Lights

[lihairden]

I was wondering how long y'all leave the light on in your aquarium? I've been leaving it on for 2-3 hours a day and not sure if it's too much or too little.

[jedicat]

What type of lighting do you have (incandescent or fluorescent)? Are you trying to grow any live plants?

Incandescent lights throw off a lot of heat, so if you have them, you want to monitor how that affects the temperature. Most live plants require about 12 hours of light per day.

I grow live plants, so I leave the lights on between 10-12 hours a day.

[Racoon]

Beta-1 doesn't get a lamp, as he's in a spot of my living room that gets lots of non-direct light during the day.

For Sashimi, I leave the light on as long as I'm at my desk, but now I'm thinking of turning it on when I leave for the day as that is when the office is at it's coldest.

Would it be bad to leave the lamp on all the time?

[Jenny]

If you do decide to leave the light on all the time, there are some things to consider. The first is the temperature. If the light is on all the time will it cause the tank to get to warm? Also, bettas cannot close their eyes, but do need to sleep. If you do leave the light on, make sure that he has somewhere to go to get away from it, maybe an opaque hidey or a plant with really large leaves. Also too much light can cause algae to grow, and you might want to be on the lookout for that.

[lihairden]

jedicat said:

What type of lighting do you have (incandescent or fluorescent)? Are you trying to grow any live plants?

Incandescent lights throw off a lot of heat, so if you have them, you want to monitor how that affects the temperature. Most live plants require about 12 hours of light per day.

I grow live plants, so I leave the lights on between 10-12 hours a day.

We've got incandescent lights in the guppy tank and we don't have live plants. I don't have a green thumb .

[BettaBGood]

I agree w/Jenny. Tank lights (especially incandescent) can cause water temp fluctuations & algae growth IF left on for long periods of time. My 2.5 gal tanks have incandescent bulbs and I usually turn the lights on at feeding time & leave on long enough for the heat of the light to dry the condensation from the tank lid. However, the tanks are located in areas of the house where they receive a good deal of daylight and/or room light at night.

[vamodel]

I have a 1 gallon tank and it had a 7 watt bulb that came with the tank can I have that all day with my Betts what I have been doing is putting it on for wile in the day then at for a wile.
Like to know if I can just leave it on they to get a lot of light in the day do I have to put any thing on the to keep the light off of them. As in the summer the sun is in the living room for a long time and I do not what them to have to much of the sun on them oh they are in diff tanks they are not together.
So I hope same one can help me out on this I have sent other message but have not seen any thing on here I hope to here from some one as this is my frist time having Bettas and I what to have them for a long time.
Ginny

[accountingchick]

Welcome to HB! I apologize that no one has responded to your posts. Sometimes so many people post on here and we accidently miss some of them. Regarding your question, I only turn my tank light on to feed my fish in the morning, and for just 2-3 hours at night. Leaving the light on for to long, like some of the replies on this thread said can raise the water temperature to high and causes algea buildup. Also bettas can't close their eyes like we can so they don't like the light on all of the time. I would recommend that you just have it on for no more than 2-4 hours a day. Hopefully that answers your question.

[vamodel]

I have a plant in there and he dose hide there a lot I like to just leave it on as it dose not get the water to hot. Just do not what a heater in it I keep reading so many diff things about them that they are cold water fish and do not need one it will not him die if I keep it on all day
when I do clean him I all ready have water ready for him in a water jug. So all I have to do is put the stiff in it that I put in there.
Ginny

[sawcat]

Bettas are tropical fish, they live in warmer water. They are less active in colder temps (low 70s).

The bulbs like the minibows come with do heat up the water alot. I saw it when I first got mine. Turning it on when I got up, the water would be around 70, and when I turned it off a little before I'd go to bed, it would be in the 80s. Reason I got the heater was because of that big swing in 12 hours. The heaters keep it steady.

I keep the light on about 12 hours in my planted tank. Not quite so long in my minibow, which doesn't have live plants at the moment. But remember both the plants and fish need to 'sleep'

[vamodel]

So I should get a heater for him what kind of heater should get him? He dose hide in the plant it is not a live one the lite is a 7 watt I am going to use a 4 watt that is way I like to know if it be ok to keep it on all day. As when the summer gets hear it will get warm in living room and the kitchen that is way I do not what to use a heater just the night lite bulb that came with the tank. The water is not that cold as I put the water in a water bottel so when it is time to clean him it is ready to go and it is at room temp he is active the other 2 where active. Before they died do not know what happen there had them for a month and do what this on to go as it is my 5 yr old girls fish.
Ginny

[bettons]

you don't have to have the light on all day, in fact not even half a day, just something like 8-12 hours will be just about enough.

I guess that one of those Junior heaters 7.5 watts, I am not sure if that is the name or the wattage. Although i think that 1 gallon is too small, but if I am wrong please correct me anybody.

[sawcat]

Probably one of the 7.5 watt. If you ever decide to get something larger, like a 2.5 gallon container, you could get 25 watt one that has a thermostat on it so you can set it to what you want, and they're only heating when needed (like if you have a light on for the tank and that makes it warmer, the heater won't be on as much). But I don't know how that would work in a gallon. Here's one like what bettons mentioned: www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=12087&N=2004+113767

[kent1992]

Most incandescent bulbs can be replaced with a compact fluorescent bulb that you can get at your local hardware store for very cheap. Compact fluorescent bulbs will provide the tank with very bright lighting and will also produce less heat. Make sure you get the bulbs labelled "Daylight", which will provide you with a very white light, as opposed to "Soft white" which replicates the yellowish light of an incandescent bulb.

[sawcat]

kent1992 said:

Most incandescent bulbs can be replaced with a compact fluorescent bulb that you can get at your local hardware store for very cheap. Compact fluorescent bulbs will provide the tank with very bright lighting and will also produce less heat. Make sure you get the bulbs labelled "Daylight", which will provide you with a very white light, as opposed to "Soft white" which replicates the yellowish light of an incandescent bulb.

Someone in another group mentioned that Walmart carries a 10watt mini flourescent aquarium bulb that fits the 2.5 minibows. Runs a bit under $5 us