Can fish see in the dark?

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EOD

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Sep 12, 2010
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David
I have my aquarium in my bedroom and I really like using it as a nightlight but I have the lights on all day as well. Last night I thought that perhaps the fish preferred some darkness to rest so I got up and turned the lights off but then I was thinking..."what if one of the fish was just now swimming and I shut off the lights suddenly and he crashed into something...that would suck..."

I know it sounds completely dumb but honestly, should I pick a time during the day/night to turn the lights off? This even applies to me going on vacation because I don't know if I should leave their lights on the whole time or turn them off?
 

DLV082

Debbie
Aug 23, 2007
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Fish do like a definate day/night and no they do not swim into the side of the tank in the dark. I have my tank lights on a timer and have never had a fish hurt itself because of the dark.
 

EOD

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Thanks for not making fun of me. :)
 

MankatoMn

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Jun 29, 2010
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I've been concerned with the same thing, so I started the habit to turn off the tank lights, and then th room lights, so it eases them into the dark, and then doing the reverse when turning on the lights. (Because I did notice that just turning the tank lights on in a dark room can startle them out of their sleep)

It might also depend on the fish. I've noticed on my oscar the "yellow eyes" you see on animals like cats or dogs, so I don't know if they have the reflective lense that other animals have to help them see better in the dark.
 

Linda S

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Sep 6, 2009
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For your second question, lights on or off for vacation, if it is a planted tank get a timer. If it is not planted you can just leave the lights off.
 

aXio

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Aug 20, 2010
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I would buy a timer and keep your tank on a strict schedule. I bought all my timers at Walmart for 5$ each. No more then 10 hours of total light time... I prefer doing 8 hrs of light and the rest of the time it's off. If you do more then 10 hr your prone to big algae issues. Lot's of people split their light time in half so there is a period of "off" time between them, algae can't live through the cut in photosynthesis but plants can.

For example...

All my tanks turn on at at 8:00am - 9:00am, for one hour so I can feed them before I go to work.
Then my tanks turn back on at 5:00pm - Midnight. So that I can actually enjoy them when i am home.

When you go on vacation just leave your fish be... they can go like 2+ weeks with out food. I hate those food blocks that release food over time, they cause a huge mess imo.

Also you fish are going to be perfectly fine with you just turning your lights right off. You don't need to do weird things to easy them into it... that would be silly =)
 
Last edited:

conbrio

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Nov 5, 2004
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my fish running into the tank in the dark...prob not ever. Me running into the tank in the dark. Done it and will prob happen again.
 
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