# how long....



## chrisinha (Jan 24, 2005)

... do you leave your tank light on for? i've been leaving it for 12 hours, but i'm not sure if it's correct!


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## Lisachromis (Jan 19, 2005)

Fish appreciate a regular cycle. 10-12 hours should fine, unless you are getting an algae problem


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## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

we usually leave ours on for about 4-5 hours


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## hogan (Jan 18, 2005)

i just put mine on wheni wake up and turn it off wheni go to bed, anywere from 5-12 hours is fine for the average community tropical fish


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## nosilver4u (Jan 23, 2005)

I usually have mine on for about 16 hours a day, as I turn em on in the morning before I go to work at 8 am, and then turn em off before bed at midnight. That's probably why I always have algae problems, so I've gotten a plecostomus for each of my tanks. I dunno if this is bad for the fish, although I definitely wouldn't recommend it.
Now I suppose I'm going to get chewed out for it, and feel badly, and start turning my lights on at noon. Really, the only reason I haven't changed it, is because the lights are what heats my tanks since I can't afford heaters yet, although they never get below 74.


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## chrisinha (Jan 24, 2005)

ok, and how many of you "cover" the aquarium for the fish to sleep??  

that's what i do. i turn on the lights at 7 am, turn them off around 7 pm, but because i always go to sleep pretty late, i cover the tanks so that the fish can sleep.


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## MB75 (Jan 24, 2005)

I keep the lights on for about 12 hours during darker times of year, and 8-10 hours summertime when there is lots of daylight through the windows anyway. 
If there is an algae problem I keep 3 hours break with lights off in the middle of the day.

I would not cover the aquarium for the night. The reason for this is that at night the plants do not use carbondioxide and do not produce oxygen. Therefore the only oxygen is dissolved into water at water surface only so making sure there is good access of air to water surface is important.


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## chrisinha (Jan 24, 2005)

well, the tanks have hoods and the only way "air" can get in there is by the holes on tht hood for the filters and heaters, which i dont cover anyways.  :wink:

i actually have a very good reason for covering my tank during the night: my cat cant help it but harass them all night!!


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

covering your fish tanks is perfectly alright... cloth allows air to pass through it anyway...


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Lisachromis @ Thu Jan 27 said:


> Fish appreciate a regular cycle. 10-12 hours should fine, unless you are getting an algae problem


Couldn't have said it better myself.


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