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Aquarist Forums => Equipment / DIY => Topic started by: thor on February 15, 2007, 01:04:38 PM

Title: what are the best lights
Post by: thor on February 15, 2007, 01:04:38 PM
hi ! I was just wondering if anyone could help me decide on what the best lights are for bringing out the colours in  fish I have a malawi tank and can't figure it out can anyone help and give some direction
Title: Re: what are the best lights
Post by: az on February 15, 2007, 02:14:22 PM
50/50 pc...or adding an actinic bulb to your existing white bulbs would help, btw..I bought your old 55 3 years ago :)
Title: Re: what are the best lights
Post by: Adam on February 15, 2007, 03:48:08 PM
It depends what you want to see...

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mediacollege.com/lighting/colour/images/colour-temperature.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.mediacollege.com/lighting/colour/colour-temperature.html&h=400&w=400&sz=21&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=_6PEpEw_rcDZ-M:&tbnh=124&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcolour%2Btemperature%2Bchart%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

Lower kelvin (####K)  will bring out the reds and yellows.  6700K is white light, and above that it gets progressively bluer.  Actinics are really, really blue light.  If you like a warm yellow, get something with bulbs below 6700K, if you like a whiter, bluer crisper look, get bulbs above it.  You can also get ful spectrum bulbs, but these end up looking pretty red.  I use 18 000K power-glo for my mbuna and tanganyikan aquariums.  But that's just because I like blue.

Adam
Title: Re: what are the best lights
Post by: thor on February 16, 2007, 01:10:38 AM
thanks for the ideas