Optimal Lighting for Greatest Show effect

[senso]

Hi All

I set up a planted discus tank some 4 months ago.
Parameters are

180g
Ph 6.8
Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate all negligible. Phosphates low
Temp 82
Lights - 2x96w 6,500k, 2 x 96w 10,000k.
Filtration - Eheim wet dry, plus Eheim 2026
Photoperiod has been 192w @ 6,500k for 10hrs. 10,000k for 2 hrs
Dropped to minimize algae
Substrate - silica white sand
Some driftwood
Background - black
Plants - Java Ferns, Crypts Balansae and Anubias Nana
Fauna - WILD DISCUS, 3 Pineapple blue faced Heckels, 2 regular heckels, 2 blues and 2 browns - all about 5 to 6 inches. School rummynose, 12 occellatus cats, 12 cardinia japonica.

I have recently noticed that the discus were looking a little drab. Not very bright, not very active. All feeding well (bloodworm primarily, not keen on flake or pellets), plants healthy, algae controlled.

After some deliberation, I switched the 10,000 with 2 96W actinics. Clors even worse.

A week later switched the photoperiod to 2x 96w 10,000k and the 6,500 on the enhancer period.
At the recommendation of Cosmo (thanks), I increased the temp by 1 deg. to 83. Discus are livelier, and the colors are far improved. Less dark overall and the blues, reds and yellows are far more pronounced.

I am interested in understanding what light spectrum, photo period and temp you are using in your show tanks to bring out the best in plants and fish, and why?

[wolfbane]

Could you post a picture of your tank please! I love the planted tanks! How does the light affect algae growth? Seems like a lot of light.

[Alight]

I find that 5,000 and 5,100 K lights bring out the best colors in my Discus. You might ask to "borrow" a bulb in this range to try it out.

I found the 6,700K bulbs really dulled the colors.

For some reason, 5,000K bulbs are called yellow or red, or even pink, but mine look nothing but white.

They make the plants look great, too. When I was at 2 watts/gallon and low tech, they also didn't cause much algae.

[Clay]

On my tanks, I use actual grow lamps that you would use for non aquatic plants. The light permeates all the way down to the bottom of the tank, give the fish great color, and looks natural. Not to mention tons of growth from plant. But seeing as your tank is 180g it might take a bunch of grow lamps. I have one double and 2 singles on my 55g right now so I'd imagine it would cost about $150 for enough lights.

[senso]

Thanks for your replies.

Wolfbane, I will take some shots this weekend and post them. In my case the excess light did cause a significant growth of hair and BBA. It was not pleasant, but with an adjustment in the light, it helped significantly. I am on a low tech set up (relative to CO2) as I use a simple DIY yeast set-up.

Alight, would you say the 5,000 accent certain colors. I agree with the 6,500. They made everything dull. With the 10,000 the blue shades appear brighter, yet the base of the Heckels look lighter too.

[Alight]

Yes, 5000 K accent the red, very nicely, by also seems to make the blue on both my cardinal tetras and Blue Diamonds shine well.

There are some pictures in the thread I started on my attempt to control algae in my high light tank. These were shot with only the 5000 K lights, but they really don't do the colors of the fish justice. They were still overexposed on the top of the photo, and underexposed on the bottom, and the colors in the pictures are not what your eye sees. The red melons are solid very dark, red orange, for example, and the Blue Diamond is much more iridescent.

[wolfbane]

Al, I remember Dan at Gulfcoast Discus saying he was using the GE kitchen and Bath flourescents in his fishroom. They are rated at 5500k, are cheaper that aquarium lights, I was thinking of trying them, as I have regular flourescent fixtures

[Alight]

Home Depot sells Phillips bulbs at good prices. I don't know about GEs.

Phillips has both T12 and T8, 48" bulbs with 5000K temp.

I use the T-8s both in my over driven unit, and not over driven over my grow out tank. The 5000Ks look better than the 3000Ks (cool white) and better than their daylight bulbs (6500K) for my fish.

You have to look carefully on the box to find the K values.

A bunch of people at the plantedtank site also like the GE bulbs.

Given that the color is very important for how your tank looks, I'd pick some up at a local store, and try them out, rather than order the, so you can take them back and trade them around if you don't like the color you get.

Al

[ItsGeoff]

go to hellolights.com i think it is and buy the GE 9325K 96 watt PC's. you wont be disappointed in the color they bring out. they are by far THE best spectrum on the market

[Mr_Quality]

I'm running Blueline 6500K 175w MH lamps on my 90g and find the colors to be a bit washed out, not to my taste. Yet my 45g tank uses Coralife 6500K PC lamps and the colors are fantastic. Bottom line, kelvin ratings aren't always comparable, especially across different types of bulbs.

When I rebulb my 90g, I'll likely be trying some lower kelvin bulbs.

[Alight]

MQ, couldn't agree more, which is why I suggested getting bulbs to try out locally, rather than ordering them, so you can take them back and trade them if you don't like them--heck, it's great to try a bunch of different ones, just to find out which one you like best, then take back all of the rest.

I have 6500 K phillips T-8 fluorescent bulbs in some of the lighting in our barn--same light set up that I use on my fish tanks. I tried these bulbs on my fish tank, and the discus colors look washed out, too. They call these arctic daylight as a description of the color, and I would agree with that concept of the color. They do great in our barn, though.

[Timbo]

i run two flourscent bulbs (20 watts each) on 55gal and larger tanks. one bulb is 10,000K and other is 5000K. got both spectrums covered (blue and yellow/red)

it suits my eye, but beauty is such a subjective thing..what looks good to me may not to you

[senso]

As a matter of interest does anyone use actinics at all.

Thinking of the parameters that may affect color, assuming one has clean water, have you found Ph or temp to impact the coloration.

I have also read that many discus keepers use a blue background to enhance colors. In my case I am using black, to assist in the depth perspective, especially with the plants and driftwood.

The sand is silica sand, still a very strong white. Thankfully it has darkened in the past 5 months, from the bright white that it was.

My ph is around 6.7 to 6.8 with the temp now at 82 - 83.

[Timbo]

hi senso

-i have tried actinics from my reef tank but prefer the 10,000K light in my discus tanks to the 18,000 put out by actinics. personal preference:)

-ph and temp will not affect color rendition

-i too prefer black as background for saltwater, but discus will take on darker colors to match their enviroment so i changed out the black for blue and viola the fish lightened up in color