Like humans, fish have a circadian cycle that regulates certain activities such as spawning and feeding. This article will outline the affects of using different lighting set ups on fish. This info was from the studies of the Department of Zoology from the University of Delhi and University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
Basically their studies showed that if you fed a catfish at a certain time each day, it will affect their weight gain. Nutrient utilization is affected by timing of fish feeding, just like how humans do. UoD’s study showed that catfish kept in normal lighting conditions with 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness ( 8am – 8pm ), ended up with no excess weight because the food was used correctly in their bodies. Catfish were made to stay on an alternated lighting schedule ( 8am – 8pm being darkness ), got fat, meaning that thei bodies did not used up all the food properly. This suggests that you need to research proper diet for your specific fish. Make sure that your fish stay on a schedule of a full 10 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness a day. They used aquarium lighting supplies at the UoD experiment.
Fish also need night time in order to rest. A fish’s rest is not like a humans rest or sleep. Most fish tend to hide near something and remain less active during the day. Fish don’t actually close their eyes, they don’t even have eyelids! When picking out lighting, a t5 aquarium light can work great. We are unsure as to why exactly fish need to ‘rest’, but we can safely assume it is because they are like humans and need to conserve and restore their energy. Instead of falling asleep like a human would, fish reduct their awareness of the tank around them. They are not really in a deep sleep, they are still alert. Some fish have even been observed laying on their sides at the bottom of the aquarium and then jumping up and swimming around quickly as if they had been caught sleeping on the job. Do a little research so you can find out the proper habits that your fish will have at night.
In the wild fish are customary to a regular daylight agenda provided by the sun. If you want to have natural environment for your fish, mimic this schedule. This light cycle should also be kept in order to provide inhabitants with the proper amount of darkness for nocturnal activities. If you keep your lighting consistent, it will benefit the feeding habits of your fish. We always recommend using a metal halide light to imitate daylight cycles. We have found that fish and humans will similarly respond to getting fed at certain times of the day, as shown by studies performed by the University of Delhi and Minneapolis. You can find a lot of reading material about lighting effects on fish and their circadian cycles.
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