Are Dimmers necessary?

[Fish_Mike]

Alright, this is a two-part question. First of all, are there such things AT ALL as dimmers that can slowly reduce the brightness of your light? I'm asking because i know it stresses fish out when you turn on, trun off, turn, turn off, and so i'm asking, if they do exist, is there any point in buying them for my aquarium?

 

[SarahBravo]

There are dimmers, but they are expensive and you will probably have to replace all your lights to compatible ones. Cheapest and easiest way is to add an additional light, say half as bright as your existing ones. Put that on a timer to come on half an hour before the main ones come on and go off half an hour after the main ones go off. This gives the nearest 'dawn/dusk' effect without spending major $$$$$$/££££££

 

[rdd1952]

I don't know that it's really a big deal to turn lights on and off as long as your not doing it a dozen times a day. Most people have them on a timer that turns them on and off the same times every day.

 

[glolite]

If you turn the tank lights off half an hour before the room lights and set them to come back on half an hour after the room lights that's enough.

 

[Fish_Mike]

thanks for the adivce!

Ya i already have a timer, but my hood can't really hold any more lights than the current ones, so i'll just use glo's idea.

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

My tank is in the end room of a corridor so i just work the lights down there,
I turn my bedroom light on then turn off the tank, leave it a while then turn the hall light on and then bedroom one off, then the bathroom on and the coridoor/landing off. lol my family think im crazy. i leave about 10minutes between each turn.

 

[pnyklr3]

I do the same as glolite. My tank is in the basement where ther are two lights heading towards the tank. I turn the furthest one one first, then about 10 min later the closest one, and then about 10 min after that I turn on the tank. Has worked wonders....and I don't scare my pleco with the sudden burst of light anymore! lol