probably right I suppose.
Guess I'm giving them a bit of an altered sense of night & day !

I guess what you're doing is still about 12 hours too, which is good ?

Would it hurt if I left my light on till 8pm tomorrow then, so I can get them prepared for new routine ?
Basically, 24 hours.

 

[Ramrebel]

lights

There is another light forum from a month or two ago. From what I got out of it is to set an actual timer on light. That way it is consistant. Too much light is stressful to the fish.

Ed