Best Type Of Lighting

[didz04]

Hi, ive just been looking at different types of lighting available for fish tanks, i was wondering whats the best type of light tube that will bring out the colour of my cichlid e.g. yellow lab, at the moment ive got a 18watt tube but dont exactley know which type it is, but its 24" long.
Ive seen like marine white is that a good option??? i was thinking of buying the Arcadia unit and having double light tube instead of the single and putting in may be the blue moon type tube.

Plz can anyone help

thanks

 

[fatheadminnow]

The more white the light is, the more it is going to show the true color of your fish.

The whiteness of the light that is emitted from the bulb can be determined by the "K" (Kelvin, which is the unit for energy) rating seen on the package the the bulb comes in.

EX. 18,000K, this would be a really white light, and would probably show the colors of your fish off nicely.

However, since you have yellow labs, you can get a bulb that emits more yellow light. A lower K rating, say around 3,000K to 8,000K, is going to more yellowish, which might make you yellow lab look more vibrant!

-FHM

 

[lalo99]

The more white the light is, the more it is going to show the true color of your fish.

The whiteness of the light that is emitted from the bulb can be determined by the "K" (Kelvin, which is the unit for energy) rating seen on the package the the bulb comes in.

EX. 18,000K, this would be a really white light, and would probably show the colors of your fish off nicely.

However, since you have yellow labs, you can get a bulb that emits more yellow light. A lower K rating, say around 3,000K to 8,000K, is going to more yellowish, which might make you yellow lab look more vibrant!

-FHM

At 18,000K the light will be too blue. Blue light will dull yellows and red colors in fish. 3,000K will give off red light.
I would look at aywhere between 7,500K and 10,000 K . Any higher than 10,000K and you start getting into blue light. The sun is about 5500 K.