Is ambient lighting a problem?

[AGWL]

My 55g is in my dining room area. My kids get up very, very early (like 5am) and my husband stays up late (11pm or so), and so the room lights are on for around 18 hours, give or take. Is that going to bother my critters at all? Should I cover the tank at night? Is this a silly question?

 

[mtnbike101]

Not a silly question. Sunlight would be more of a concern. IMO, not so much with artificial ambient room light.

 

[Misled]

I agree.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Take a look at the tank during those hours - if the fish can't easily be found, they are fine. If they are swimming from 5am until midnight then you may want to think about a simple dark curtain (velcro would work just fine) for the front of the tank.

 

[Paul B]

It depends on what you have on TV. My fish like to watch National Geographic until they see a shark or moray eel.

 

[JeannetteLindsey]

My 55g is in my dining room area. My kids get up very, very early (like 5am) and my husband stays up late (11pm or so), and so the room lights are on for around 18 hours, give or take. Is that going to bother my critters at all? Should I cover the tank at night? Is this a silly question?

The lighting schedule in your dining room may have an impact on your fish and other critters in the tank.

Many fish are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day and rest at night. If the lights are on for an extended period of time, it may disrupt their natural day/night cycle and cause stress or health problems. In addition, algae growth may increase in the tank with prolonged exposure to light.