Aquarium lighting and food

Question
Hello! I have a ten gallon aquarium with two male mollies (a creamsicle and a silver one) and a five gallon with a smaller male creamsicle molly and a small male sunburst platy. I know that these tropical fish need variety in their diet. I feed them cooked and peeled peas once a week and then fast them for the rest of the day to prevent constipation, and I have starting feeding them freeze dried bloodworms in the morning and tropical flakes at night. Do you think this is an appropriate and healthy diet for them? Is there any other food that I could try? I think I read once that lettuce was an option.
Also, how sensitive are fish to light? How much natural sunlight is important? In one room, the ten gallon gets the morning sun, but my white curtains are usually closed (although a good amount of light gets in anyway). In the other room where the five gallon is kept, it gets hot afternoon sun (I live in Arizona) and I like keeping my blinds mostly closed to keep the room cool, although I do leave some open to provide the fish with some natural light. Both aquariums are not right up against windows. Does the current light system sound ok? And is it bad to leave an aquarium light (or a room light) on late into the night? The ten gallon tank is with my computer, and sometimes I have to work very late. I don't know if this unnatural cycle of light disturbs the fish, especially during feeding. I usually have to feed them after dark, and I'll turn on the tank lights to acclimate them if the room has no lights on and then feed. Again, I don't know if this fast light and dark switch is a bad thing. Sorry for all the information, and thank you so much!

Answer
Hi Hannah

You could switch your feeding to feed them the flakes in the morning and Bloodworms in the evening. Tetramin Tropical Flakes are best. Aside from flakes and Bloodworms, feed them some live or freeze-dried brine shrimp or baby shrimp. The pea thing once a week is good. I feed my fish in the morning before I leave at 7:20 and I feed my young fish and my small fish (Gouramis, Tetras, Mollies, Guppies etc) again when I get home. My adult large Cichlids usually only get fed once a day in the morning, but they have small feeder Danios and Guppies to eat throughout the day.

As for lighting, the tank lights should only be on 10-12 hours a day. You don't want the tanks to get direct sunlight as this will cause a severe algae problem. I don't know what your schedule is as far as work and/or school etc. I work 8-5. I get up at 5:30am and I turn the lights on in the rooms. I have my tank lights on timers that come on at 7AM and go off at 7PM. So the room lights are on for well over an hour before the tank lights come on. It's best to feed your fish in the morning after the tank lights come on and again in the afternoon before you turn the tank lights off. Feeding the fish is the last thing I do before I walk out the door and I feed them again shortly after I get home before the tank lights go off. Most of us have our room lights on late into the night before bed, so the room lights being on late don't bother them. But you should never turn your tank lights on in a dark room. This is the same as someone turning your bedroom lights on in the middle of the night. That's why it's best to give your fish their final feeding for the day in the late afternoon or early evening, then turn the tank lights off an hour or so later and leave them off for the night.

Hope this helps, good luck!

Richard