Best light to show off shrimp?

[candacecook1025]

I am planning on upgrading my hood and light for my planted shrimp tank soon. Obviously the main beneficiaries will be the plants, but I also want to show off the amazing color of my Blue Velvet shrimp. They look kinda pale under the generic basic light I have now. All the light technology is over my head, so I was just going to go with the recommendation from someone at the LFS regarding the hood and light bulbs. But is there anything specific I need to get to show off the blue shrimp better? Any suggestions are appreciated! Thanks!

**going to cross post in planted tanks as well, so hopefully nobody gets ticked off if they see the same post there too.**

 

[Mogurako]

What type of hood do you have, incandescent or fluorescent?

I use 13 watt 6500k "daylight" CFL bulbs in all my incandescent fixtures, these are available at lowes and Costco for about $7 a pack . I believe the daylight spectrum bulbs will give you the best colors out of both shrimp and plants, along with a dark substrate.

 

[candacecook1025]

Which do I have? Um, the basic kind that screws in...which one is that???

Can you tell I am def a beginner? lol

I have a dark substrate and lots of wood and plants...will check out the lights you suggested...thanks a lot!

 

[Mogurako]

Which do I have? Um, the basic kind that screws in...which one is that???

Can you tell I am def a beginner? lol

I have a dark substrate and lots of wood and plants...will check out the lights you suggested...thanks a lot!

You have incandescent lighting, pick up the bulbs I suggested and the plants will appreciate it and the shrimp will look great. There's a lower wattage version available at Walmart in the pet department but they are $5.96 a pop.

 

[aluka]

If you have a 10 gallon with the hood that came with it, it will fit a CFL (Compact fluorescent lamp), you would want 2 13w 6500k cfl for a 10 gallon.

Definitely buy from a hardware store, much cheaper. Ask for a daylight cfl bulb, make sure you check the temperature rating is at least 6500k (which is sunlight), sometimes they sell 5000k as daylight, but that is not enough.

I get mine from lowe's, my homedepot never has them =/

 

[Mogurako]

Anything above 5500k will work btw I forgot to mention that.

 

[candacecook1025]

Great thanks! I will head over to Lowes tomorrow!