This fish blog will answer the major question, “Can Betta fish see in the dark?” we will also discuss the effects of correct light exposure on the activity of betta fish, the health hazards of overexposure to light on the betta fish, and which colors can a betta fish see under the water.
Can Betta fish see in the dark?
No, betta fish cannot see in the dark. Betta fish have poor vision in the dark therefore they remain inactive in the dark and especially at night. They usually eat in the daytime and it is advisable to give food to your betta fish in the daytime.
What are the effects of correct light exposure on the health of the betta fish?
Following are the effects of correct light exposure on the health of the betta fish:
Proper eating of betta fish
If there are 10 hours of daylight given to the betta fish then your betta fish will eat properly because they need sufficient light to see their food especially if you are providing small particle size of the food. It is necessary to give the proper intensity of the light but there shouldn’t be too much light in the room as it can affect the iris of the eye.
Proper breeding activity of betta fish
As we know that betta fish have poor vision at night, and they need proper light for breeding in the water. If there is darkness in the fish tank, the betta fish will not release sperm in the water and there wouldn’t be any breeding activity in the dark.
Proper brain activity of betta fish
Betta fish have an iris that is different from the iris of a human being. Iris is a component of the betta fish eye and the human eye. The iris of the human eye can zoom in and zoom out depending upon the situation. It means they can change the depth of the vision but it is absent in the betta fish.
The iris of the betta fish is not able to zoom in and zoom out therefore they have poor depth of vision. This is why there should be proper light in the room. The activity of the betta fish depends upon the light. If there is light, the betta fish is active and the brain of the betta fish is working but in the dark, the brain sends a signal to the body to stop moving and take a rest.
What are the health hazards of overexposure to light on the betta fish?
Following are the effects of overexposure of betta fish to the light:
Temperature of the water increases
If you are giving sunlight for more than the required hours then the temperature of the water increases as sunlight can heat up the water which can restrict the activity of the betta fish. As betta fishes are non-nocturnal freshwater fishes so they are disturbed by a slight change in the temperature of the water.
Overexposure can increase stress on betta fish
Overexposure of betta fish to light can cause hyperactivity of the brain which can increase the stress on the body of the betta fish. The betta fish’s brain works very fast and ultimately the betta fish is stressed which can lower the food intake and reproductive efficiency of the betta fish.
Overexposure can disturb the sleep cycle of the betta fish
Overexposure of betta fish to light can significantly decrease sleep time of the betta fish because we have discussed that when it is dark, the brain sends signals to the body to take a rest and have a good night’s sleep but in the case of light, this signal is suppressed.
It was also said that the dim light given to the betta fish at night can also disturb the sleep cycle of the betta fish but recently scientists proved this theory wrong and proved that there is no effect of dim light on the sleep cycle of the betta fish at night.
Which colors can a betta fish see underwater?
Betta fish can see colors that have shorter wavelengths such as blue and green but they are not able to see red color as a red color has a high wavelength and they spread across the different layers of the sea. We know that betta fish have poor depth vision so they are not able to see how deep the red color can go.
Conclusion
In this fish blog, we answered the major question, “Can Betta fish see in the dark?” we also discussed the effects of correct light exposure on the activity of betta fish, the health hazards of overexposure to light on the betta fish, and which colors can a betta fish see under the water.
