letting the fish rest ?

[Ted H]

I was just wondering if during the night, when the lights go out should I turn off the air pump too.. I've a twin pump with two air stones in the tank. My filter is an external Fluval with a spray bar ( obviously I wont turn this off ).
I did note that when I came home in the early hours that some of the fish seemed to be "resting " on the bottom of the tank, so they cant be too troubled by the air stones ! ( do fish sleep ??)

 

[Dragonslair]

Hi Ted,
You are obviously new to this......
Good on you for asking. Remember the only stupid question in this forum is the question you don't ask.
No - there is no need to turn off the pump at night. Fish don't sleep, if fish ever went to sleep as you know the term, they would be a dead fish. At night or when the temp. in the tank lowers the fish's metabolic rate lowers thus slowing everything down. Now fish don't have ears as we know them so they don't get disturbed by the noise of the bubbles. Fish, (all fish) have on the sides of their body a thin line that runs from the gill area to the base of the tail. This is known as the lateral line.
Behind this line the fish has a row of nerve receptors or sensors that can pick up the smallest of vibrations in the water. This is how they "know" how near they are to an object, or if other fish are nearby. Fish eyesight are poor, Fish hunt by touch and smell and only at the last second by sight.

 

[bartender_in_ny]

as far as the lites go what i do is b4 i put um to beddie bye lol its usualy late and sun is dwn (12-14 hrs w/lite on) i leave a room lite on + turn tank lite off, this mimics *dusk* then in about 30 min or so, i turn every thing off, this especialy works well with new fish in tank cuz they havnt *staked there beds yet* + if its gos to a black out immediatly there scared becuz mabe a nocturnal creature they dont knowabout in a new tank can get um!!!! lol which isnt the case in mine but still in all in the wild they expeireince dusk dawn + dark, same thing in the A.M. i dont jsut turn on the flouresant lite right off!!! i turn the room lite on for a few then the tank hood lite, your fish wil be comfy with this + think there in the wild or river stream...oh well works for me, cuz i have cardinals + glowlites which can be a lil WOOSY..LOL but there cute and i love um just the same..TRY IT!!!!

G'NITE JON BOY!!!

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