Experience has taught me planting plants in a O's tank is a waste of time they'll rip em up quick time :angry: but that's O's so grow lights seem out
but what is the best fluro to show their true colors any ideas
cheers Gazza

I'm probably not the right person for this question because I've never been really that particular about lighting, I use basic T5 lighting which does the job. I think I've heard it mentioned blue fluorescence can often bring out the fishes colors. I know some of our members will give you a lot more information about lighting.

i use a tube with a little red tint added. A JBL solar colour. there are 2 choice of colours really for tropical fish. one being white that gives colour as you see it or the colour light that's adds reds. this may interest you and is worth reading. As ofl I use a single T5 tube in my tank.
www.jbl.de/dl_documents/uk/uk_WWW7.pdf

There are many types of bulbs to use. I have a white bulb, a white bulb with a red tinge (looks slightly pink when you look at it) and a blue moon light. The blue moon come on before the main lights and stays on after they go out. The tank looks great with all 3 on and if a fish swims close to the front of my tank (where the blue bulb is) the fish can look very blue- check my avatar, its a synphilum but with the blue light on

cheers for the link interesting read got me thinking of putting 2 fluro,s in one moonlight and a full spectrum on timers so when it get,s dark the moonlight comes on and visa versa with the full sectrum light coming on

I'm no lighting genius but my pleco,s days are numbered as I see no need for a fish that hides when ever I,m home :angry: day time or carn't see in the dark
will the moon light help ????

cheers Gazza

ps the pleco is healthy and growing but very shy

I recommend LED.

Even Flouro's that 'accentuate' bright colors tend to make freshwater seem rather dingy. Accent/acintic flouros seem to be of best benefit for saltwater and coral, where the lighting brightens colors but reduces the remainder of the tank to a bluish haze that looks great in a marine tank but doesn't work for freshwater at all. Most other flouro's tend to basically just be different wattages...at least the ones I've seen. I'm sure there are other kinds out there but as expensive as they are it seemed worth it to me to just pony up the extra hundred bucks or so and get the whole setup.

I just purchased a canopy setup with 6 'sun' led and 3 'moon' lights. They actually can 'rise and set' on a timer...looks very cool. The light is clear, natural, and 'clean' looking, highlights things but doesn't make it too bright, and produces a beautiful ripple effect with the surface agitation both day and night, uses far, far less electricity, and lasts a lot longer (supposedly, we'll see).

johnnyphoenix wrote:


so wouldt that work for brackish water too?
I got my GSP's in brackish but am using tiny tl saving bulbs,which looks nice, but couldt be better.
Do those actinic or fluorolight cost a lot of watts?(I fear they do..)
My tank is only a 40Gl tank, si i'd need a small fixture or bulb.
Any ideas ifit's worth it, and if it's possible to get them cheap?

i dont think its all about the light i think a natural gravel backround and props bring out the oscars buity more than light but thats just me

Noddy wrote:
[quote]johnnyphoenix wrote:


You know, I have no experience with brackish so I couldn't tell you...



Well, the bulbs themselves are pretty expensive sometimes, dunno how much more energy they might use than regular flouro's, if any.



36 inch? T5? T12?



Why not something like this?

www.petsolutions.com/Marineland-LED-Aqua...ights+I47432990.aspx