Light schedule

[labloverl]

So how flexible can a light schedule be? Right now, to keep the amount of light low to reduce algae, the light is turned on in the afternoon, and off about 4-5 hours later. The only time I can enjoy my fish is at night, and by that time, it's time for the light to go out. Plus, it doesn't seem right to have "full sun" on the fish when it's night time. I'm wondering how other people control their light schedules with their tanks. Mine is a 10 gallon with two 15w bulbs. No live plants.

[Kenny G]

You can be flexible. What I do with my 2 tanks is have the lights on during the day. By evening time (8pm or so) I use a dimmer lights so my betta's know that its time transition time and to settle down a bit. By 11:00 pm its lights out. I do this to try to mimic nature as if they were in the wild.

[finnfinnfriend]

betta's don't even really need their own light for their tank so it doesn't matter. if you want to just put the light on for a couple hours in the evening that's fine, just make sure the light is off for most of the night because they sleep when it's dark :) you don't even have to have the light on at all during the day if you don't want to as long as some daylight from the room gets in the tank.

[Bethydan]

I keep mine on for two or three hours in the evening. I have no algae growth. No plants. The fish are just happy little fish. My small tank isn't even lighted at all. But if you are using good lighting, I would try to keep to a schedule as much as you can. Just to reduce stress from random light flashings.

[LizzyP]

I keep my light on my tank all day, even when I'm at work. At about 10:30 I turn the tank light off, but keep the bedroom light on. 11pm it's lights out so Dumbledore knows it's time to sleep.

[labloverl]

Well, I don't have anything to really transition the lighting. When I turn the light off at night, I leave the bedroom light on. Then I turn it out and leave the nightstand light on. Turning the light on is a bit better because a window lets a little light into the room if I have the shades up. Still, at night it seems light a pretty big difference with the obvious light flash.

[ihatefirewalls]

I don't think it matters too much as long as you give your fish has some time (or somewhere) to rest in darkness.

It becomes more important if you have sensitive plants or are trying to breed, however.