Lighting options

[peacockkeeper]

My new 75g came with a 40w fluorescent bulb and I was wondering if their are different options available for bulbs. My old tank had black gravel and the colors on my fish would really stick out. My new tank has white silica sand and a black background but my fish look less colorful in this tank. So I am wondering if their is a different type of bulb I could put in to make the colors pop more.

 

[fort384]

You can get a different color temp bulb, but not a more powerful bulb that will fit the same fixture. Depending on your budget, adding an LED fixture will add some color and some shimmer, or you could go with a dual florescent fixture and have 1 white and 1 actinic bulb to help bring out fish colors.

 

[xsryman]

Depending on what color your fish are you could play around different spectrums. Check out zoo meds web site. I dont know if I would recommend their product but they have a good video on the different spectrums

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[peacockkeeper]

Thanks I'll check it out. If not I might try LED lights.

 

[peacockkeeper]

so I did some searching the zoo meds lights seem pretty cool but they are expensive. $125 new on eBay. I also found this one also new for $53. It's an LED just wondering if anyone has any experience with led's wondering if it's worth purchasing.

 

[fort384]

This fixture would be just fine for a fish only tank. It won't provide much if you intend to go with live plants, but imo would provide better lighting than your stock florescent bulb. It is tough to beat the shimmer leds provide, too. Point lighting like LEDs and MH lighting just look better imo than florescent.

 

[peacockkeeper]

Thanks. Since I don't think I will be putting in live plants because from what I have read cichlids can be tough on them i think I am going to order it.

 

[fort384]

Sounds good, hope it works out well.

 

[xsryman]

This fixture would be just fine for a fish only tank. It won't provide much if you intend to go with live plants, but imo would provide better lighting than your stock florescent bulb. It is tough to beat the shimmer leds provide, too. Point lighting like LEDs and MH lighting just look better imo than florescent.

I have seen people say they use LED to grow plants but I sell lighting for a living and as far as I know LED have no spectrum. It is synthetic lighting diodes on a circuit board. Also people use LED to grow corals in marine reef tanks...right? How is that possible?


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[fort384]

They work wonderfully for marine and FW applications if you get the right fixture. They are all I use any more. There is plenty of spectrum. The key is getting diodes that are powerful enough to provide decent light all the way to the substrate. The reason I said the linked fixture is no good for plants is the low power per diode. Here are my various tanks with LED... They work great:

 

[peacockkeeper]

Update: just got my new light it's not quite as bright as the fluorescent but the colors on the fish stand out more so I'm happy with it. Plus it comes with a night mode so for $50 I think it was worth while.