Whats the best lighting for my aquarium?

[ChannelCat]

My tank is a 20ga with 2 channel cats in it. Im going to get a bigger tank, but for now i have all i can afford. I have flourecent bulbs in my light, but i dont really know when to have them on. My light is on a timer and right now i have it coming on about 4 times a day and it stays on for about 1 hour at a time.

My room has no windows and i stay there every other week due to my parents being divorced, but i do visit every night about 8pm to feed them. But my question is, what is the best setting for my fish, i can clean algea or whatever the light will affect i just want them to be happy. So what times should they have lights? remember, no light is not an option, because that means pretty much no light for a week at a time. thanks

 

[V1xIII]

Keep it on continuously for 10 hours or so. Think day/night cycle. More than 10 hrs a day will promote more algae growth. I have my timer set to turn on at noon and then off at midnight, i'm not real worried about algae.

And of course the obligatory get a bigger tank asap rant. Like hundreds of gallons big.

 

[ChannelCat]

Keep it on continuously for 10 hours or so. Think day/night cycle. More than 10 hrs a day will promote more algae growth. I have my timer set to turn on at noon and then off at midnight, i'm not real worried about algae.

And of course the obligatory get a bigger tank asap rant. Like hundreds of gallons big.

ok thanks man. I had it going on and off because i figured they would hate the light all day, because they cant escape it in my little tank like they could in the river. But ill change it tonight to just do like 8a-6p or something like that.

and i know bigger tank asap. Hopefully ill have a new job in the next month and ill get a 125 or so. Thanks for the help