Is my light scaring my fish?

[gio28]

I have my tank in my bedroom and am always in and out of it turning the room light on and off a couple times a night. when my tank lights are on for their normal schedule my fish are fine...but when the tank lights are off at 9PM and my room light is flicking on and off occasionally will this scare my fish? i try to use the light of the moonlights when i walk in my room to prevent me from blasting my tank with light from the lamp. but its real hard to see around. i dont know what to do about it?

 

[salt210]

I would say very confusing at the least. My tank has 2 table lamps beside it that come on after the tank lights. kind of a way of going from light to dark I guess

 

[gio28]

thats what i try to do...i turn my room lights on right before the tank lights go off for the night. so like you said...it goes from light to dark kinda. im 15 so my mom gets to yell at me to turn them off or does it herself. so thats why i have this problem. oh well...i guess i cant fix it really

 

[cranberry]

I'm a night worker and I use to feel bad about my unpredictable sleep pattern. I actually made a light proof material drape and placed attachments around the lid and would hang it if I was up too late. That way I could flip on lights without feeling bad.

 

[gio28]

thats a really good idea. im gonna try that. my clown has its nem so it never gets stressed but my chromis are wimps and get scared real easy.

 

[gmann1139]

Ever been sleeping, and someone comes in the room and turns the lights on?
Okay, now take away your eyelids and try it.
Fish can get shocked by the light, it takes them a couple minutes to adjust. Most of us turn the tank lights on after there's ambient light in the room, so its not as harsh on the fish.

 

[gio28]

good point bout no eyelids...i turn my lights on when theres alot of light coming into the room from the window so its not just dark to super light.
the room light after my tank lights go off for the day is the challenge for me.

 

[ryancw01]

When I lived at my old place I got some black cloth material from JoAnns or something and put velcro all around the top tank trim and on the cloth and would just put it on before I went to bed because my roommate would stay up late...that way you dont have to put it over the tank, you can just cover the glass...

 

[gio28]

that was exactly what i went shopping for yesterday lol. i went to michaels and they didnt have fabric so im just gonna go another today.