Lighting

In a beginner’s fish tank, you need a light to illuminate the fish. Don’t put the tank someplace where it will get direct sunlight. The sun will heat the water and the sun will cause algae to grow and turn the water and everything in it green. To start, just use the fluorescent light that comes with the hood of the tank. Fish and plastic plants don’t have any special lighting requirements.

DO turn the light off at night. This keeps the algae growth to a minimum and gives the fish a chance to rest. Fish will get stressed if they think it’s daytime 24 hours a day. I bought a cheap little timer at Walmart, so I don't have to remember.

If you get interested in a planted tank or a marine tank, you will have to buy special lights, but for a typical tank, just about anything will work. You can use a regular old lamp but a hood that fits your tank properly provides protection from evaporation, dust, and cats...