colored lights...

[Japola44]

So I am relocating all my tanks and also adding my new 50gal to a room my parents are asking me to set up in out unfinished basement. The reason is, my parents are recarpeting and painting the entire house. So, anyway this gets to be my sort of hang out area. I was thinking of putting lights in the tanks that matched the color of the room. I wouldn't have them on all the time just at night on occassion. My question is would different colored lights have a negative effect on my fish?

 

[jcarlilesiu]

Different colored lights are important to planted tanks as they represent the different spectrum of lights. I don't think there would be any negative effect on fish from these various spectrums (if you are talking like bluer or reder lights)...

 

[Japola44]

i mean LED lights sorry i wasn't specific. I know people use the blue lights for lunar lights, but would a red LED light have a bed effect on the fish?

 

[toddnbecka]

Other than making the fish look red, no.

 

[czcz]

FWIW, I think red LED moonlighting is the best for viewing noctournal fish. I tested it, blue LED, and blue cold-cathode by switching from total darkness to moonlighting. With red LED, they only pause for a moment and go back to doing their thing. With the others, some fish would scatter.

 

[lovemybarbs]

So if you use a blue light bulb in your hood the nocturnal fish won't mind???

 

[krap101]

im not sure, but i think fish cant see either red or blue.

 

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

Red is the most unobtrusive light to humans, sadly it also promotes angry behaviour (if you're into psychology).

Red is the 1 colour that is safe in darkrooms while working with reactive paper (not film tho). It is also the 1 colour that it takes your eyes less time to adjust back to dark. (this is the reason AFAIK that the military used red lens' on their lights, that way they wouldn't be at a disadvantage when they turned them off)..

So if Fishes eyes resemble anything close to humans, the red they will "see", but it won't bother them either way, (their eyes won't tire from red)

Blue on the other hand is a calming colour (again, if you're into psychology), it's also harder to focus on, hence harder to notice, I have to have every light off in my basement to see the moonilighting in my tank.

If you want to play with your eyes, open paint and make a picture with a black background, then start typing with different colours. you'll notice the red and blue are harder to read then green which our eyes are adept at picking up..

Either colour is acceptable, and both have their advantages and disadvatages (red looks so un-natural)

Just what I know of light with eyes.

 

[Japola44]

I am just curious i have afew ideas going around in my head this was jsut one of them

 

[Skyrmir]

im not sure, but i think fish cant see either red or blue.

Not all but many species of fish can't see red. Usually the deep water varieties. Red light doesn't penetrate water very deeply so many fish simply evolved not to see it. Most aquarium fish aren't going to be deep water fish though, so can probably see the red light as well as a human.

I'm trying to find out if I can replace the blue LED's in my fixure with red ones. The tank it's in has mostly red swordtails that are pretty much black under a blue light, kinda ruins the point of having a night light.