Light A neccessity?

[Cyberguppy]

Strangley enough fish do need a minimum amount of light to function normally. While not a seasonal breeder guppys come from a tropical area with long daylight hours (approx 12-14). While this does not need to be simulated exactly they should be proved with a certain ammount of light each day to prevent spinal and bone disorders (lack of vitamin d production). The lights should also never be left on 24 hours as the fish do need to sleep too.

[todnjo]

Uv light converts vitamin D into calcium, hence it is good for bones. It is the same with reptiles , they need a certain amount of sunlight or UV light to prevent them from getting rickets. Most living things need light to survive. Most living things also need to rest like u said. I agree. Breeding and simulated weather cycles also have light play a major part. Therefore the correct light is deffinitely a nacessity, after all we wouldnt want to spend our day in darkness or semi darkness.

[Cyberguppy]

Hey thanks. I know it affected the calcium but wasnt sure how. great info.

[todnjo]

Lack of vitamin D is a problem with snakes, lizards and turtles/tortoises, people try to treat it with calcium injections/ tablets. When reptiles etc need the right kind of light like fish do. Suppliments can help a lot but really replacing the fluro globe can be whats needed coz like fish reptiles use the same type of globe and heres the thing.....the globe will deteriorate over time and should be replaced as it can still look ok but the light spectrum deteriorates at different rates. In other words the part of the spectrum that gives the fish/reptiles vitamin D deteriorates FIRST, but can still look ok, so your light can be lacking for months without you realising it. The moral of the story is to replace the light annually regardless of wheather it looks ok or is working still or not. And clean algae off the glass lids coz this blocks light too.

[Cyberguppy]

a few people had suggested replacing bulbs annually but never gave details, great info. I know one of my first guppy breeding attempts when I was about 12 ended in disaster from lack of light . the tank had no artificial light and was in a book case, It only got direct sun for half the year. All breeding went well untill winter then 3 months of poor light took its toll on new fry .

[ladyqpid]

I recently read of a breeder who said that you should leave some sort of light on all the time, even at night, just a small nightlite kind of set up. His reasons were that at night, when the guppies sleep, they sit on the bottom and, if you are a breeder, this may damage their tales. Where as if you leave a small light on they tended to sort of catnap all night at the middle to top range of the tank thus lessening the damage to the tail.

[sammigold]

I think I would rather know my fish had a good sleep than a slightly imperfect tail...lol isnt it funny the length people will go to... I wonder how long this breeders fish live for...I'm sure going without proper sleep would be just a detrimental to the health of a guppy as it would for us... imagine only being allowed to sleep for half an hour at a time every 2 hours.....

[Bumblebee]

better solution is to add a large catfish or nocturnal bottom dweller to the tank, they will move for a better place to sleep rather than be disturbed all night. ;D Mine sleep on top of the watersprite floating in my tank.