proper lights

[Palue]

I would like to know what kind of lights and especially "kelvin" reading you all use??

I am currently running my saltwater light with a kelvin reading of 18,000K. This is great for saltwater but not sure about the discus tank.

I just put in a 4100K normal light and it is so yellow but sure alot brighter. Really washed out the color of the fish too. I switched it back to the Power-glo 18,000k for now as the Discus is use to this light.

There is a Aqua-Glo or Sun-Glo anyone use either of these?? I am trying to get around that "yellow tinge" which I don't like the look of that is why I kept the Power-Glo in there for the time being.

Any info greatly appreciated.....:angel:

[April]

try one with a bit of purple..if you have bluish fish. i just use whatever is handy. i go to the hardware store and get regular flourescents and stick em in. or i just have the ones on my ceiling . good enough. discus dont need alot of light unless its too dark to see them.

[wolfbane]

I've been happy with the regular flourescents, Philips Daylight bulbs. Color is about 6500K, nice look, not yellowy.

[fishmama]

My newest favorite is Coralife ColorMax...produces amazing reds, 5000K with color enhancing phosphors (inexpensive if you order it). If I need one right way, an inexpensive option at Lowe's is GE's Fresh & Salt Aqua, not bad for $6 for 24" and I don't have to pay shipping. The fish don't care what I use and I do not have plants to contend with!

Here are photos with tank using ColorMax:

[fishmama]

PS: The ColorMax is a more "mellow" light than the GE Fresh & Salt Aqua (brighter, but washes out blues a bit more).

[Palue]

Great thanks everyone. I do have a purpleish bulb the Coralife Power-Glo is a purpleish bulb and compared to the regular one 4100K the Power-Glo gives the blues a nice punch to make them stand out.

Just thought I would see what you all were using. Thanks again.....:D :balloon:

[Ed13]

My newest favorite is Coralife ColorMax...produces amazing reds, 5000K with color enhancing phosphors (inexpensive if you order it). If I need one right way, an inexpensive option at Lowe's is GE's Fresh & Salt Aqua, not bad for $6 for 24" and I don't have to pay shipping. The fish don't care what I use and I do not have plants to contend with!

Here are photos with tank using ColorMax:

I thought Coralife colormax were 6700k. The T12 in my case grew plants very well and made greens really nice but reds looked reaallly brownish. Th Pc version I really liked, HAlf 6700/red???(not even an esu representative knew what kelvin the red side was)

Bulb selection in order to show colors lies with what colors you want to bounce back from the object. Colors in the 4100k-6500k are really good for the human eye meaning, they are great at showing green, white and yellow color objects

Use 5000k for a guide, in general under that it reflects reds in a more realistic way and over that it reflects blues in a more realistic way. For example 50/50 bulbs and 10k bulbs are better for Blue Diamonds but will drown the red straitons of Blue and Red Turks. But again, it all depends with what you want to show or hide, the effect you want to create.

If you are like most hobbyists and keep various colored discus or a planted tank with various colored plants then, for obvious reasons the best bulb is one that works best for all colors or a variety of bulbs to create the desired effect.

The best bulb for reds and blues in my opinion is GE 9325k, but I don't like the way it drowns greens. New 8000k color bulbs seem to maintain the widest spectrum of colors looking the best.
Said all this, I am one of those that really likes a lot of lumens over a tank, high par readings, with a combination of various kelvin bulbs
If you just want to show some fish stick with 6500k or 8000k bulbs

BTW, 18,000k bulbs alone are not really suited for sustaining light loving organisms, specially not saltwater ones. And this is a K rating that plants won't really see in the wild

[fishmama]

Ed-

The GE Aqua Rays Fresh and Salt Aqua (9325K) really wash out my green! Too harsh in my opinion for night viewing of tanks. The reds stand out, but the blue is all but absent. :-(

The Coralife Colormax is marketed at 5000K and 350-750nm. Much "easier on the human eye" as you have explained. And certainly more pleasant in a darkened environment.

For example, here is a leopard and rt, which both have tons of blue, but under GE it's all washed out!

[fishmama]

the pic...

[Apistomaster]

I think Ed13 is corrrect in that the best colors are closer to 6500-6700K.
A combination of a plantgrow, 6700K and a 10,000 produce nice results. Just remember not to over do the intensity as both the discus and their colors are best in moderate lighting. Just enough light to grow plants is plenty of light for discus viewing.

Larry W.

[Moon]

It is important to understand the difference between Colour Rendering Index (CRI) and Colour Temprature (CT in degrees Kelvin). CRI at 100 renders all colours realistically. Most flourescent lamps have CRI of about 85. The ideal is a black body radiator at 100. Incandescent lamps are pretty close to it.
Colour temprature enhances the various spectral colours selectively. For example a low CT of say 2400K will enhance reds and yellows producing a warm effect. On the other hand 10000K will enhance the blue end of the spectrum making the object cold in apprerance. Typicall sunlight has a CR of 5000K and an overcast sky id 6500K. Clear blue sky without sun is about 8000K.
So you have to choose the appropriate CRI and CT to render your fish to your own liking. I have full spectrum lamps in my fish room. This is a broad spectrum lamp that covers the entire range. This renders all colours somewhat realistically.
Joe