low light

[pebbles]

i have been given a fishtank ,it has a light , looks like its been rigged up, works ok and everything but not terribly bright, i dont plan to plant this tank as i dont think the light levels are enough[its deep],but as long as the fish know the difference between night and day , will they be ok. pebbles

 

[teknikz]

i think fish thrive if they have some kind of decent, bright light. They love it

Their colours will appear better and brighter and its also good for them.

I've just had an infestation of unsightly brown algae which is caused by dull lighting. So i got myself a flourescent tube starter unit and a day-glo flourescent tube for about £15......and now the algae is gone....the fish seem happier and the colours on them are amazing.

Hope this helps

Tek

p.s.......i've read on 1 of the posts here that u should have 2.5 watts of light per U.S gallon 8)

 

[pebbles]

they do have flourescent lighting but doesnt seem too bright, maybe because of the depth of the tank? may look to getting a better tube

 

[teknikz]

yeah try a stronger light with more lux output.....a higher wattage will sort this out.....u could try a reflector too....this sends all the wasted light that goes up into the hood back into the tank

Tek

 

[pebbles]

thanks will try that

 

[Tanked]

If you are on a budget you can make a reflector out of aluminum foil (but will brown with age and needs to be replace about once every 6 months to a year

 

[Jamnog]

perhaps the bulb is old they only last about 5 to 10 years then they become dull and finally they flick on and off wich can stress the fish. or you might have an aquaglow that are sposed to be dull.

 

[pebbles]

the foil idea sounds good, will try it to start with