lights for cichlid tanks

[pwrmaestro]

I am the proud owner/operator/fishlover of 3 cichlid tanks. Your thoughts on when to change out bulbs? Does one wait til a bulb burns out? My interest is in merely to display fishies to best advantage. There is, for example, an aquaglow for community tanks. There is also a power-glo light in the Hagen line - supposedly for cichlid tanks. Bulb is beneficial for plant growth (which I don't need - no live plants) In summary, when do you change your bulbs? What brands of lights have you been happy with? Thanks for anything you'd like to say on the subject

 

[fishfreek]

I moved the post to the freshwater forum in hopes of getting you a better/quicker response.


Personally i would say if the only thing you have in the tank is the cichlid's and no live plants then you should change the blubs out when you feel the intensity is no longer there.

Over time the bulbs will slowly dim. In a planted tank changing the bulbs on a regular schedule is important as the light intensity and spectrium begin to shift as the bulbs age.

But in a tank that does not need light for anything other than to view the fish this spectrium change does not make much difference.

 

[reefrunner69]

I will throw my support to Aaron on this one, the spectrum of the bulb is more of a personal preference than a necessity in a cichlid tank that is only to showcase the fish. I might recommend that you look for a bulb that is visually pleasing, like a 10K. I would change them out when they have dimmed noticably or burned out, and for makers, coralife has a 10K on the market. As a general rule I like URI bulbs, but I do not believe they make a 10K bulb.
I'll show you mine, if you show me yours.....

 

[fishfreek]

pwrmaestro,

If ya got any photos of your tank or your cichlid's post them in the show off forum please.

We just love seeing other community members aquariums.