A fish friend recently asked me a relatively uncommon question: 'Should the aquarium be on 24 hours a day without interruption?' The answer seems obvious to many, and it definitely doesn't need to be. This fish friend may be trying to encourage algae growth, or considering the fish's habits. But in fact, aquarium lights don't need to be on 24 hours a day.

What harm does it do if aquarium lights are on for too long?

We all know that fish naturally follow a normal life cycle with the rise and fall of the sun. They also need to sleep, just like humans. But their sleeping way is unique, because of their inability to close their eyes, so they sleep with their eyes open, which makes people think that fish don't need to sleep. My aquarium light is usually on from 7 am to around 6 or 7 pm in the evening, so as not to disrupt the normal routine of the fish. If you keep it on 24 hours a day, nocturnal fish will definitely feel uncomfortable, and it will disrupt the normal routine of all the bacteria in the tank, which is not good for fish. It will also affect the fish's state and activity.

However, given the current working situation, most of us usually return home after 7 pm, so ornamental fish are viewed after returning home, and it's not necessary to turn on the light, which also doesn't have any viewing value. So, it's recommended that everyone turn off the light when they sleep.

This is not only harmful to fish. At the same time, most aquarium lights also reduce their usage life if they are on all night. Many lights have poor heat resistance, which will cause them to burn out. And you will also have to pay electricity bills that are twice as much, which is a major disadvantage. Therefore, aquarium lights don't need to be on 24 hours a day. We just need to set the time to turn on and off according to the normal sunrise and sunset in our area. But this fish friend may just want to use light to promote algae growth.

Is it reliable to keep the lights on 24 hours a day to promote algae growth?

First of all, we need to know what else is needed besides light for algae to grow and multiply? That must be a nutrient-rich environment. So, if you want to grow algae, you must first nourish the water in the aquarium, otherwise algae will not have nutrients. If the water quality in your aquarium is very rich, is it reliable to keep the lights on 24 hours a day? I think it's unnecessary. All plants grow in a normal day and night. Let's take water hyacinth, also known as three-leafed grass, as an example.

When it's daytime, the leaves of the water hyacinth are spread out. But when it's evening, their leaves will shrink to rest. If you use a supplemental light at night, it's of little significance because the leaves have already shrunk. Plants' photosynthesis ability at night is reduced, so it's not meaningful to turn on the light at night. It's more effective to turn it on during the day. Algae is the same, there's no need to keep the lights on all night, not only is it harmful to fish, but it's also wasting electricity.

Moreover, if your aquarium already has a lot of sunlight, removing the aquarium light will not be a problem.

Finally, let's make a summary: Aquarium lights are not necessary (but for viewing purposes, of course, it's better to have lights on to enhance the viewing experience), and they shouldn't be on 24 hours a day.

1. It disrupts the fish's normal routine and affects their state.

2. It wastes electricity and results in huge electricity bills.

3. Many lights on the market don't have the function of continuous operation for so long, and the lights are prone to damage.

4. It doesn't help plant growth.

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