Should I leave fish aquarium light & filter on all night?
by Aquaboy on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 | 17 Comments
I just filled my aquarium and put 3 gold fish in. Should I leave the light and filter on all night or is it ok to turn them off? Any other advice on care is appriciated. Thank you.
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The filter should be running ALL THE TIME. The light is a matter of preference…
the filter stays on all the time (unless ur cleaning the tank, of course) but the light goes off. my tank light is on for about 12 hours in the day(tis on a timer)
light should be on a maximum of 12 hours — it will help grow algae in the tank so don’t use it too much — if you don’t have live plants 8 hours is better.
the filter should always be on. in addition to filtering the water it replenishes oxygen — and goldfish are oxygen pigs.
bubblers don’t effectively add oxygen to the air.
Ideally, yes, leave them on! Change of water as advised by experts is very important.
the filter should be always on.dont leave the light open,,,it may foul the water
The Filter needs to stay on constantly, to do exactly that filter. The light can depend on the kind of fish you have, typically tropical fish fare better with a little more “sun” and the the salt water fish (good luck if you have these! saline levels are impossible) can do with a little bit less “sun” but in the end you have the power so it’s up to you! Enjoy your little fishies!!
Decide??
The filter should remain on as oxygen is important to the fishes. As for the light, it is recommended that you provide around 12 hours of light per day. You might want to consider using a timer so that you can consistently light the tank during those 12 hours. Inconsistent lighting may cause your fish stress, which can then lead to health problems. If you have plants in your tank, then the lighting requirements are different. You can check further on the internet by doing a search on any search engine like Google. Fishes need to rest like us so they would appreciate some down time with the lights off. Good luck!
The filter needs to run at all times, it’s what maintains their little ecosystem. You are trying to mimic their natural environment, and it’s a delicate balance. The light should only be used around 10 hours. Think of it as maintaining their natural habitat. The sun is only out part of the time. We don’t turn our lights on until late afternoon certain times of the year, the sun is adequate in our home. (no direct sunlight, though.) Their night cycle should be the same as yours, that’s the best way.
Too much light causes excess algae growth. For that reason, keep your tank away from direct sunlight, and don’t place it directly near a window. If your tank is already near a window, keep the blinds or curtains closed, so the natural light will still filter in, but no direct sunlight will. The direct sunlight will also heat your tank a bit more, and since they are goldfish, that could be bad.
For care, make sure you are maintaining weekly water changes and gravel vacuums. Goldfish are the “dirtiest” of fish, meaning they release a lot of ammonia with their frequent waste, so the weekly upkeep is a must. Test their water often, as well. You can buy the test kits at your local fish store.
I keep a fish journal. I document tank temperatures, water parameters, filter changes, any changes I notice in the tank, etc. It’s very helpful, I really recommend doing that. Seems like a lot, but like anything else, when you get into the habit, you don’t really think about it.
Good luck, have fun, this is a wonderful and rewarding hobby.
Hope I’ve helped!
Hi Tammy, The filter should be run constantly as it keeps the water clean & Goldfish make a lot of waste. The link below tells you about lighting times & methods, they need periods of dark to rest just as we do.
You really should have been running the filter for a week before adding the fish.
Please test the water on a daily basis as you may find that nitrite levels shoot up now. Any increase and you will need to start doing water changes to keep the fish healthy.
i have an 180 litre aqaurium and i always leave the filter on but advise you dont have the light on more than 8hrs a day as algea will form more quickly and if you dont have algea eaters your aquarium will soon be green not nice
Your filter should remain on at all times. The light should be turned on and off to simulate daylight and nighttime. Fish do need a resting period.
The filter is on 24/7, but the light is 10-12 hours a day (not night). If you don’t have any live plants, then you should probably leave it on about 5 hours a day.
~ZTM
Yes i keep my: Filter, air pump, light, and heater on at all the times, basically 24/7.
The only reason why my fish die is because my Oscars eats them lol.
Turn off the light at night. Only turn off the filter to clean it. Run the filter 24/7
Leave the filter on all the time.
The light should be on for only 8-10 hours a day… Fish need to sleep too!
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