Goldfish are the most common fish species people like to add to their home aquarium. However, goldfish require some tank equipment for their healthy growth and development.
In their natural habitat, goldfish get a balance of light and dark periods. But when placed in captivity, do your goldfish need light? Can your goldfish live without light in captivity? Let us find out.
Goldfish require light for their proper growth and color enhancement. Provide light for 12-13 hours to mimic their natural habitat. LED and fluorescent are ideal light options for goldfish. Avoid providing direct sunlight as it can alter the temperature and lead to algae growth in the tank.
The below article will discuss the benefits of light in your goldfish tank.
Contents
- 1 Do goldfish require light?
- 2 How much light does goldfish need?
- 3 Which type of light do goldfish need?
- 4 Do goldfish need light at night time?
- 5 What happens if you keep your goldfish in the dark?
- 6 Does goldfish fry need light?
- 7 What factor should you consider before choosing a light for your goldfish?
- 8 How to make sure that your goldfish is getting adequate light?
- 9 Conclusion:
Do goldfish require light?
Goldfish require light in their tank for their proper color enhancement and development.
If deprived of light, your fish will not be able to survive for an extended period, as it can make your goldfish lose their natural colors and make them suffer from excessive stress.
Excessive stress further can eventually lead to the passing away of your fish.
Therefore, you should provide a balance of light and the dark period in your goldfish tank to ensure the healthy growth of your fish.
Also read: What To Do If My Goldfish Is Stressed?
How much light does goldfish need?
The best way to ensure that you are providing an adequate amount of light to your goldfish is by mimicking their natural habitat living.
In their natural habitat, your goldfish gets a balance of light and dark in the daytime and the nighttime.
So, you should provide light to your goldfish in the daytime for their proper growth and color enhancement.
We advise you to provide light to your goldfish for 12-13 hours a day for the well-being of your fish.
Which type of light do goldfish need?
In their natural habitat, your goldfish gets direct sunlight. Direct sunlight is suitable for your goldfish as it helps color enhancement and proper growth.
However, providing direct sunlight in the tank can increase your tank’s water temperature and algae growth in captivity.
As goldfish are coldwater fish, placing them in unstable water temperatures can lead to extreme stress in your fish.
Excessive stress further can lead to the passing away of your fish.
Consider adding an artificial Led aquarium light in your goldfish tank as it is the best option for your goldfish.
Led lights will not alter the water temperature of your goldfish tank.
Led lights will also help grow live aquatic plants in the tank.
We advise you to purchase Hygger Spectrum Led Aquarium Light.
You can buy it from Amazon Hygger Spectrum Led Aquarium Light
However, it would be best if you did not keep the aquarium lights on for more than 12-13 hours as it can lead to algae growth in the tank and can lead to stress on your fish.
Do goldfish need light at night time?
Your goldfish do not need light at night time. Likewise, humans, goldfish are diurnal that rely upon alternation between the daytime and nighttime.
Keeping the lights on at night can lead to stress in your goldfish.
Consider mimicking your fish’s natural habitat by keeping the tank’s lights off at night.
As your goldfish cannot see in the dark, they navigate through their incredible sense of smell at night.
Therefore, you should always provide a healthy alternation between the nighttime and the daytime to ensure your fish’s healthy growth and color enhancement.
What happens if you keep your goldfish in the dark?
Placing your goldfish in complete darkness 24/7 can lead to significant issues for your fish. Some of them are as follows:
- It can make your goldfish lose their natural
- Complete darkness in the tank can lead to stress in your goldfish.
- Your goldfish can turn unhealthy and weak if you place them in total darkness. Vulnerable goldfish further have a high risk of getting prone to several diseases and parasites.
- As aquatic plants need light to thrive, not providing light to the tank can destroy the plants in the tank.
Therefore, you should provide both light and dark periods in the tank for the well-being of your goldfish.
Also read: Can Goldfish See In The Dark?
Does goldfish fry need light?
Your goldfish fry needs light for its proper growth and color enhancement.
Providing adequate light in the tank ensures their longer lifespan and proper development.
Providing less light to your goldfish fry tank can affect the growth of your goldfish.
You should always provide a balance of light and dark periods in the tank for the well-being of your fry.
What factor should you consider before choosing a light for your goldfish?
We advise you to use a light that has more of an orange glow than a bright white output as it will be gentler on their eyes. The below are some ideal types of light options for your goldfish.
Type
| Types of lights | Goldfish |
|---|---|
| Led | Consists of many bulb in one light fixtures and generates a bright light. |
| UV Lights | UV Lights can be overly bright for your goldfish. It should be used to treat minor bacteria in the water column or for uncontrollable algae growth. |
| Fluorescent | The most ideal light option for your goldfish is a standard bulb with a light fixture that generates an orange glow throughout the aquarium. |
Color
Your goldfish tank’s light color should be soft and gentle for your goldfish if they accidentally stare into the light.
Below are some color options for your goldfish tank.
| Color | Goldfish |
|---|---|
| White color light | We do not advise using white color lights as it is overly bright for your goldfish. |
| Orange Color light | It is an ideal light color option for your goldfish. |
| Colored lights | Do not provide the natural habitat environment as it is unnatural. Adding colored lights can also confuse your goldfish. |
| Dim | Used to mimic early mornings or evenings. |
Wattage
You should always use an energy saver light as you will switch on the lights for 12-13 hours a day.
Using a low wattage light will be ideal for your goldfish and electricity bills.
Settings
We advise you to use a light with several lightning options like color, dimming settings, and brightness.
Such lights can be more costly than a standard fluorescent bulb, but they are worth the investment as they provide many features.
Water Resistance
You should install a water-resistant light to prevent any accidents and for the well-being of your goldfish.
Using a splash proof light will not be advisable as it will not work correctly for the aquarium and can be dangerous for the whole household.
How to make sure that your goldfish is getting adequate light?
Many lights have an inbuilt timer setting like Hygger Spectrum Led Aquarium Light, making it easier for you as you do not have to adjust the time manually.
However, if your light does not have timer settings, you can use a timer that will help you set the time and duration in which you want to get the lights on and off.
The aquarium light timer will ensure that your goldfish is getting enough light for their healthy growth and development.
We advise you to purchase a Hygger auto on off led aquarium light for your goldfish tank.
You can buy it from Amazon Hygger auto on off LED aquarium light.
Conclusion:
- Your goldfish require light for their healthy growth and color enhancement.
- You should provide light for 12-13 hours a day to your goldfish.
- As goldfish are diurnal, they require an alternation between the daytime and the nighttime in their goldfish tank.
- Placing your goldfish in complete darkness 24/7 can make them lose their natural color and become unhealthy.
- Goldfish fry needs light in its tank for proper development and color enhancement.
Reference: ResearchGate ResearchGate