Saw this TV show about gators and it said that on gator farms, they keep them in the dark because they grow much faster in the dark. Could this be true of fish? Humans grow when they are sleeping so could it hold true for cichlids? What if you fed them twice a day and turned out the lights in between and let them "sleep"? Not going to do this, but was just curious.
Will fish grow faster in the dark?
- Thread starter stuckinthemiddle
- Start date
It would be risky to try it possibly though, as when the fish sleep their metabolism starts to slow down, which means digestion will slow as well. Might have a higher potential for bloat or other complications possibly.
I believe they DID do this study with catfish though, and they actually did grow faster. I'll have to look around and see if I can find the info, tis interesting.
I believe they DID do this study with catfish though, and they actually did grow faster. I'll have to look around and see if I can find the info, tis interesting.
you would think that gators being cold blooded would need alot of sun (uvb) and heat to do anything like eat, move, breed ecx . interesting theory though some one should try it with a baby convict.
Most catfish are nocturnal, so it would make sense since they are active when its dark. But I'd be interested to know anything more on this subject.
i only turn on the lights in my growouts and quarantine tank when i'm feeding or wnat to check on something specific. doesn't seem to affect them from my observation. there is some ambient light, but no direct. i only feed monday, wedneday, and fridays other than the tiny pbass and bichir.
I've read quite a few articles on fish metabolism......none of which say the lack of light promotes growth ......... However I did read that nightime feeding does promote a larger growth rate due to the lack of activity of the fish during the dark hours. They also went on to say that the amount of waste created with nightime feeding was lower than that of fish feeding during lighted hours. Hence the fish were metabolizing more food at night and creating less waste so one could say that nightime feeding in combonation with dark hours do grow fish faster than just feeding them during the daylight.
Also I read about the larval stages of fish (eggs) - studies showed that the rate of larval growth at night was greater than larval growth during the day the numbers weren't staggering they were like .4 millimeters more at night than during the day but they did grow more at night.
Also I read about the larval stages of fish (eggs) - studies showed that the rate of larval growth at night was greater than larval growth during the day the numbers weren't staggering they were like .4 millimeters more at night than during the day but they did grow more at night.
Ok, this might be a coincidence or lack of experience, but the light in my tank has been broken for a while. Turns on for a couple of minutes and then off again.
Anyway... I have to say over the past month my Albino Oscars seems to have just grown so fast! But they could have just had a growth spurt.
Anyway... I have to say over the past month my Albino Oscars seems to have just grown so fast! But they could have just had a growth spurt.