# Blue tank lighting



## tooslow (Apr 16, 2008)

hey everyone. hoping for a little direction. 

I got a 100 gallon tank over the weekend. it is now set up and i have moved my fish over. The tank didn't come with lighting so i sent my brother out to grab the lights and he came back with blue lights. The bulbs are 80% blue and 20% white from what he told me and i was wondering if this is ok for the fish in my tank (Africian Cichlids,chinese algae eaters, clown loaches)? I don't like the look of the lighting to begin with, far too much blue. It looks like a weird tanning bed colour or something. i have 50% blue and 50% white on my other tank which i find looks great and brings out the colours of my fish. The blue just masks all the colours. hell my yellow labs look purple! lol

Also if anyone knows where i can find 50% blue and 50% white 34 inch tube bulbs i would appreciate it. Big Al's is 33 bucks a tube i think which i find a little bit of a jip if you ask me.

thanks everyone.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

Fish don't really care about the colour temperature of the lighting. If you think that the bulbs are too blue, then replace them with a lower colour temperature bulb (i.e. 6700 or 6500K). 

I'm not sure how you would define "50% blue and 50% white" bulbs - usually bulbs are referred to by their colour temperature.

The best place to go is Home Depot/Rona/other hardware store. They should have the bulbs in the necessary length.


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## papik (Oct 6, 2008)

That sounds like a great idea. Does it make the tank look like a salt water tank? Do the fins of the fish glow kind of like a black light? If you don't like the blue, try adding some white L.E.D. lights. You can get them from big al's and provide excellent accent lighting or just that extra bit of white you are looking for. The blue and white combination should do the trick: keeping the water looking blue and really making the colour of your Cichlids pOp!


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## tooslow (Apr 16, 2008)

*papik quiet*

If i wanted your opinion papik, i would have asked you at home. you are the problem, and I don't need your biased comments swaying the opinions of others. so shaddap


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## papik (Oct 6, 2008)

i don't know you man


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## tooslow (Apr 16, 2008)

you are such a tool. go back to sleep.


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## tribbin (Jun 3, 2009)

Darkblade48 said:


> The best place to go is Home Depot/Rona/other hardware store. They should have the bulbs in the necessary length.


Good idea! But make sure the bulbs have a fairly cool temperature when powered. My first bulb I got from HD many years ago exploded when some water splashed on it.

Anyway, Rona/HD is a good idea. However Im not sure if they sell Actinic lights


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

tribbin said:


> Anyway, Rona/HD is a good idea. However Im not sure if they sell Actinic lights


I'm pretty sure Home Depot/Rona doesn't sell actinic lights, but you won't need them in a planted tank anyway.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Heh heh. No don't use the blue/white light. Just use a pure white 67000K light and you'll be fine. The blue/white light are actinic lights that are for salt water tank. They serve no purpose on a fresh water tank. Unless you like the funny lighting it's casting on your fish. Althernately, you can just any day light light bulb (which is probably aroudn 67000K). The reason 67000K is good for fresh water tank is because it's closer to the afternoon sun light. Hence giving the true colour of your fish. At that colour temperature, it's also good for any plants as well. Not sure what brand is your light or even if it's using the compact flourescent bulb or the T8/T5 flourescent tube.

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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

Actually, Daylight tubes of around 6500K don't giove accurate colour rendition, as their CRI is only around 81, compared to 5500K Natural Sun, which are around 92 (sunlight is 100). The colour temp does not necessarily tell you how well a tube will render colour; the CRI does.


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