this might be kind of silly question but I just want to make sure I’m not stressing out my Betta fish. So I work your standard 8-5 workday and since I like to see my fish I have the light set to turn on at 3:30pm and turn off at 10:15pm the tank gets very little natural light during the day. It’s pretty dark room but not pitch black or anything. I guess my question is I’m not sure how many hours of total darkness they need a day and if it’s okay to actually even slowly nudge the ‘on’ schedule further to something like 5pm to midnight or something? I’m kind of a night owl and the tank is in my room. I cover the front of it with a blanket at night so that light from TV or lamps doesn’t mess with his night/day perception, I hope. Is this alright? Or should I readjust? Thank you!
It's not a silly question! I've researched this a lot and have gotten many answers, but I've gotten the idea that anywhere between 6-10 hours a day is fine. I don't have automatic lights and I have my tank lights on longer or shorter depending on the day, and I've never seen a problem with any of them because of it. I make sure to have a few dark places for my nocturnal fish to hide, but I rarely see my betta hide with the light on. Bettas are pretty easygoing fish!
My bettas were always happy and I constantly either forgot to turn lights on or forgot to turn them off. They wanted food first. Then my attention. Very cool fish. I had a little ball attached to a string and would play for at least fifteen twenty minutes before the Apple snailsnatched their attention.
Bettas are the best. I recently lost my betta that I had for close to 3 years and I miss him so much.
Thanks! I thought there was an average somewhere and couldn’t find something consistent. I’ve kind of just been guessing. I just know they need a night and day cycle haha. Thanks for sharing! I’m gonna have to try that with my guy. He’s so active I bet he’d love that! By the way, your profile photo is almost as adorable as this story you shared
Sorry about your fish. I’m still new at this so I lost two Bettas prematurely. I didn’t have them that long and got super attached to them. Their personalities are almost like dogs. It’s also why I’m so paranoid about lights and stuff. These fish are the best, and my most recent adoption is very spunky. I’d hate to mess up and lose another one
All you can do is what you’re doing. Research, asking questions and just basically doing your best. And I don’t know your Betta but mine were never as docile as dogs. Definitely cats. Get a little ball. Have some fun! Oh! I think people are getting Marimo balls for their bettas. I’ve never cared for Marimo balls. You’re awesome! Don’t give up!
Thanks! I appreciate the help. I’ve actually got a dog that was partly raised by my cat who was raised by dogs, haha. So truth be told I’m not sure if my dog is catlike or my cat is doglike! Bettas definitely do have a feline independence streak...Thanks for the tips and the encouragement! I’ve been eyeing another one of those Marimo balls. I might just have to go out and find one tomorrow.
To answer your original question, do you have live plants? That would dictate light length. Tank size? Mine is in a 20 gallon long. Lights on 0800-2130, 13.5 hours. I have lots of live plants. He could hide under a leaf of the 2 large swords in the tank, but never does. His tank mates (6 corys) hide under the filter and sword leaves. Bettas are from areas that get tons of light, up to 16 hours a day so I don’t think light affects them.
Thanks! It’s a ten gallon. I just have a moss ball and an Anubias. Thanks for the informative answer!
Both of those are low light plants. Set your timer for when you watch your tank. If algae becomes a problem, get a nerite snail or 2, they are great! If they can’t keep up with the algae, shorten the light period.
My room is pretty dark and my two small betta tanks are in there , I turn on lights before work and off when I get in bed. I don’t really open my windows in my room because it gets too warm from sun and the circulation is not the greatest. Therefor I really do rely on the tank lights! My leds seem bright so in the morning and evening I will switch to a darker mode so it’s not constant intense bright light.
Thank you! And I'm so sorry, it's hard to go through that. Gatsby was my first betta and I probably won't get another one for awhile, it sounds silly but he was with me through a lot of hard times. I actually buried him. Like you said, they have awesome personalities! I lost quite a few guppies when I was young and didn't even know that websites like this existed. As everyone has said, all you can do is what you're already doing. Research is the key! Thank you! They really are!
Thanks for the help! Yeah it’s tough, especially when you’re trying really hard. I started researching fishkeeping after a childhood dog died, so I was really upset too when my first my fish died. Thank you all so much for the help, and sharing your experiences with me.
