meris Posted November 1, 2006 Report Share Posted November 1, 2006 Hi everyone I have a 150l planted tank (with mostly krebs, a few harlequins & swordtails) and both my flourescent lights have broken in the last month. BF pulled them to bits to see if they are fixable, and they are not - im wondering what type i should get to replace them. I have seen tanks with black lights (uv) which look really nice - are they good for plants/fish? And what about different coloured lights, has anyone tried anything different that really worked? im open to suggestions! Cheers Meris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharn Posted November 1, 2006 Report Share Posted November 1, 2006 black lights provide little if any goodness for plants, and nothing for fish. i think i read that prolonged exposure to the fish can cause them harm but im not sure. different coloured lights (ie orange, green etc, like the coloured bulbs you can buy) are purely for looks and wont provide much for plants either. there is a certain K that brings out the blues and pinks in fish which is natural and will be ok for plants- i just cant remember what rating it is :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluetom Posted November 1, 2006 Report Share Posted November 1, 2006 6500k fluorescent tubes are generally regarded as the best for plant growth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted November 1, 2006 Report Share Posted November 1, 2006 6500k fluorescent tubes are generally regarded as the best for plant growth. ...and available from electrical wholesalers for cheap (under $10) unlike special aquarium bulbs that seem to cost $50 plus :-? You need a bulb that says 'Cool Daylight' '6500K' or 'Colour 86', if you get Cool White or Colour 33 it'll look meh and wont work for the plants as well. They should be replaced every 6 months, and only cost $8 or so from an electrical wholesaler, through your pet store the price will be a lot higher. You can replace the bulbs in fluoro light fittings easily. If you need a whole new light fitting (which you shouldn't), your local pet store should have them in stock. Funky colour tubes might suit your decor, but as mentioned above, they wont do anything to help your tank at all, a bluish 'actnic?' tube can also be used which makes the light a much brighter shade of white, makes it look sharp. Apparently fish can't see red, so if you decide on some funky colour, its probably not a bad one (at least the fish cant see it). Most people find colouring tanks as tacky, but its up to independant styles and tastes, it wont help your tank but it wont hurt it either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted November 1, 2006 Report Share Posted November 1, 2006 Oh and I'm assuming you have those standard fluoro fittings you buy seperately, if you have one of those 'all-in-one' type aquariums, you may need to get some kind of special tube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meris Posted November 2, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2006 Great info - cheers to everyone! thats just what i was looking for Unfortunatly i do need to get all new lights, the ones i have seem to have a weekness in the switch, thats what has broken in both of them, both plastic and metal parts inside the switch are broken - rather than play with that sort of stuff, id rather just buy another one i want a light that makes my fish & plants stand out - so either the "atnic" one or the 6500k one should do the trick nicely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpidersWeb Posted November 2, 2006 Report Share Posted November 2, 2006 If you get one of those 'actnic' type tubes, normally for marine tanks, make sure to get at least one light that is 6500 or 7000K to go with it. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.