One of the questions that often pops up among fish owners is “How long do I need to leave the aquarium lighting turned on?”
This is a frequent question that does not have an exact answer. Still, you can follow these guidelines to better understand how to use the lights within the aquarium.
Perhaps the best amount of time that aquarium lighting should be turned on is between 6-12 hours each day. Just like other animals, it is important for fish to be able to rest as well. However, tanks that include more plant life (especially sea plants) should be left on for between 10-12 hours each day.
Still, the use of the aquarium lighting should be closely monitored. Leaving these lights on for too long could result in an increase of algae growth and quicker tank evaporation.
Likewise, the tank temperatures could be affected by those who use aquarium lighting for several hours during the day.
Perhaps the best advice a person should take is to simply be consistent. The fish should be able to adapt to small changes, but larger ones could cause problems.
The aquarium lighting question of use is not a clear-cut issue, but if you are striving to be consistent in what you are doing, then things should most likely work out well.