Question About Wattage On Tank Lights

[Dubby]

Dubby I have so many plants in there that if I put any more my pleco wouldn't be able to move around and scavange around the bottom of the tank. He already has a hard time and thats why every week I have to put the plants back into the gravel.

I can see your problem Your best bet would be using a combination of plant bulbs and regular daylight tubes to reduce the intensity?

 

[Durbkat]

I can see your problem Your best bet would be using a combination of plant bulbs and regular daylight tubes to reduce the intensity?

Well I don't want any real plants in the tank and what are regular daylight tubes? Are they the bulbs that are used to light my tank?

 

[Dubby]

I can see your problem Your best bet would be using a combination of plant bulbs and regular daylight tubes to reduce the intensity?

Well I don't want any real plants in the tank and what are regular daylight tubes? Are they the bulbs that are used to light my tank?

When you said that you had so many plants, I thought you meant real ones. My misunderstanding Using the plant bulbs may introduce algae. Yes, the daylight bulbs are the regular ones used to light the tank.

You could try reducing the intensity by covering the bulb with a semi transparent material.

 

[Durbkat]

Could I use printer paper to lower the intensity of the light, or would the paper catch on fire from the heat the light produces?

 

[Nickoli]

Printer paper would work, probably will not catch on fire. Would produce a diffuse light. Remember Farenheit 451? 451F is the flashpoint of paper.

A few thin strips of aluminum foil would work as well. Think small 1" by 20" long strip or two to reduce downward light. Just lay on the top of your hood under the light.

If your lights have an aluminum reflector, you can remove it unless it is acting as a heat shield. So see how hot the lamps are. If it has the aluminum reflector/heat shield, you could get some BBQ black paint (high temp stuff) and spray a little on the reflector/heat shield to make it less reflective.

You could also get an extra hunk of plexiglass/lexan/glass (non tempered) and have it bead blasted, or scuff it up with sandpaper to reduce light transmission to the tank. This will aslo diffuse the light more.

It is really easy to produce more light, and reduce output efficacy than to find the correct amount of lighting to start with.