Best Light Color Temperature Spectrum for my Fish

[mikeybabs]

Hi guys, so I was was wondering if I could get some advice on light bulbs, since I don't really know much about them...

First of all I'm not even sure if my fixture is rated to run t8 or t12 light bulbs, all I know is both of them work in it...

the back of my lighting fixture says:

120v 60 watt 60 hz

all-glass aquarium inc
30" florescent aquarium twin tube reflector

first i had 2 t8 lightbulbs in it, one was a zoo-med bulb with i *think* 8700k color temp and another bulb with possibly a 6700k color temp...

the first pictures so what my first looked like under that lighting

i just introduced two new lightbulbs to the fixture, 2 t12 ecolux 24" F20 each were 20 watts... which i'm not sure of the color temperature cuz it doesnt say it on the package but im guessing its around 5000k because there seems to be warmer colors, in the second picture it shows what the fish looks like under that spectrum...

so two questions:

1) what's the best color spectrum that could really bring out the colors of this fish?
2) what are the best bulb types to use in this fixture so that there isn't a premature burn out in both the fixture and the bulb?

Thanks!!


edit: btw it's a red devil cichlid

 

[AquaOne]

Looks like T8 works, just need to balance the colour-temp. I just got T5 with adjustable reflectors and it's surprisingly easy to get different light array just by angling the reflectors a bit !
I think it's a question of what you like, but also if you have live plant and how that responds. Having said that, your photo's make the T12 lighting look perhaps more natural, it's really your call.