Fish That Withstand Strong Lighting

[Snick]

I don't know if it was the switch from 2, 30 watt fluorescent bulbs to 2, 150 watt metal halides, but my blood characins, red eye, and cardinal tetras all immediately get busy and look for the darkest area of the aquarium whenever i switch the lamps on... I haven't left them on for more than 20 minutes as I am still installing some things, but the fact that they just go to the dark corner and stay there really bugs me.

Is this behavior only temporary? Maybe they just need to get used to the strong light.
Or is this behavior standard for these tetras? The angels in the aquarium seem to be OK with the light.

If this behavior is standard for some fishes, then which ones tolerate high-intensity lights?? Of course, these fishes must be compatible with a planted tank. I don't want any cichlids tearing up my garden!!


Thanks in advance.

 

[SJ2K]

To me this would indicate the lighting is simply too much, maybe rather then ditch the fish, ditch the lights.

 

[Snick]

I disagree with your response, as Takashi Amano and many other discus-planted tanks are kept with a light intensity of 3 watts per gallon... I have 2.5.
I suppose (after recent research) that the fish are simply not used to such light intensity.
Anyone disagrees?

 

[Musho3210]

wpg is a load of......

Anyway, MH are some of the strongest lights around, sj2k is right, save MH for reef tanks....

 

[Dave Spencer]

MH are perfectly fine for planted FW tanks.

Snick, Amano quite often uses a photoperiod along the lines of 3hours half light, 4 hours full light and 3 hours half light.

Dave.

 

[Bignose]

Snick, you do understand that you are wanting the fish to go against the entirety of their natural instincts, right? Not too many fish hang out in the light -- there is always a bigger fish, if not a bird or other animal -- and if you are in the light, the bigger fish can see you and eat you much easier. Especially those tetras you are keeping, they are pretty low on the food chain, every single instinct of theirs is for self-preservation, which means not hanging out near the light, not hanging out in the open. They may eventually become a little braver, but they are never going to be frolicking in the light. It just is not in their nature in any way whatsoever.

Try getting a few floating plants to break up the light. A few shafts of bright light coming down and through will be okay, but not a large open swath. Some floating plants will break up the direct bright light nicely, and make the tank seem even more like nature.

 

[Snick]

ok thank you... does anybody know how discus will react in this light? I've seen them kept in such bright environments, and have also read on the Tropica website that they have successfully kept them in a high intensity, planted tank. I know they are fish for advanced fishkeepers, but I'm planning to keep some in the future.

 

[BNyleen581]

I have seen a few Discuss tanks with higher than 3.5 WPG tanks. They seemed fine, but I don't know a lot about Discuss.

That's a fricken lot of light though!