# help with some lighting questions please ...



## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

I am entertaining plants in 48x18x21 i have a crappy light on not and the fish dont look good under it .

these lights I plan on getting .....

http://www.bigalsonline.ca/BigAlsCA...fefreshwateraqualight48powercompactlight2x65w

should be good for low light plants ......
ricca /mosses

I was told also the actinic light would make my discus look great ....? any truth to that ?

thanks !


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

Is your goal to grow plants, or simply to see your fish? Depending on what your goal is will determine the type of lights you ultimately get.

If you don't want to grow plants, then you can simply change bulbs to find one that is more suited to your liking. 

For the lights that you are currently looking at, I would say you would have low to moderate lighting. It would be suitable for low light plants. In my experience, Riccia will only do well in low light tanks if it is floating. In a tank as deep as yours, you may have trouble growing Riccia submerged at substrate level.

Finally, actinic lighting is too blue for my preference, so I do not use them. In addition, plants cannot efficiently use actinic light, so I do not use them.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

I can always count on you ...Thanks a bunch !
No I dont want to grow plants but would like to keep some to make the tank look nice and for fish comfort .
tyvm 
Doreen


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## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

I would have to agree with Darkblade. In FW the actinic is more to make the colours in the fish pop, where as in SW this spectrum of light is use for the corals growth as well as to make the colours pop on your livestock.


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## blossom112 (Mar 19, 2008)

guess im still in saltwater mode *wink*


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