light tinting

[Shimpoe]

i have a 90 gal with a standard 2 ,32watt aquarium lamp set up.. and i felt it just worked .. too well... everything was so well lit that it seamed fake so i got some green cellophane and put it around the lamp. it makes the tank look amazing, with a kind of murky effect. but im not sure how it will effect the fish(if at all) and algae growth. it may look cool but if it harms my fish then its pretty pointless...any ideas/misshaps on the subject would help greatly.. thanks

[buckshot]

It should not have any effect on your fish, you should be ok with algae just keep an eye out

[slowboattochina]

I have the same set . 90 gal tank with two lights. I bought an atinic lamp for second light that gives off a cool blue light. When they are on together it takes all the yellows away making it look a lot better. Sometimes we just put the blue light on . Very neat looking at night.

[JohnPaul]

I'd have two worries, neither based on fact, both purely on conjecture.

1. If the lights put out any heat at all, I'd be worried about the cellophane getting too close and getting melted, possibly releasing toxins into the water or into the air around the water (and thus, into the water).

2. Since green cellophane, in order to look green, is absorbing roughly the same wavelengths of light that plants absorb to look green, I wonder how much of the photosynthetically-usable light you are now depriving your plants of? It would be one thing if you wanted to use the cellophane once in a while (e.g. having a big party, want the "murky water" effect to impress the guests), but to have it up there all the time might cause problems with your plant growth.

Again, both are speculation, but something to think about.

[Toirtis]

Originally Posted by JohnPaul

I'd have two worries, neither based on fact, both purely on conjecture.

1. If the lights put out any heat at all, I'd be worried about the cellophane getting too close and getting melted, possibly releasing toxins into the water or into the air around the water (and thus, into the water).

2. Since green cellophane, in order to look green, is absorbing roughly the same wavelengths of light that plants absorb to look green, I wonder how much of the photosynthetically-usable light you are now depriving your plants of?

I must concur.