Lighting Question

[NYgiantsRP]

I have a 65g 24'' tall freshwater fish-only tank. No crustations. NW Cichlids, gourami, loaches. I have a T5 HO fixture, it holds two bulbs.

I would reall like something that will prevent algae as much as possible, but also showcase the tank nicely. I will have it on a timer, 10 hours a day.

What two bulbs should I get.

 

[BillD]

Since you have no plants and a significant amount of light, having the lights on for 10 hours per day will probably cause the growth of algae. You should reduce the lighting period to perhaps 6 hours per day or even less. Changing the tubes is not likely to help, as algae will grow under pretty much any light. To make it look good, you want tubes with a high CRI (Color Rendition Index) number which will render colours more naturally.

 

[black hills tj]

Reduce the amount of light is the best option. In your situation, like Bill said, the best thing is to just not leave the lights on as long throughout the day. 10000k bulbs also grow less algae(from my experience), but with 1110w of light on that tank, you will still end up with algae unless you cut back on the light a little.

With increased lighting and no plants in a tank, algae is very prone to growing due to the nutrients floating around in the water column that desired plants normally take up.