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i have a 60 gall tank. platys, goldfish, silver dollaes, tiger barbs. is there a specific type of bulbs i should be using? i just changed to 50/50 coralife bulbs. i like the way the bluish tint looks. or should i just use standard fluorescent white bulbs. how long should i keep them on per 24hrs? i was also told to replace bulbs every 9 months, because they loose something over time. is this true? thanks for any help.

Hi,
Because you have a "tall" tank, you should think about
increasing the "K rating" of the bulb to around 10,000K.
As the light penetrates the water on the way to the bottom
where the plants are, the light is absorbed, and scattered.
That means that there is less light energy for the plants
at the bottom. As you increase the K-rating, you shift
toward the blue end of the spectrum the light becomes more
harsh (glaring) and the light energy penetrates the depths
of the tank with less scatter and less absorption.

Since you already have purchased the bulb and like the
blue color, you might as well stick with it. The 50/50
light should be fine. What you did not say was how many
watts the bulb(s) are. You will need 120 watts of light
to give you 2 watts per gallon (wpg) which is what you will
need for healthy plants in a 60G, Tall, tank.

All fluorescent bulbs "wear out" or age, as they burn. Many
can loose as much as 50% in a years time. Generally, we
replace our bulbs every 12 months whether they are still
running or not.

One thing that many don't think about is the suddenness of
the change. If you have two or a multiple of that in your
hood, you should not change all of them at the same time.
Think about it, over time all the bulbs will age at about
the same rate, growing gradually dimmer. Then, one day you
change all of them with fresh bulbs... You wind up
"shocking" the fish and the plants, and it can cause the
plants to wilt and die back, while they become accustomed
to the newer, brighter, light. With the fish, they may
suddenly retreat to the more shaded areas and become
scarce, till they too become accustomed to the new lights.

In my tank, with two bulbs, I change mine annually, but 6
months apart.

As far as how long to leave the bulbs turned on, most will
leave their lights on for 10 hours a day. Some go to 12
hours, but it depends upon how much plant mass they have
in the tank and any algae problems they might have.

Frank

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

thanks. my tank is not tall, but long. you brought something to my attention. will too much light cause algae probs? how about brown algae?

A large amount of any light will cause algae. It doesn't really seem to care what the spectrum or color of the light is. If you don't have plants you'll have just as much algae trouble with the 50/50 bulb as a bulb with a more balanced spectrum. If you do have plants much of the blue light will be wasted. The plants will still grow but it would take alot more blue light than if you had a more balanced bulb and you'll end up with algae. Something else to keep in mind is most people also think bulbs with a high k rating or alot of blue washes out the green color in a planted tank. Your best off using a 10,000k or under bulb for growing plants. If your not growing plants you can really use any color bulb you want since it seems to have an equal chance of growing algae. You just have to watch the amount of light your putting on the tank and how long your leaving the lights run. I love the blue bulbs on tanks with mostly rock and a few low light plants like java fern. I did run my 55g for about a year with two 65w 50/50 bulbs and two 65w 10,000k bulbs so it's not impossible. It's just less useful for the plants while the algae still finds it to it's liking.

But to get back to your main concern. 50/50 is a marine light and not intended for freshwater. I would chose a natural day light look if the tank is unplanted. Planted is a whole other ball game with lighting. If you like a bulb that will bring out the blue tint...I stronly recommend a Power Glow. I has a great blue tint to it.
I leave my lights on 10 hrs a day. It works out pretty good, I only have one tank that has algea in it...but this is on purpose because of the fish in it. All the other tanks are algea free.

Think of fish like they are human, atleast in living conditions.
Lighting: Would you like to live in a house with the lights on 24/7? Would you like all your lights blue or red?
Temperature: Do you like a nice constant temperature?
Filtration: Do you wish you could have the best cleaning agents and gizmos money could buy?
Environment: Do you like a natural enviornment? Or one that is sterile? Probably natural.

I like to give my fish the best I can, Planted tanks and reef tanks. As the old saying goes...To each his own.

"There is also a Clown Pleco in this tank some where. I am telling you, HE IS IN HERE."

You can't compare fish to humans in that regard. Most fish quite enjoy living under 50/50 or blue light. The specifics of human vision is what makes us choose the light we do for our homes and offices. Most of those lights are nowhere near actual sunlight. They are mainly yellow and green light because that's the spectrum humans see best in. Fish having different vision and not needing to use the light for reading do not really care. Shy fish will actually be more comfortable under blue light though since it doesn't make things as bright and they fell less exposed than under daylight or similar bulbs. It mostly though comes down to the choice of the human running the tank. Unless you have plants you really can run your tank with any color bulb you want and it won't have any detrimental effects on the fish.

"There is also a Clown Pleco in this tank some where. I am telling you, HE IS IN HERE."