question: altering fish sleep cycle

[marc nichols]

I recently changed my display illumination cycle to come on at night (less expensive power). However, despite the blinds closed in that area, it isn't "dark" and I noticed the fish aren't sleeping as has been their normal routine at night.

Is this something that will adjust/correct itself or is it even a problem. Anyone with extended experience with this reverse illuminaton schedule?

Thanks

 

[philter4]

I recently changed my display illumination cycle to come on at night (less expensive power). However, despite the blinds closed in that area, it isn't "dark" and I noticed the fish aren't sleeping as has been their normal routine at night.

Is this something that will adjust/correct itself or is it even a problem. Anyone with extended experience with this reverse illuminaton schedule?

Thanks

I have done it with nocturnal fish in the past and to be successful you have to have the daytime completely dark. What I did was to set the tank up in a closet and kept it dark during the day. I slowly changed the on/off time by about 10 minutes a day using a timer. It took quite a while but at the end the tanks "normal" schedule was to begin the night cycle around 3:30pm which caused the fish to begin to get active by 5:00 or 6:00 pm when I was home and could watch the fish. I used red lighting and had a chair in front of the tank to sit and view the fish when I wanted to watch.

For your purposes the it will be a little easier because you don't have to light the tank while you are viewing a fish that is supposed to be active in the dark, just cover the tank during the day and change the time the lights go on 10 minutes a day until your timers are on the time you want the lights on and off. Once you have your schedule set up keeping the tank completely dark wont be as important but you still have to keep the room as dark as possible during your "night time".