overhead lighting?

Hey,
Is keeping overhead lights on 24/7 bad for fish? Or they shouldn't really be bothered by it?

 

I think they should be turned off at night myself.. I don't know too much about lighting in saltwater aquariums but having them on all the time in freshwater turns the water cloudy.. plus all the little crabs and recluse fish/invertibrates seem to come out at night when the lights are off

 

I think it is bad for 'em. They, like us, need their rest time.....and turning the lights off gives them that opportunity. If they are not rested, they get stressed. If they get stressed, they are more prone to disease. Also, you are asking for one whopper of an algae bloom if you leave them on all the time. So I would recommend 12 on 12 off.

 

Are you talking about celiling lights or are you talking about lights for your tank?

If you keep corals, you don't want either type of light on 24/7. It interferes with the photosynthesis done by the zooxanthellae.

 

Fish do not have eyelids, so they can't close their eyes. In order for them to sleep they need a dark time. I know this is so with freshwater fish.

 

photosynthesis: carbon dioxide + water + light = carbohydrate plus oxygen

This is the process of an organism taking in light enery and converting it into checmical energy. This process works twice as fast with light/dark phases - I have read many studies from all light to 75/25 and 50/50. The best results where 12 light & 12 dark.

 

I mean the Ceiling lights, I turn off the lights in the hood. I'll go with the 12 on and 12 off tho. thnx
Cheers

 

Just a question, why do you keep the ceiling lights on 24/7? Do you not sleep either or just like watching the electric meter spin?!
The ambient light if its bright enough WILL interfere with there circadian cycle. I notice if the sun is abnormally bright or I turn a light on at night the fish are not happy and pace about the tank.

Happy lighting!

 

Well it's not that I keep em on 24/7 really. It's just that I'm only home after sun down so the only time I have to enjoy my tank is at night say after 12 midnight or so. So I was just wondering, since the tank gets day light and I live in Trinidad so it's bright and HOT, if I could keep them on during the night. Also, my fish room doubles as my study room so when I have to study in there, usually in the wee hours of the morning, I use the lights.