I have never been quite sure what to do in this area. I have pretty much always left my lights running 24/7 as long as I've had fish. I've seen other people talking about having different light setups to mimic day/night lighting. I've considered putting mine on a timer so that they are off for at least part of the evening. Never been quite sure if or how this affects the fish. Any feedback is always appreciated.

I use nightlights, Led spots and a blue Xmas led string.
My fish are not effected by the lights for the Oscar will sleep at the same hours as with lights off.
One positive thing is, if the roomlights are turned on at night the fish don't even reakt.
Before, at total darkness at night, they'd spook if room lights were turned on in the night.
I spent Soooo much tome observing my fish at night, i love those blue xmas led's.
Cheap and very cool.
It looks like a fr#@kin mess though...

hi mate I've always put mine on about 6 in the evening till i go 2 bed at the end of the day its for us 2c the fish when its dark if u know wot i mean

Lighting in the tank is for you, not for your fish. I leave mine off all day (why have them on in the daylight) and then at dusk I turn mine on, and off again before bed... So all in all they are on about 4 hrs a day..

The only time you need to worry about lighting is if you have a planted tank.

Like Nicki, I leave mine off during the day...there are bay windows in the room so they get plenty of dim light during these hours. I feed my O around 5 pellets and my plec half an algae wafer before work...then a fish when I get home for my O...Around 8 pm -12am I turn on the lights and after that I turn it off and switch on the blue LED night lights. Noddy gave me a great idea as to how to attach blue led lights to the light casing...I found it simulates moonlight really well and gives the pleco a very dim light to forage around in. Oscar gets a fish and plec gets another half algae wafer before bedtime, or maybe a very small portion of cucumber....enough so he won't feel the need to cling onto the O but not enough so that he won't do a bit of tank maintenance...almost like a bit of breakfast before he goes to work...

whenever i woke up anytime in the night, i have to see my tank and spend
sometime talking to them. weird isn't it? thus, i put light that is not
glaring when you are just get up. this is my T5 14W in PVC DIY

I know its a fish thread but what is that bike? Mmmmmh, the mind boggles. lol

jamesmillar wrote:

ha ha ha... that is my little toy.... i am just using it as the temporary
stand for the DIY PVC lighting fixtures. i forgot to take pictures of it while
lighted on top of my tank.