Lighting: Unless the aquarium contains live plants, the aquarium light does not need to be on except while feeding or observing the fish. Room light is generally sufficient to keep the fish active during the day and leaving the aquarium light on for too long can cause unsightly algae growth. Most hobbyists, however, don't want to be bothered with turning the lights on and off several times each day and choose instead to simply leave it on continuously for 6 to 10 hours each day. An inexpensive electrical timer can be installed to provide the fish with a consistent light/dark cycle and compensate for the forgetful aquarist.

Feeding: After the tank's "break-in cycle" is completed, most common aquarium fish should be fed two or three times per day, but each feeding should consist of only as much as is consumed in two or three minutes. This takes a little practice, and the careful aquarist will actually time his feedings occasionally, to be certain that the proper amount of food is given. "Overfeeding" is feeding too much at a time, rather than too often. Fish could probably be fed 10 times a day without problem, but one overly generous portion every two days could cause problems. Uneaten food contributes to poor water quality, which causes water cloudiness, rapid algae growth, and often leads to fish disease. Alternating feedings among flake, frozen, freeze-dried, and pelleted foods will provide a well balanced diet for fishes of various feeding habits.