Lights Too Bright Fot Tiger Barbs?

[Dunkal]

Hi, I used to have 3 tiger barbs and long plants hich covered the surface and then bought another 4 tiger barbs and cut all the plants to make them smaller. The first 3 were very active and then once I cut the plants and added the other 4 then they all have become very shy. They get like this especially when I turn the lights on and when the lihts are kept on I have 1 x High-Lite Light Unit 80 cm, 2 x 28 W lighting system.
Do you think the lighting is too strong? as they seem much happier with the lights off but then I cant see them. Stats are fine for the tank and had the tigers for 3 months now.

 

[Alind]

I used to have 3 tiger barbs.
They become so frighten when i switch on my lightes and starts my very rapid filter, that their black strips become fade!, The whole fish look's like washed out.
so whenever my tiger barbs looks fade, i just undo the last action.
And they also need hiding places, ,my barbs used to stay under the artificial plants always.

so if fishes looks washed out then they must be frighten or in stress.

 

[Dunkal]

When I had the vallis plants growing to the top the barbs were happier. I also had other barbs and maybe this made them feel more secure as the oddessa barbs were more active