Lighting

[cheerycherry]

Tank is still on fishless cycle at the moment-going with cichlids

Anyway the lights in my rio 300 are just TOO bright,Ive heard they dont like alot of light so What would be the best way to get around this? at the moment there are 2x 40" 38w bulbs in and it is very bright.Even with all the tons of rocks I have in there the caves are even bright lol

 

[ThePiggy]

You may want to try incandescent lighting. Try a 25w.

 

[ThePiggy]

Another option is a light filter. You obtain a piece of colored glass and attach it to the hood below the bulbs. You can experiment with different colors to see which compliments your tank the most.

 

[three-fingers]

I would add duckweed, water lettuce or whatever floating plants you like. Block out light, and do wonders for the water (you'll notice lower nitrates).

Will need to do a trial and error to see which ones the cichlids wont eat, but once one species is established, it should multiply faster tan they can eat it.