KeyWestSeasalt
Aquarium Advice Newbie
When we started our tank, the guy I bought the stuff from was supposedly an expert and helped to get it all set up. We got a bow tank (which I wouldn't do again because it's hard to find glass, hood, etc. for it unless I make it myself). Since then, I've learned a lot about what he did wrong and realize we got ripped off pretty badly, but that's water under the tank....
Anyway, he brought me an LED light fixture which I've attached a pic of to see what I'm talking about. The fixture is heavy and can be mounted from above with the cables you see on the top or it has 4 legs that "stand" on the edges of the tank.
There are two issues:
The first is that when you put it up there, the lights are so bright and depending on where you're viewing the tank, you're looking right up into them. There isn't supposed to be heat with LED bulbs, but this contraption has a fan for each of the 4 sets of lights, so it's generating heat from somewhere. Is it going to be a problem sitting on top of the tank instead of being suspended or raised above the glass? And by being that close to the water is the light going to hurt the corals (currently all soft)?
Second, the four lights are different colors. I had the previous led strip light on a timer and when it came on, all the spectrum was there. This one can be done so that different colors come on together or separately. With all 4 on, it's like broad daylight in there. With two of them on, it has a bluish hue or a brownish hue depending on which two are on at the same time. My question is, how should the lights come on, in what order and how long should they stay on so as not to hurt the tank.
Sorry if this is a total amateur question, but I can't seem to find anything about these lights to see exactly the best way to utilize them.
Thanks in advance for advice/suggestions.....
Anyway, he brought me an LED light fixture which I've attached a pic of to see what I'm talking about. The fixture is heavy and can be mounted from above with the cables you see on the top or it has 4 legs that "stand" on the edges of the tank.
There are two issues:
The first is that when you put it up there, the lights are so bright and depending on where you're viewing the tank, you're looking right up into them. There isn't supposed to be heat with LED bulbs, but this contraption has a fan for each of the 4 sets of lights, so it's generating heat from somewhere. Is it going to be a problem sitting on top of the tank instead of being suspended or raised above the glass? And by being that close to the water is the light going to hurt the corals (currently all soft)?
Second, the four lights are different colors. I had the previous led strip light on a timer and when it came on, all the spectrum was there. This one can be done so that different colors come on together or separately. With all 4 on, it's like broad daylight in there. With two of them on, it has a bluish hue or a brownish hue depending on which two are on at the same time. My question is, how should the lights come on, in what order and how long should they stay on so as not to hurt the tank.
Sorry if this is a total amateur question, but I can't seem to find anything about these lights to see exactly the best way to utilize them.
Thanks in advance for advice/suggestions.....