How Long Should I Leave My Aquarium Light On

Do you know the essence of light in an aquarium? Are you wondering if your aquatic life needs it? How long do you think you should leave the aquarium light on? This article contains everything you need to know about your aquarium lighting.

Your aquarium light should be on for about 10 to 12 hours a day. Animals and plants in the aquarium need light to survive, and providing them with 12 hours of lighting should be sufficient. You have to ensure you do not keep the light on any longer than 12 hours.

Is It OK to Leave Aquarium Light on All the Time?

It is not completely OK to leave your aquarium lights on all the time. Although light is essential for the survival of your aquatic life, excess of it can cause troubles. You need to ensure you do not keep the light in the aquarium longer than 12 hours.

Providing light for your fish will keep them active unless they are nocturnal. Being active means your fish will feed actively, swim around playfully, etc. Without the light, your fish will be dormant and might not feed well, depriving them of their growth.

Proving light all the time will cause them to eat too much, which can result in further complications. Eating more food means excreting more waste, which can pollute the water more frequently. Being active all the time can cause your fish to wear off and weaken its system, making it prone to attack.

Light is essential for the growth of plants. Providing light in your aquarium will ensure the growth of your aquatic plants, which will add beauty to your tank. Lighting can also ensure the growth of algae which can serve as food for your fish.

Having excess light will cause the plants to grow too much, causing troubles for your fish. It will also cause you the stress of pruning the plants at all times. Too much light can also cause excessive algae growth, which can be a problem for your fish and tank.

You have to provide adequate lighting for your fish. 10 to 12 hours of lighting is sufficient to keep your aquatic life going. You have to make sure the hours of lighting do not exceed 12 hours to avoid further troubles.

YouTube video

Is It OK to Turn Off Aquarium Light at Night?

It is an excellent idea to turn off your aquarium light at night as most fish require an adequate amount of darkness and light each day. You can turn off the light in your aquarium at night while you put it on in the day. Your aquarium plants also require an adequate amount of light and darkness to thrive.

Turning off the light in the aquarium will also mimic the natural day and night cycle. The day and night cycle is essential for a fish’s wellbeing, so you need to turn off your aquarium light at night. However, as much as you have to turn off the light at night, you also have to ensure you turn on the light during the day.

Providing only darkness for your fish day and night will have a bad effect on them. You have to balance the day and night cycle and ensure you provide lighting in the day and darkness at night. It will ensure the perfect growth and development of your fish.

Is It Better to Leave Fish Tank Light On or Off?

It is best to leave the tank light on during the day and off at night. It will provide your fish and other aquatic life with an adequate environment for their growth. But if you are to choose between leaving the light on or off, it will be best if you turn the light off.

Leaving the light on all the time can cause troubles for your fish and aquatic plants. It can cause excessive growth of plants and algae in the aquarium. It can also cause your fish to become stressed and make them prone to attack.

Leaving the light off will provide your fish with the needed darkness at night. However, if you choose to put your aquarium light off, you will have to rely on the light from the sun. Your aquatic life needs light, so if you are putting off your aquarium light, you need to provide another light source.

You will need to provide sunlight for your aquarium to supplement the absence of light at night. Sunlight will provide your aquarium with the needed light. It will also ensure a good and healthy life for your fish and other aquatic life.

Are LED Lights Bad for Fish?

LED lights are not bad for your fish. They will make excellent lighting for your fish. They will also make a good source of light for your aquarium plants.

You have to keep the light on for about 10 to 12 hours to create a good habitat for your aquatic life. LED lights will also be good for freshwater and saltwater habitat. You can also keep LED lights for a couple of hours, and your fish will be fine.

Are Blue Light Good for Fish at Night?

Blue lights are an excellent type of light you can use in your aquarium at night. They make a good light for your fish as blue lights mimic the moonlight. Blue light also provides a beautiful view of your aquarium and its content.

Using blue light can also create dawn to dusk transitions in the tank. It can also help regulate the mating and feeding cycle of your fish. The blue light benefits nocturnal fish as it helps keep them active at night.

The blue light does not disturb diurnal fish as it allows them to sleep at night. Blue light does not only illuminate the tank but also adds beauty to it. You can use the light on the timer to enable you to know the right time to put it on or off.

Conclusion

The use of light in an aquarium is essential as fish and plants need light to survive. You have to keep the light in your aquarium on for about 10 to 12 hours per day. An excess amount of light can cause troubles for you and aquatic life.

John Brandon

John has kept fish all his life (since he was about 5). He started with keeping guppies and fell in love with fish keeping almost straight away. That was 40 odd years ago. These days John still keeps fish and currently has two large tanks where he keeps many different types of fish such as Angelfish, Neon Tetras, Goldfish, Guppies and many more.

Previous