uv lights in the bowl with the fish
Well, first of all, a goldfish (or any fish for that matter) should NEVER be kept on a bowl. As for light, yes, it does affect goldfish. Goldfish kept in darkened tanks typically display less color than those in lighted tanks.
lighting for a goldfish is more asthetic than anything. If you had a coral reef aquarium of something that's different, but a goldfish is a cold water fish and doesn't need heat or light to survive... that being said, fish in general are less stressed if you mimic the day/night cycle (use a timer for ease and convienience) meaning leave the light on during the day and shut it off at night when you go to sleep. I have mine automatically come on at 10am and off at 11pm so it is on when i get home from work all the way until bed and I can enjoy the fishies. Please remember though, fish sleep too and need a night cycle, don't leave the light on 24/7... plus it's bad on the electric bill! If you really wanted you could switch the light for a black light but I doubt it would enhance your fish any, if you want that... buy what is called a blue actinic bulb from petsmart. They give a blue color designed to enhance you fishes appearance... If you want to see your fish at night, invest in an LED lunar light. one should suffice in a 10 gallon and they aren't expensive... again, at petsmart. It slips right on the side of the tank and is a soft blue light that mimics the moon's rays. They are designed for night viewing of nocturnal creatures, although, your goldfish will not be very exciting to watch sleep! I hope this information is helpful. Good Luck!
I never put the light on in my goldfish's tank but I've notice it is losing color lately so I started leaving the light on more. When I first got it - it seemed to be really sensitive of the light and would hide if I turned it on so I kept it off. Now that it's more acclimated it is fine with the light.
