Loaches Online Forum

What are good lighting options for a loach tank?

I know they prefer subdued lighting... but how do you make the lights less bright? BY maybe putting something in front of the light? And would that still be enough for low light plants? Or is the best route to get fake plants?

as your making the back a rock-scape you could plant low-light level plants such as java-fern and anubias as well as incorporating some artificial plants.
for a tank your size one full length strip light would be enough.

mick

PP:

Is this a planted tank?

TR

I want to have a few low light plants... mostly sand and rocks though...

Pixelated_Pirate wrote:I want to have a few low light plants... mostly sand and rocks though...

PP:

Many folks prefer Tx (ie. T5, etc) lighting and although a VHO T5 fixture and bulbs were supplied by the manufacturer I soon scrapped them for several reasons.

My knee jerk reaction to your post is PC (Power Compact) lighting. Please ref:
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_AquariumP ... tures.html
If you can provide me with the dimensions of your tank I may can help you with fixture and bulb selection.
Please note that after I scrapped the T5 lighting system I started with PC fixtures and these fixtures are still a portion of my lighting system.

TR

BTW: The method which I employ to reduce light into the tank is via floating plants.

My tank is 48" long. Someone got me a deal on these lights: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... Id=3060839 (I did not get them from petsmart but this was the 1st link I found to the product)

Would the best way to reduce light be the floating plant idea? Or maybe should I get the blue marine bulbs because the spectrum would be more in the blues?

Pixelated_Pirate wrote:My tank is 48" long. Someone got me a deal on these lights: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... Id=3060839 (I did not get them from petsmart but this was the 1st link I found to the product)

Would the best way to reduce light be the floating plant idea? Or maybe should I get the blue marine bulbs because the spectrum would be more in the blues?

PP:

Before we go much further I really need to know the other dimensions of your tank.

Please note that this fixture is a 36" which contains extension brackets for a 48" to 64" tank.

Although many folks will disagree I believe that the 7100K bulbs which you referenced helps with plant growth when combined with a 10000K bulb. Also the 7100K bulb can be left on at night.

6700K bulbs, sometimes referred to as GroLite or Sun Light bulbs, will produce less visible light but I do not enjoy the yellowish tint produced by these bulbs.

I have very intense lighting and use floating plants to reduce the intensity in specific areas of my tank.

I have not observed adverse effects to my yoyos with high intensity lighting but I have no experience with this lighting and other loaches.

TR

It's a 55gal, 48" by 12" by... 17" or something? The one I got is the 48" one not the 32". Well I actually haven't picked it up yet... so I could always exchange for a smaller size, but I believe the 48" one would be ideal?

In my 32gal I have a powerglo as well as a lifeglo, this is a fully planted community freshwater tank.


Yeah... I was wonderin' what bulbs to get for the 55gal... I've also tried Sunglo and Aquaglo in the past...

I want the colours in the tank to be nice... but nothing that will stress out the loaches... hope this is satisfactory info...

Pixelated_Pirate wrote:I want the colours in the tank to be nice... but nothing that will stress out the loaches... hope this is satisfactory info...

The dimensions of the tank will allow a 7100K bulb and a 10000K bulb for the plants.

As I indicated previously I am not a guru (or even a novice) with respect to lighting for loaches.

TR