Do Betta Fish Like Light? Do They Need it at Night?

do betta fish like light
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Last Updated: July 28, 2022 by Flora Gibbins

Yes, Betta fish do like light, and no, Betta fish don’t like light. Make sense? Ok, let me explain, Betta fish prefer a schedule where they have regular light and dark periods so that they can get into a normal sleeping pattern.

Betta fish light

Bettas like light so that they know when to wake up and prefer a darker environment to sleep in. You may have an aquarium light on your tank and if so, it is probably best for you to turn this on when you wake up in the morning and turn it off just before bedtime. This will give your Betta a regular sleeping pattern that matches yours.

When you think about it, of course Betta fish do like light, they come from the tropics in Thailand where there is a lot of sunlight! If you don’t want your Siamese fighting fish to live in a stressful environment, then you should provide some sort of light source for your fish. Some lights can even come with a timer so that your light will automatically turn on and off at the scheduled times.

Do Betta fish like Sun Light?

Keeping your tank in direct sunlight is not a good idea. Depending on where you live, direct sunlight could also heat up the water – leading to your tank overheating and your betta getting ill (or almost cooking).

Direct sunlight can also lead to excess algae growth which will mean your tank will have dirty water which will require cleaning more often.

The main thing to remember is that your Betta will do better in a stable sort of environment. That means having a regular schedule of light and darkness for your fish. You want your new little friend to be a happy and healthy betta fish and keeping him in this sort of home is what is best for him to live for several years to come.

Find any useful tips? So will your friends share this page with your friends/followers and lets help Bettas around the world get better care! 🙂 Any questions or comments just add them below! Thanks.


Do Betta Fish Like Light - JapaneseFightingFish.org

26 thoughts on “Do Betta Fish Like Light? Do They Need it at Night?”

  1. Pingback: Do Betta Fish Sleep? - Japanese Fighting Fish

  2. My fish tank has different colors such as pink, blue, green, and red. Is that ok for a beta fish? It can also turn colors all by itself

  3. I turn my light on during the day, but he always flares his gills at me like he doesn’t like it. He keeps flaring until I turn his light off. There are no mirrors or other fish near him. Why is he doing this? Is there anything I need to fix???

  4. When i turn on my tank light my betta goes behind the filter where there is no light, i think this weird because it is in the middle of the day.

  5. Hello. I have a Betta and a Bristlenose plecos in a 10 gal tank and they live together great. I had the standard light that came with the tank and I started putting live plants in the aquarium and the plants started dying so I replaced the light I had with a light just for the plants and I noticed that my Betta isn’t as active as he use to be, do you think the light may be the problem with all other options on why he is inactive ruled out?

  6. I leave a small lihht on for my fish but if the fish is in hislttle hiding places that I bought him he comes right out as he is mad that I turned the light out but I do shut the light when I go to bed

  7. Me and my boyfriend have a beta fish and he just buries his face in his rocks and when there were two of them, they both did it.. Kind of synchronized lol but is this odd?

  8. I just got my Beta fish and it was the middle of the night when I turned the light on in his fish tank. It’s an LED light, so it is bright. The second I turned it on he flipped out, and just sunk to the bottom…. Is he going to be okay?? Did I shock him

    1. Yes sudden bright lights can shock your fish. Sometimes its best to turn on the room light first, so it gets a little brighter, then turn on the aquarium light – it’s less of a shock for your betta fish.
      Hope he is alright now. 🙂

  9. Well I don’t know what my betta fish is doing he stays in 1 spot for about 2-3 minutes then he moves somewhere to hide for another 2-3 min. Then he becomes active 😐

    What Does This Mean?

  10. Hey
    I’m moving my betta fish, Dracula, into my room as his old spot is taken.
    Well
    I sleep with a lamp on
    so is it okay to put him on the other side of the dresser from the lamp?
    Or is it best to cover his aquarium with some cloth and remove it in the morning?

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